If you must try something, take a cutting from a branch & see if you can root it - burying it to nearly the top. Might work.
I know it works in fall when leaves are dropping. I’d strip all but the top 2 leaves. You may teach us something!
BTW, I bought Belaruskaya from Raintree last year. Planted it where it will get shade in the later afternoon. It hasn’t gotten big, but the bloom this season is impressive. This will be a first with Belaruskaya (practicing spelling the name) & can compare it to Black September, Ben More, Westwick & Orphan (bonus plant from Raintree without a name).
Those are rooted cuttings, I have not really done them besides in ground where I want them. I mentioned the mature plants as that is all I have experience with. This year I am rooting some in small containers and plan to transplant them in the fall.
Here is what I am growing these days
Ben Sarek
Black September
Consort
Crandall
Crusader (Ribes nigrumX R. ussuriense)
Golden currant (not the Crandall cultivar)
Goliath
Minaj Smyriou/Minaj Shmyrev/Minaj Smyreu
Tiben
Titania
Boskoop Giant
Belaruskaja
Risager
Slitsa
I also have a golden currant from seed, and two volunteers that popped up from the birds.
I wanted to grow another golden as these are supposed to be the yellow fruited type.
And I’m also growing King Edward VII Flowering Currant.
i just planted that wild gooseberry i found growing under my red pines. its about 14in. tall and thorny as hell . might see some fruit from it this summer. anxious to see how good they are.
I just split up a Minaj Smyreu, taking two such sections off to plant where a pink currant died. While the white/pink/red currants taste better fresh, I’m not super fond of any of them. So as they die, I can re-purpose the space for black currants (for jam).
If they were in separate grow-bags, I’d say transplant now, as currants will do better in-ground, than in a pot. They like things cool/moist and pots tend to get warmer and dry out (at least when I take care of them…). But, I agree with drew that ripping the roots apart would be non-ideal now, so your best option may be to keep them well watered this summer and transplant in the late fall or spring.
Nothing wrong with ripping a few out. Even if you don’t get all the root, just the sticks alone sends out more roots, as that is how you started it in the first place
I tried to root some of the currant cuttings in coir with the fig cuttings. That method seems to work much better for figs than it does black currants. I don’t think I got any takes. Then, a couple months later, I remembered the remaining cuttings (which I hadn’t tried to root) and stuck them in the ground. I passed by the other day (after about a month) and all of them at least had swelling buds. It seems much easier to just stick cuttings where you want them, than to baby them indoors and then transplant. I know I’ve had near 100% success (except the one I put in upside down…) in sticking them in the ground in the fall and based on this year, the spring may work as well.
all but 2 of my 20 black currants were grown from just sticking a cutting in ground in the spring where i want it. i put a little mulch around it and forget it. my heavy clay it seems is the best soil to do this . i get 100% takes. its crazy how easy it is to propagate them. i took a few lower branches off my new jeanne gooseberry and did the same. I’ve heard they’re just as easy to root.
I do like them, but the blacks have grown on me. I do now prefer blacks. The strong stinky ones the most!
I went to grow bags, well root pouches. I have 9 in ground, but have about that many more in root pouches. They do fairly well in them. Here is Titania, I have a Titania in ground too, Taken 5 minutes ago. This was grown from a cutting, probably from you Bob!
Yes the same program, I looked at mine and it does have some flowers, so I will get a taste. Some currants bend sideways and grow in undesirable directions.
Crusader is growing very upright, a nice feature. Black September does too.
To the right is Crusader and the left is Slitsa. Notice the strange lean! Not the best photo to show the lean.
i got a B.C from Oikios that is like that. wants to lean all over the place . my consorts were like that initially but as i pruned out the sprawling branches the new shoots came back upright. I’m hoping this does the same. the Tibens you gave me have strong upright canes. they’re about the same size as your 2 in the pic and should have some berries to taste this summer. i took prunings from consort and tiben and stuck them in all over the yard. some spots aren’t ideal but i bet ill still get decent crops if i give them a little fertilizer every year.
Ive got a bunch of ben hope rooting, likely will have enough to share a few if anyone is interested this fall after they go dormant… This will be the first year Ill get much fruit from it, so not sure how it stacks up exactly.
Yes, I do the same thing. I let them grow but favor the upward growth eventually.
I also just stuck some in the ground and in 3 years two of them are very big with a decent amount of berries. I’m going to be drowning in black currants. If they survive the vortex Friday?
Yeah I would like to try that one. I’ll contact you in the fall.
One of my black currants - the one without name I call Orphan - leans all over with young growth. I tried tying a string around them until they hardened. They supported each other & it worked pretty well.
** I stuck current cuttings this spring in Feb…all in one pot, and I think they all are going to make it. Probably will just upsize the pot next year, or plant as one unit, rather than dividing.
Before, hadn’t been successful doing currants…but did it in partial sun…that may have been the problem.
I have cuttings of apples this year in a pot…looks good so far…3 inches or so new growth.
I have about a 95% success rate from currant cuttungs. I started out with three plants and now have over twenty. In my experience, my currants grow and produce fruit just as well in shade as they do in full sunlight. I live in zone 6b. I don’t think that would hold true in warmer climates.
I have a number of different currant varieties that are just loaded with blossoms this year. One source I read says you need to cover them with fleece cloth each year or they will freeze. Is tonight’s 27 degree forecast going to do them in? I wrapped one bush in a sheet, but too much work to do that to them all.
They should be OK, they are very hardy. Some can take -40 in the winter. Not sure of flower hardiness, but I bet they will be fine. Guess I’ll find out!
I am trying that Planted Crandall currants and Poorman gooseberries so far. I might try Red Lake and Minaj Smyriou based on @scottfsmith’s review of what survived the heat in his area. Thats not a guarantee for the dry heat here, but something to base my decision on. I hear good reviews about Hinnomaki Red as well
Planted Crandall currants and Poorman gooseberries so far. I might try Red Lake and Minaj Smyriou based on