Methods of propagation of currants by season: cuttings, layering, division of the bush

Currants can be safely called the favorite of all gardeners. Its fragrant berries are good in fresh and canned form, and from young leaves and twigs an excellent tea is obtained. It’s not difficult to grow a culture, it is possible for both an experienced amateur and a beginner. Try and you grow at least a couple of currant bushes on your plot. Moreover, its reproduction can be handled independently.

Currant propagation methods

Currants can be propagated in several ways, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Guided by our recommendations, you can easily choose the most suitable breeding option.

Cutting currants

Cuttings are considered the simplest method of reproduction. But here, as in any other work, certain rules must be observed:

1. For harvesting cuttings, bushes with the highest productivity, not affected by pests or diseases, are selected.
2. It is not recommended to use the tips of the shoots, as they do not have time to mature by the end of summer. In addition, pests and pathogenic fungi often persist in them.
3. It is necessary to break off the leaves from the cuttings in order to avoid moisture loss.
4. It is better to cut branches with a pruner or a very sharp knife.
   

   Use pruning shears to cut the cuttings.

Propagation by lignified cuttings

The branches of currant aged 2 to 4 years are most suitable for this type of cuttings. Cuttings are cut in the fall, from September 10 to October 10. Later dates reduce plant survival.

The length of the blanks is about 12-15 cm, each should have 5-6 kidneys. The lower section is oblique, located immediately below the kidney, the upper one is straight, 1.5 cm above the kidney.

Cuttings for rooting should have a length of 12-15 cm

Immediately before planting, it is worth holding the cuttings in a growth regulator that promotes root formation (Heteroauxin, Ribav-extra, Kornevin, Epin).

Landing is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Prepare the bed in advance for the future cutter: dig the soil, fertilize it with humus and water it.
2. If the cuttings were prepared earlier, put them in water or fold them in the shade for a while to avoid drying out.
3. Plant prepared cuttings in the ground, observing gaps of 50 cm between rows and 8-10 cm between seedlings. On the surface should be 2 kidneys, and one of them - right at the ground level. Note that it is better to place the cuttings at a slope of 45 °, in the direction from north to south. So the rows will be well lit by the sun.
   

   Cuttings need to be planted at an angle of 45 °, observing a distance of 8-10 cm

4. Sprinkle the cuttings with soil and compact it so that voids do not form.
5. After this, you should water the garden, sprinkle with organic fertilizers and mulch.
   

   After planting, currant cuttings need to be watered and covered with mulch

6. To cut the roots better, cover them with a dark film, pulling it on the arcs. Periodically arrange ventilation by removing the film from the beds for 15-30 minutes.

From October to December, cuttings manage to take root well. In the spring, immediately after thawing the soil, young seedlings will begin to grow. And by the fall, you should grow full-fledged bushes that can be planted in a permanent place.

Cuttings cut in autumn can be stored during the winter, and prepared for planting in early spring. They are dug up in a greenhouse or a more effective method is used - snowing. For this, the cuttings are stacked vertically in a box and completely clogged with snow.

Propagation by cuttings in water

Even if you didn’t have time to plant cuttings in the fall, you can get currant seedlings with a well-developed root system even before the onset of heat. To do this, do the following:

1. In February - March, put cuttings harvested in the fall in jars of water. The roots on them are formed after 10 days.
2. Carefully observe the growth: when the largest spine grows to 12 cm, transplant the cuttings into containers filled with a universal soil mixture. Drill a couple of holes in the bottom so that excess water does not linger.
   

   The roots of currant cuttings that have taken root need to be planted in containers filled with a nutrient mixture
3. First, provide abundant watering so that the earth takes on the consistency of thick sour cream. 10 days after planting, you can gradually reduce the soil moisture to normal.
4. Keep rooted branches indoors until early May. The height of the shoots at this point will reach 50 cm.
5. Next, carefully cut the packets to keep the roots in an earthen coma. Plant grown bushes in open ground according to the same pattern as usual.

Saplings grown in this way have a very high survival rate, develop better and bear fruit.

Video: rooting cuttings in water

How to propagate currants with green cuttings with a piece of wood

In late spring or early summer (until mid-June), the propagation method is applied with green cuttings. By this time, young shoots grow to 10-20 cm, and it is already possible to take cuttings from them. The landing process includes several stages:

1. On the uterine bush, select several biennial branches and cut them at the very base. For cuttings, you need to take only a young annual growth, leaving in the lower part a small piece of wood from the parent branch (no more than 5 cm). Leaves do not need to be removed.
   

   Green cuttings cut, leaving part of the wood from the parent branch

2. Plant cuttings on the bed, observing a distance of 10-15 cm between them. The distance between the rows is 20 cm. The soil must first be shed very well.
3. Plant cuttings in a strictly upright position. Slightly press the lignified section of the branch to the bottom of the recess and cover it with earth 3-4 cm. Cover the bed with mulch.
4. Water the soil at least 2 times a day for 2-3 weeks after planting. When the roots begin to sprout, watering can be done once every 2-3 days, and then completely moisten the soil as necessary.

Cuttings grown by this method take root in 50-90% of cases. By autumn, seedlings form a developed root system, and the aerial part will reach a height of 40 cm.

Green currant stalk forms a branched root system by autumn

Propagation by layering

Many experienced gardeners use the method of propagation of currants by layering, considering it the most reliable. Layers can be of three types:

• horizontal
• vertical
• arcuate.

The most productive and common type of layering is horizontal. Vertical give a large number of seedlings. In the third case, there are few bushes, but they are very strong, with a developed root system.

How to make horizontal layering

1. With the beginning of spring gardening, until the buds open, mark the largest and strongest annual shoots. Bend them to the soil, fix with studs and cover with a small layer of loose soil. It is recommended to leave the top of the shoot on the surface, cutting it to 2-3 kidneys.
   

   In order to make horizontal layering, bend the shoots to the ground and secure with studs

2. After a while, when new shoots grow 10-12 cm above the soil level, they need to be spudded to a height of 4-6 cm.
3. After another 2-3 weeks, shoots need to be additionally sprinkled with earth. Thus, the roots grow and strengthen faster.
4. In order for the root system to fully form by autumn, provide the bushes with constant moisture.
5. For good air access, systematically loosen the soil, but do it very carefully to protect young roots from damage.
6. In the middle of autumn, use the secateurs to separate the rooted shoots and plant them in the designated area.
   

   In autumn, rooted shoots are separated from the mother bush

It should be borne in mind that a young plant at the age of 3 years can give only one layering, and from a 5-6-year-old bush you can take 2-3 branches for propagation. From each parent plant, up to 30 new seedlings can be obtained. Most likely, most of them will need growing, so do not rush to separate all the seedlings from an adult bush. To plant in a permanent place, select only those bushes that are well developed and strengthened.

Important. If layering is done, then part of the ovary is removed on the mother bush. Otherwise, the plant can be greatly depleted during the growing season.

Vertical layering

The method showed itself well on both young and perennial bushes. Vertical layering is recommended as follows:

1. In early spring, cut the selected bush at the base so that there are stumps 3-5 cm high. They will give new growths.
2. When the length of new shoots reaches 20 cm, loosen the soil near the bush and grow growth to about half the height.
   

   Vertical layering needs to be spudled with earth throughout the season

3. Control the bush with a new shoot throughout the growing season. Hilling should be repeated several times so that only growth points remain on the surface. The mounds destroyed by rain need to be restored immediately.
4. With the onset of autumn, cut off the rooted shoots and transplant to a permanent site.

Do not forget: the soil around future seedlings should be always moistened.

Arcuate Layers

Saplings obtained by the method of arcuate layering grow strong and do not require growing. From the beginning to the middle of summer, the strongest root shoots are selected on the currant. You can propagate them as follows:

1. Make a shallow hole 20-40 cm from the mother bush.
2. Bend the shoot selected for layering with an arc, fix the center of the bend with a hairpin at the bottom of the pit and fill it with soil.
3. The upper part of the branch must be left on the surface, tied vertically to the peg. The part of the shoot, deepened in the soil, will take root.
   

   The shoots selected for layering are bent by an arc, pinned, and sprinkled with earth
4. Water the place with the future seedling more often, so that the ground is always a little damp.
5. You need to disconnect the rooted branch from the mother bush in the fall or next spring, before the buds open. To do this, carefully dig a seedling with a lump of earth and transplant it to a permanent place.

Video: currant propagation by layering

Reproduction by dividing the bush

If you are going to transfer the currant plantation to another site, then it is better to divide the old bushes. To do this, they need to be dug and using a pruner or saw to divide into several parts. In each part there should be large young shoots and a powerful root system.

The currant bush is divided into several parts using a pruner, a sharp knife or a saw.

Note! The division of the bush is sometimes used when you need to propagate currants very quickly. But do not forget that it is more difficult to divide an adult bush than to prepare cuttings from it.

Propagation by this method is carried out in the fall (October-November) or in the spring (March), when the plants are at rest.

We select methods for propagating currants by season

Currant is a plastic plant, it takes root well, and it can be propagated at almost any time of the year. That means you should never worry that time is wasted. You just need to choose the breeding method that is most suitable for the season.

Autumn breeding

In autumn, currants can be propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush. Cuttings root well and grow well in spring. There is one problem: due to the effects of frost, cuttings are sometimes squeezed out of the ground. In the spring you will have to correct them manually. Landing at an angle helps to solve this problem.

There are two ways to plant prepared currant cuttings:

• in open ground;
• in prepared containers.

The first method we have already considered. For the second, you will need empty plastic containers, for example, large glasses or one and a half liter bottles cut off from above. You can also use ready-made cups for seedlings.

1. Drill holes in glasses or plastic bottles without a top.
2. Fill containers with universal soil mixture.
3. Plant the cuttings, water and tamp the soil.
   

   In autumn, currant cuttings are planted in containers and transferred to a warm room

4. Transfer containers to the windowsill in a warm room.
5. Water the plants in a timely manner so that the soil does not dry out and is not too wet.
6. If flowers and ovaries appear on the branches before spring, remove them immediately, otherwise the plant will weaken during growth.

How to propagate currants in summer

Propagation by cuttings in the summer months is also quite productive. True, for this you need a greenhouse or a greenhouse.

1. Choose annual shoots that have grown over the season and have just begun to woody. They still keep their flexibility, but can already break. Such shoots ripen in July-August.
   

   For summer cuttings, you need to choose shoots that are just starting to woody

2. For cuttings, pick the tops of the branches - they are more viable. Cut the branches into 8-12 cm pieces, leaving 3-4 leaves on them. From below, the shoot is cut obliquely, from above - perpendicular to growth.
   

   For cuttings, the shoot is cut into pieces, leaving 3-4 leaves in each

3. Keep the cuttings wrapped in a coarse cloth moistened with water. You can also place them in a heteroauxin solution for 24 hours (10 mg of the substance per 1 liter of water).
4. Prepare a greenhouse or greenhouse for planting in advance. Level the soil, sprinkle a layer of peat with coarse sand in a ratio of 1: 1. Pour plenty of water.
   

   The soil for planting currant cuttings must be prepared in advance

5. Deepen the cuttings into the soil by 2 cm, observing a distance of 5 cm between them. Aisles should be 8 cm wide. Spill the soil again, but be careful not to expose the cuttings. Tighten the film cover and slightly shade the fit.
   

   Cuttings are planted in the soil at a distance of 5 cm from each other

If the day turned out to be hot, harvesting cuttings should be done in the morning; On a cloudy day, you can choose any time.

Video: how to propagate currants in spring

Your garden will become even better if there is a plantation of currant bushes in it. It is not difficult to do this, the main thing is to choose the right method and prepare the necessary materials. In the comments, you can ask questions or share your experience in breeding currants. Good luck!