Hello to all DIYers, as well as summer residents and gardening enthusiasts!
In one of my previous articles, I talked about how you can massively propagate a currant or gooseberry bush using cuttings (see my article “”).
This method allows you to get a fairly large number of seedlings (up to several dozen) from one bush.
However, it also has a significant drawback, which is that this method is quite troublesome and requires constant care of seedlings growing from cuttings.
That is why, if you do not need a large number of seedlings, but it is enough to get from one to five, six seedlings from a bush, it would be best to use the method of propagating currants and gooseberries using arc layering.
This method is good because it is very simple, reliable and requires a minimum of care for buried layering. Therefore, this method is best suited for beginner gardeners.
I will demonstrate this method using the example of propagating a gooseberry bush, from which I will plant two cuttings (one-year-old shoots) to obtain two seedlings from this bush. Right now in mid-late April - best time to implement this method.
For this, the materials I will need are about half a bucket of a mixture of earth and humus, half a sprinkle of water and two pegs with ropes.
The tools you will need are a hoe, garden pruning shears, as well as a jigsaw file or a piece of blade from a metal hacksaw.
So, as layering, I will dig in these annual branches growing from the base of the gooseberry bush.
To begin with, you need to bend these branches to the ground and roughly mark the place where they will be buried, as well as the area of each branch that will be buried.
Then, this place must be thoroughly loosened with a hoe.
After this, we need to prepare hooks with which we will pin the branches to the ground. You can use wire for this, but it is easier to cut such hooks using garden pruners from branches fruit trees, intended for spring pruning or already cut.
Now, using a jigsaw file, you need to furrow (scratch) the lower sides of the branches in those areas that will be buried. This is done to improve and accelerate the formation of roots in our cuttings.
After this, you can bend the branch branches to the ground and pin them using our hooks.
Then you need to stick pegs into the ground and tie the ends of the branches to them with a rope using a loose figure of eight (that is, the way all seedlings are usually tied to the pegs). Thus, we will form peculiar arcs from the buried layers (hence the name of this method of reproduction).
If the ends of the branches are dry, they can be trimmed and shortened a little to healthy, damp wood.
Now you can lightly fill the places of our branch branches pinned to the ground with the prepared mixture of earth and humus.
Then we need to water the areas of our cuttings pinned to the ground. So the mixture of earth with humus, which our layerings are covered with, will settle and fill all the voids, and at the same time moisten, which will contribute to the rapid formation of roots.
Well, now, we can finally fill up our layerings with a mixture of earth and humus, forming small mounds above them.
At this point, the work of digging in arc layers near the gooseberry bush can be considered completed.
Further care for buried cuttings is very simple and consists in the fact that you will need to periodically (once every two to three weeks) weed the grass growing nearby, occasionally water the cuttings (in case of dry weather), and also once or twice during the summer, add more mixture earth with humus.
As a rule, by mid-autumn, our arc layers should have a well-developed root system. Therefore, already in mid-October, they can be carefully dug up (not forgetting to cut the branches connecting the cuttings with the mother bush with pruners) and planted in the main place.
As I already mentioned, this method of propagation is well suited not only for currants and gooseberries, but also for almost all berries, as well as ornamental shrubs, and even for those that reproduce very poorly from cuttings.
Moreover, some gardeners write in specialized literature that even fruit trees (apple trees, pears, cherries, plums, etc.) can be propagated in this way, thus obtaining varietal rooted seedlings.
Several years ago, I tried to propagate a pear in this way, but it didn’t work out, although this, of course, does not mean that this method does not work at all in relation to the propagation of fruit trees.
However, it is probably better to propagate fruit trees traditional way, that is, through vaccination. But for the propagation of shrubs, digging in arc layering is perfect!
Therefore, I can advise all gardeners to adopt this method as the simplest, least burdensome and at the same time very reliable!
Well, that's all for me!
Bye everyone and good luck with your gardening!
Currants and gooseberries are propagated by cuttings- lignified and green, layering (horizontal and vertical) and dividing bushes. Seeds are propagated only for the purpose of breeding new varieties.
For growing planting material(seedlings), it is necessary to select mother bushes of currants and gooseberries that are high-yielding, winter-hardy, healthy, that is, not affected by pests and diseases and resistant to them.
Let's look at the most common, as well as the most available methods reproduction in the conditions of a personal garden plot.
Propagation by lignified cuttings.
For this purpose, well-ripened and sufficiently long (more than 30 cm) annual shoots are taken from fruit-bearing bushes.
It is better to cut shoots for cuttings in the fall: red and white currants - in the first half of September, and black currants - in early October. By this time, annual shoots have time to ripen, and buds have formed in the axils of the leaves.
First, whole shoots are cut from the bushes, then sharp knife cut into pieces approximately 20 cm long, the leaves are torn off. The best cuttings with well-developed buds are obtained from the middle part of the shoot. At the tops of the shoots and in their lower parts, the buds are usually underdeveloped. Such cuttings, as well as those less than 5-6 mm thick (thinner than a pencil), are of little use. It is better to immediately plant the cut cuttings in previously prepared soil. The soil must be fertilized and deeply cultivated. The cuttings are planted obliquely, at approximately 45° to the soil surface, at a distance in the row of no closer than 10 cm, and between rows of 20-25 cm, so that it is convenient to loosen the rows. 2 buds are left above the soil surface, and one of them should be at soil level. The soil around the cuttings is pressed tightly so that it fits against them and has no voids, watered well and mulched with humus. In dry, sunny weather, planted cuttings are shaded.
For good and rapid rooting and development of cuttings, the soil around them is always kept moist and loose. This is especially important in the first time after planting and in the spring. At good care in the first year, 2-3 shoots grow from the cuttings. The next year, early in the spring, these shoots are cut off, leaving them 10-15 cm long, and by autumn (in the second year of growth after planting) the seedlings are ready for planting permanent place like two year olds. If the planted cuttings have developed well and have a sufficiently developed root system, then annual seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.
It is better to plant cuttings in the fall. But if for some reason their planting is postponed to spring, then it is better to harvest them in the fall and store them in a cool basement in wet sand or under snow until spring. You can cut shoots for cuttings at the end of March. Cuttings should be planted early in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws. Red and white currants, as mentioned above, are best planted in early autumn.
Gooseberries with woody cuttings usually do not propagate, as they do not root well. Gooseberries reproduce well by horizontal and vertical layering.
Reproduction by horizontal layering. Red and white currants, as well as gooseberries, reproduce well in this way. At the same time, from one shoot in 1-2 years you can get 3-5 or more high-quality seedlings.
To obtain seedlings using this method from a bush in early spring(before buds open), annual shoots and well-developed one- and two-year branches are bent. Place them in grooves 5-6 cm deep and pin them tightly to the ground with wooden or metal hooks. Before laying shoots (branches), the soil is fertilized and loosened. To enhance the growth of shoots from the lateral buds, the tip of the shoot is shortened by 7-10 cm before laying.
The grooves should not be covered with soil; they are left open until vertically growing shoots appear. From time to time the grooves are moistened. When the young shoots reach a length of about 10 cm, they are covered halfway with loose soil and humus. After 2-3 weeks, when the shoots grow again, hilling is repeated to a height of 8-10 cm. Hilling is carried out with moist soil, so it is done after rain or the soil is pre-watered.
During the summer, the soil around the mother bushes and layerings is kept loose and wet, free from weeds. To retain moisture after watering, mulch the soil. In mid-September, when shoot growth ends, bent shoots for layering are cut off from the bush at the base of the branch with pruning shears. The dug out branch is cut into pieces according to the number of rooted cuttings, then they are sorted. Well-developed plants are selected for planting in a permanent place. In poorly developed ones, the roots and shoots are shortened, then they are planted in a shrub in the second year for growing with a distance between plants of 20-25 cm, inclined to the surface and somewhat deeper than they grew.
Reproduction of currants and gooseberries by horizontal layering is one of the most simple ways obtaining new plants. Moreover, several of them come out at once. Winter is coming soon. It's time to think about what we will do with the arrival of spring. And this method occurs precisely at the beginning of the warm period.
Even a novice gardener can use this method to provide himself with planting material at no cost. And if you also take into account that white and red currants do not take root well when cuttings, then this solution will be ideal for them. Selecting the mother bush. It must be healthy, strong, fruitful. Both annual and perennial (biennial) branches are suitable for rooting. But one condition is that they must bend well to the ground.
Propagation of currants and gooseberries by horizontal layering
When propagating currants and gooseberries by horizontal layering in the spring, compost or humus is scattered around the bush in up to 5 buckets, then the ground is lightly dug up (but not under the bush, but around). The selected branch begins to be carefully bent to the ground in the direction from the bush. Prepare something to pin. After all, it will need to be secured in this position.
How many branches can you bend? On one bush you can bend no more than 2/3 of the branches for propagation. Be sure to leave at least 1/3 of the bush for growth and fruiting.
In this position, buds will begin to develop on the branch, giving rise to shoots directed upward. When they are about 15 cm high, you need to hill them with soil with humus or compost (in extreme cases, just loose soil) to a height of about 8 cm. The soil should be slightly moist, tamp it down so that there are no voids and moisten it with watering. The top is covered with mulch thin layer dry earth. This roller must be kept moist, because it is in it that the roots will begin to grow.
After half a month, add another 5 centimeters of soil. With good care, maintaining moisture, getting rid of weeds, and light loosening, by mid-September you will get young plants with a root system. When propagated by horizontal layering, currants and gooseberries are cut off from the mother plant, dug up, divided into parts - bushes and sent to a new place. If the root system of some is very weak, then it is better not to plant these specimens in a permanent place for now, but to send them to a special bed designed for growing plants.
Sometimes such cuttings are kept near the mother plant for two years, especially if the growth conditions were not very favorable (late warming, early cold, drought).
But not everywhere summer is not characterized by a hot and humid climate. Therefore, for such zones, it is recommended that when propagating currants and gooseberries by horizontal layering, the branch should be placed not just on the surface of the ground, but enclosed in a small groove, about 5 cm deep. It is also pinched and all further operations will be the same as described above.
- Lignified cuttings
- Horizontal layering
- Dividing the bush
- Choosing a landing site
Lignified cuttings
Currants and gooseberries are propagated vegetatively, using plant parts. The simplest and reliable way propagation of currants by lignified cuttings. Cuttings are harvested in November. They are tied into bundles and stored in the basement in the sand or in the garden under the snow. It is important to preserve the cuttings during the winter, preventing them from drying out. As soon as the ground thaws and warms up, the cuttings are planted in the ground. Annuals from lignified cuttings usually grow with one stem.
Good results Another method for propagating currants and gooseberries is using green cuttings. But this work is done, of course, in the summer - at the end of June, beginning of July(during the period of intensive shoot growth). Young growths - the apical parts of shoots 10-12 cm long with 2-3 internodes are cut off, preferably in the morning. Lower leaves on the cuttings are removed, and the remaining ones are shortened by half to reduce moisture loss from the cuttings. The most the best place for successful rooting of cuttings - simple film greenhouses or greenhouses. You can also use part of the area of greenhouses or greenhouses in which the gardener grows cucumbers and tomatoes.
It is easy to maintain in greenhouses or greenhouses high humidity air and optimal temperature at the soil surface. For rooting green cuttings Prepare a special substrate in advance - a mixture of peat and sand (1:1). It should retain moisture well and at the same time provide drainage and good aeration. The prepared substrate, consisting of peat and sand, is laid even layer 4-5 cm on the fertile soil of a greenhouse or greenhouse.
It is best to plant cuttings early in the morning according to the following scheme: 2-3 cm in a row and 5-7 cm between rows, to a substrate depth of 1.5-2 cm, but not deeper. The roots formed on the cuttings from the peat-sand substrate penetrate into the lower fertile layer, which provides them with nutrition for the intensive development of the rooted cutting. During the rooting process, it is necessary to maintain air and substrate humidity. The cuttings are watered every day (1-2 times) from a sprayer or from a watering can with a fine strainer. To avoid rotting of the cuttings, you need to monitor the moisture content of the substrate and prevent it from becoming waterlogged. At least two weeks pass before rooting begins. After mass rooting of the cuttings, the humidity of the substrate is maintained at a lower level than initially, but drying out is not allowed. At the end of August - beginning of September, rooted cuttings are planted in open ground for growing. Growing planting material from woody cuttings of currants and green cuttings of currants and gooseberries is not at all difficult, and each gardener has his own summer cottage can propagate valuable varieties of berry crops, fully providing itself with planting material. If there are surplus cuttings, you can, as already said, sell or exchange them for seedlings of other plants you need. 
For better rooting, some gardeners use a technique such as planting cuttings in potatoes. At first, potatoes protect the cuttings from rotting, and later, by rotting, they provide the growing body with nutrients.
A promising method of propagating gooseberries and red currants is green cuttings with part of last year's wood, so-called combined cuttings. These cuttings can be rooted directly into open ground. At the same time, they give good results, because the plants partially replenish their water reserves from the soil through vessels in the woody part of the cutting. This makes combined cuttings more resilient under unfavorable conditions.
Cuttings begin when the bulk of the side shoots of the current year reach a length of 10-20 cm. To take cuttings, take two-year-old branches that have many green side shoots of the first order. The branches are cut off at the base and cut into pieces under water. Below the base of the green cutting, a stump (two-year-old wood) 2-5 cm long is left. All leaves on the shoots are preserved, removing only those that interfere with planting.
The bed for rooting cuttings is arranged in a place protected from the wind, sunny and at the same time slightly shaded. The soil on it should be fertile - turf-humus or a mixture of peat and garden soil. A layer (3-4 cm) of peat substrate mixed with river sand (1:1 by volume) is poured on top of such soil. Before planting, the bed is watered abundantly and only after that the cuttings are planted. They are planted vertically, regardless of the angle of departure of the two-year-old wood from the axis, placing them in rows across the bed according to the 10-20x5-8 cm pattern. At the same time, make sure that the base of the green cutting is 3-6 cm below the soil surface; cuttings with longer shoots are planted deeper. After planting, the cuttings are watered with a sprayer.
During the first two to three weeks, the planted cuttings are watered 2-5 times a day or more. If the weather is dry, hot, then the number of waterings is increased to 7. With the appearance of the first roots, water less frequently (2-4 times), but in large doses, and then as needed.
For better development At the beginning of growth, the root system and aerial parts of the cuttings are fed once with nitrophoska (35-40 g/bucket of water), and then twice (with an interval of 10-12 days) with ammonium nitrate or urea (35-40 g/bucket of water).
Can only be carried out foliar feeding 0.1-0.5% solutions of urea or crystallin, using 5-7 l/m². Use gives good results organic fertilizer- watering with an infusion of slurry diluted 6 times at the rate of 0.5 buckets/m². Such feeding is carried out 2-3 times with an interval of 10-12 days.
If the technology is followed, by autumn seedlings 25-45 cm high with a good root system will grow, which can be planted in a permanent place. If the plants have weak growth, then they are transplanted into a schoolhouse, where they grow for one to two years.
- Combined cuttings can be prepared the day before planting and stored by dipping their woody part in water. In this case, the water level should not be higher than 2-3 cm.
- To speed up the regeneration process by 3-4 days, enhance root formation and improve overall development, the cuttings are treated with an aqueous solution of heteroauxin - 50-100 mg/l. Before processing, the cuttings are tied into bundles of 20-25 pieces, the lower end of the bundle is immersed 2-4 cm in a heteroauxin solution poured into a glass or enamel container, and left there for 12-24 hours in a dark place.
- For rooting especially valuable varieties, an alcohol solution is used, in which 4-6 mg of heteroauxin per 1 ml of 50% alcohol; The cuttings are immersed in the solution and kept in it for 15 minutes.
- During the rooting period, pests can multiply on the leaves of cuttings and various diseases can develop, therefore, to prevent them and destroy pests, plantings are sprayed with appropriate preparations.
- When weeds appear, the bed with cuttings is weeded.
Horizontal layering
Currants and gooseberries can be propagated by horizontal layering, without separating them from the mother bush. This method is good because it does not require special artificial conditions - greenhouses, greenhouses. To do this, early in the spring, before the buds open, the strongest annual shoots are selected, as well as 2-3-year-old branches with good growth. They are carefully bent into grooves prepared in advance with a depth of 8-10 cm. A layer of peat compost or rotted manure is poured onto the bottom of the groove and mixed with soil. The shoots are pinned with hooks or pins and covered with soil.. On such a shoot, vertical shoots grow from the buds. When they reach a height of 10-12 cm, they are hilled to a height of 4-6 cm with moist soil.
After 2 weeks, re-hilling is carried out to 7-10 cm. In the autumn, when the layering takes root, the branch at the base of the mother bush is cut off with pruning shears and it is cut into a number of shoots and planted in a permanent place.
Dividing the bush
A gardener can propagate currants and gooseberries by dividing the bush to preserve this variety. The bush is carefully dug up, freeing the root system from the soil, and divided so that each part has young roots and shoots. From this method of reproduction there is little planting material.
Choosing a landing site
Gooseberry belongs to light-loving plants, therefore, land is allocated for it along the southwestern and western borders with neighboring areas, placing it in one row, as well as along garden paths. It tolerates light shade, but cannot be cultivated between rows of fruit trees. In addition, traces of pesticides used to spray fruit trees may remain on gooseberry fruits. The best places for gooseberries are well-lit, elevated areas on southwestern slopes with a slope of no more than 3-5 0 and open, flat places. Gooseberries are more drought-resistant than blackcurrants, so they can be placed higher on a slope than other berry crops. On southern slopes, gooseberry fruits are damaged by sunburn. In closed basins, gooseberries may be damaged by frost during the flowering period, and stagnant air contributes to the development of a dangerous disease - powdery mildew. In winter without sufficient thickness snow cover Gooseberries may freeze to the level of snow cover or lose many fruit buds, so they should be planted in an area with sufficient snow accumulation. It is desirable to have natural or artificial protection from dry and cold winds - trees, shrubs, buildings, a fence.
The area for gooseberries should be moderately moist - like black currants, they do not tolerate waterlogged soil. In such conditions, the bushes grow poorly, become covered with lichens, and non-resistant varieties are severely affected by powdery mildew. Therefore one of the most important conditions normal growth and good fruiting of gooseberries is the absence of close standing groundwater(at least 1-1.2 m) and prolonged stagnation of water in spring and autumn. In waterlogged areas, the soil is drained with rods, alluvium, or ridges and mounds are made. It is good to plant gooseberries along the dug along the perimeter of the site - excess moisture goes into the ditches, and the gooseberries, if necessary, compensate for the lack of moisture from these same ditches.
Gooseberries can grow and bear fruit on almost all types of soil, but are especially productive on fertile loams and sandy loams with well-drained subsoil. With regular fertilization, gooseberries give high yields even on sandy soils. Unlike other berry crops, it tolerates relatively easily acidic soils and can bear fruit well in soils with a pH of up to 5.5.
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There are several main ways to propagate currants and gooseberries, the main ones being by dividing the bush, layering, lignified and green cuttings and grafting. Let's dwell on these methods and consider them in more detail.
Reproduction by layering and division
When reproducing by division, the only thing necessary condition- presence of a currant or gooseberry bush over 2 years old. They dig it up, trying not to damage the root system. Then the bush is cut into pieces with pruning shears or chopped with an ax if the branches are very thick.
In this case, it is necessary that at the base of each cut off branch there be at least a pair of roots, and on top - an annual shoot. Shoots affected by glassworm are cut back to healthy wood. The bushes are planted so that the annual shoot remains on the surface, and the perennial part is underground. The annual shoot is pruned, leaving 1-3 buds. If the annual shoot is short, the seedling is planted in a deeper hole, filling it with soil as the shoot grows. Growing shoots will be nourished by the perennial part, on which new ones will form over time.
roots. This planting is best done in the fall. If the winter is mild, then by spring the buried branch will grow roots.
Depending on the age, the bush can be divided into 5-15 seedlings. To make the root system more powerful, you can fill the middle of the bush with soil. In this case, the yield of seedlings will increase - part of the lateral branches covered with soil will take root. But this method refers to propagation by layering.
If you need to get a small amount of seedlings, use the arcuate layering method. In June-July, young basal shoots inclined to the ground are selected, or they are given the necessary direction of growth in the spring. At a distance of 20-40 cm from the bush, dig a hole at least 10 cm deep, but so as not to damage the root system of the plant. A shoot is placed in the hole, pinned, and the top with the growing point is left above the soil level. The hole is covered with earth. The soil in the hole is kept moist. By October, a good root system has formed, after which the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent location. But it is better to replant in the spring; over the winter the root system of the seedling will get stronger. The cuttings are cut off from the mother bush, dug up with a lump of earth and transferred to the prepared landing hole. Oh yes, they forgot the hairpin. Of course, it must first be removed. For convenience, it is better to leave part of the pin above the soil level in the hole. For example, I use wooden slingshots with a long handle. I grab the handle and, staggering, carefully remove the hairpin. I will add that the longer the buried part of the branch, the more powerful the root system will be.
Much more seedlings can be obtained by propagating bushes by vertical layering. You can use both newly planted plants and bushes of different ages. The essence of the method is that young root shoots are covered with earth several times during the season. The first time they hill up when the shoots reach a height of 20-30 cm, leaving growth points on the surface. When the shoots grow again by 15-20 cm, the hilling is repeated. And so on. It turns out to be a mound from which branches grow. To obtain large quantity shoots, and therefore seedlings, on perennial bushes, all branches are cut off, leaving stumps 3-5 cm high.
The number of seedlings can be increased several times. When young shoots reach a height of 10 cm, pinch the tops to 3-4 cm, removing growth points. 2-4 shoots will grow from the lateral buds, which, when they reach a height of 20-30 cm, need to be spudded, as mentioned earlier. If the bush is powerful and the shoots develop intensively, pinching can be repeated. When hilling, it is necessary to ensure that the shoots do not bunch up. Therefore, it is better to sprinkle the soil in the center of the bush in small portions, so as not to break off the tender young shoots. When pinching is used, the yield of seedlings is greater, but they are not as powerful as without pinching.
True, there is also a disadvantage when propagating by vertical layering - rains wash away the hill. During heavy rains, hilling has to be repeated again and again. This problem can be avoided if you use
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an ordinary bucket without a bottom. When the shoots have grown sufficiently, the bush is covered with a bucket without a bottom and soil is poured inside. The soil is added 2-3 times as the shoots grow, without adding 3-5 cm to the top - for ease of watering and fertilizing. When using buckets, I manage to get 10-12 seedlings from plants planted in the spring. When using perennial bushes, the containers should be much larger. The soil in the mounds is kept moist, otherwise in dry years the roots on the cuttings will be weak or may not form at all.
In October you can start dividing the layering. If the cuttings have taken root under the containers, they are removed. There are two ways to divide bushes. In the first method, the bush is dug up, the soil is shaken off (you can wash it under running water), then using pruning shears, carefully, trying not to damage the roots, separate the seedlings from the mother bush. If the mother bush is very old, it is thrown away after separating the cuttings; if it is young, it is used for planting. In the second method of dividing, the mound is carefully destroyed with a pitchfork, the soil is raked out and shaken off the roots. The cuttings are cut so as to leave stumps with 1-2 buds on the mother bush. The next year, when shoots develop from the left buds, they are again earthed up to produce seedlings.
When propagated by horizontal layering in the spring, during the growing season, one or more branches of the basal shoots are given a recumbent position. And in the spring next year The shoot is pinned into a groove 5-15 cm deep, after removing the tip (growth point). If the branch is very long, it is pinned in 2-3 places. Young shoots will begin to grow along the entire length of the branch, directed upward. When they reach a height of 15 cm, the first hilling is carried out, and then the second. Usually two hillings are enough. By autumn, roots will form along the entire length of the buried branch. Digging of cuttings is carried out both in autumn and spring. The buried branches are separated from the mother bush, the pins are removed or the branch is dug up along with them. The cuttings are carefully dug up along the entire length so as not to damage the roots, the soil is shaken off or washed from the roots and divided.
The older the bush, the more cuttings can be laid. So, for example, in the third year of the growing season of currants and gooseberries, it is recommended to lay no more than 1 layer, from the 5-6th year of the growing season - no more than 3 layer. It should be taken into account that layering somewhat weakens the bush, so it is better to remove part of the ovary (up to 50%). If only 1 layer is laid from an adult bush, then the ovary does not need to be standardized.
Propagation by cuttings
It is better to plant cuttings of currants and gooseberries in the fall. And within a certain time frame. According to UAAN, for the north of Ukraine - from September 15 to October 15, for the Center - September 20 - October 20, for the South and Crimea - September 25 - November 10. Dates are approximate and may shift in one direction or another depending on weather conditions.
The meaning of the given dates is as follows. If you start cuttings earlier than the specified period, the wood of the shoots will not fully ripen and the young part will have to be thrown away, since it is unsuitable for cuttings. If pruning and cuttings are carried out within the specified time frame, then before winter root tubercles have time to form on the cuttings, which contributes to more intensive growth in the spring and a significant reduction in lunges. If cuttings are carried out later than the specified dates, the root tubercles do not have time to form before frost and the number of fallen cuttings can be very large, especially in gooseberries.
Planting cuttings is carried out as follows. First of all, you need to prepare the site. It is advisable to free it from perennial weeds by treating it with Roundup, Hurricane, etc. Then add rotted manure (up to 10 kg per m2). After applying manure, the soil on the site does not need to be fed. If there is no manure or compost, the soil is enriched with complex mineral fertilizers- nitroammofoska, Kemira at the rate of 40-100 g per m2, depending on the type of soil (on light soils the norms are higher than on heavy ones). It is advisable to dig up the area 2-3 weeks before planting so that the soil has time to settle. If
Digging was done immediately before planting, it is better to compact the soil (with a roller, tamper, feet, etc.) or, taking into account the settlement of the soil, when planting, the cuttings should be buried deeper.
When the soil is prepared, begin cutting cuttings. Most often, annual branches are used. They are cut into cuttings 15-25 cm long. The longer and thicker the cutting, the more powerful the seedling will be and the higher the likelihood of rooting compared to a thinner or shorter one. The location of the cut does not matter, since the roots on currant and gooseberry cuttings are formed along the entire length. Chopped cuttings are tied into bundles according to variety and, if necessary, soaked in root formation stimulants (heteroauxin, rootin and others). After cutting and soaking, begin planting. The distance in the row between cuttings should be 5-20 cm, row spacing - 40-70 cm. This difference between the minimum and maximum possible distance depends on the purpose of cultivation. If it is necessary to obtain the greatest yield of seedlings per unit area, plant them more densely. And if the goal is to grow powerful seedlings, and even transplant them with a clod of earth, they are planted away from each other.
Then the cuttings are stuck into the ground, leaving 1-3 buds on the surface, depending on the length of the cutting. It is recommended to plant cuttings obliquely, at an angle of about 45 ° to the soil surface. Usually this advice is motivated as follows: if the cuttings are stuck vertically, in winter the frozen ground squeezes them to the surface, sometimes so much that in the spring they simply lie on the ground. But there is another reason why it is worth placing the cuttings at an angle, even when spring planting. If the cutting is positioned vertically, its heel is at a depth of about 15 cm, and if it is inclined, at a depth of 10 cm. Where will the soil warm up faster in the spring? That's right, at a depth of 10 cm. This can be the decisive factor for rooting.
After planting the cuttings, the plantation is watered abundantly. Subsequently, the soil is loosened and watered as needed. The age-old question: to mulch or not to mulch? If possible, it is better to mulch. Humus, leaves, and sawdust are used as mulch (layer at least 5 cm). The soil under the mulch will freeze later, which means that the likelihood of root tubercles forming will increase and cuttings will not fall out. On the other hand, in spring the soil under the mulch warms up more slowly than in the unmulched area. In general, the main purpose of mulch is to retain moisture in the soil. This is especially important for the southern regions of Ukraine, where hot days with dry winds may come immediately after winter.
If you did everything correctly, there is nothing to do in winter on the site with planted cuttings. At least that's what I do. In winter, cuttings die only if the soil is not moist enough. If there is enough moisture, they are not afraid of any winter disasters.
And here comes spring. Everything begins to turn green, bloom and smell. Now the cuttings require close attention. Immediately after the snow melts, it is necessary to inspect the plantation. The cuttings, which were pushed out by the frozen ground over the winter, are stuck back to the required level. When the soil dries, it is imperative to loosen it to a depth of about 10 cm (otherwise the young roots may not only dry out from lack of moisture, but also suffocate from lack of oxygen). It is necessary to carefully monitor the soil moisture, since even a slight drying out can destroy the results of the entire previous work. It is best to water in furrows drawn every 2 rows, with the expectation that one furrow waters 2 rows of cuttings. Water abundantly, and after watering the furrows must be loosened. Excellent results gives and drip irrigation. It is better not to use sprinkling - it greatly compacts the soil, and after each sprinkling it is necessary to loosen the entire area of the plantation, which means wasting energy and time.
In the future, caring for the plantation consists not only of watering and weeding, but also of protecting young plants from diseases and pests. Treatment against pests is carried out at the same time as on adult bushes: twice before and after flowering they are treated with broad-spectrum preparations - actara, decis, arrivo. It must be remembered that young shoots are very popular various types aphids. Measures to combat them are made easier by the fact that there are no berries on young plants and treatment can be carried out repeatedly and as needed (I use the drug Actellik).
No matter how resistant the variety of currant or gooseberry is, young plants are usually affected by powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. They are saved from them systemic fungicides(for example, Ridomil).
Spring planting of cuttings is practically no different from autumn. The difference is in the number of cuttings that fall; during spring planting there may be more of them. Currants and gooseberries are cold-resistant plants, the buds begin to awaken at air temperatures just above 0 ° C, so cuttings begin to be planted as soon as the ground thaws (to a depth of 10-15 cm). And never mind that there is dirt on the site - plant directly in this dirt, first of all, gooseberries and red currants, which do not have very high rooting capacity. When using root formation stimulants (heteroauxin), the yield of seedlings increases significantly. So, this year, during spring planting, the yield of red currant seedlings of the varieties Versailles white, Imperatorskaya, Natalie, Asora, Marmeladnitsa and gooseberry varieties Northern chestnut, Krasen, Malachite, Stambovy exceeded 90%. But these are easily rooted varieties. It could be worse. For several years now it has not been possible to grow high-quality seedlings of the red currant Tatran chervenevy. Big problems arise with the rooting of cuttings of European-American gooseberry hybrids, such as Kiev Prize, Black Velvet, Memory of Negrul, etc. It is better to propagate such varieties by layering.
The situation is much better with the rooting of blackcurrant cuttings; most varieties of this crop easily take root not only with green buds, but even with half-unfolded leaves. The only exceptions are the varieties Izyumnaya and Dobrynya, whose rooting rate is significantly lower than average.
Deficient varieties can be propagated by shortened cuttings. Usually these are 3-eyed cuttings - one bud on top, two in the ground. At one time, as an experiment in the spring, I tried to root one-eyed cuttings of the varieties Rusalka, Pygmy, Dachnitsa, Krasa Lvova, Yubileynaya Kopanya. Their rooting rate was almost 100%, and the seedlings turned out excellent. True, the care was appropriate. But red currant and gooseberry cuttings should not be shortened, as you can lose much more than you gain.
Budding and grafting
There is another method of propagation - it is something between propagation by layering and cuttings. When removing unproductive old branches on currants and gooseberries, they are not thrown away, but dug in along their entire length. At the same time, young growing branches are brought out. Further care is the same as for layering: watering and hilling the growing shoots. In autumn, the branches are dug up and divided into seedlings, like horizontal layering. Currants and gooseberries of acutely deficient varieties are propagated by grafting onto less deficient ones. Budding of shrubs is similar to budding of trees and I will not focus on it; many accessible articles and books have been written about this method. I’ll add just one thing: budding of currants and gooseberries is carried out both on perennial bushes and on young ones. In the latter case, the plant is grown as a standard crop. You can graft gooseberries onto currants, and vice versa; the compatibility of these crops is good. One of the best rootstocks for currants and gooseberries is the Thames hybrid. In addition to a powerful root system and growth vigor, it has another significant advantage - it practically does not produce shoots, which means it is excellent for a standard crop.
The grafting method used by the famous nurseryman from Mirgorod, L. I. Prokazin, deserves attention. This is how he describes it:
"The method is labor-intensive, but allows you to quickly propagate scarce gooseberry varieties. Everyone knows how easily lignified blackcurrant cuttings take root, and vice versa, how difficult this process is for lignified gooseberry cuttings. Considering the fairly high degree of compatibility of the grafting components of gooseberries and black currants, I I use blackcurrant cuttings to speed up the propagation of the desired gooseberry varieties. To do this, I graft gooseberry cuttings onto blackcurrant cuttings. In February, I harvest annual shoots of blackcurrant and gooseberry. I store them in snow piles or in the refrigerator at a temperature of -1 ° C. 2 days before grafting, I bring the cuttings into a room with a temperature of 10-15 ° C. I wash, wipe and cut into cuttings: currants 15-18 cm long, gooseberries 8-10 cm, so that each cutting has at least three healthy buds.
I vaccinate with a simple copulation, i.e. in the butt. To prevent rotting after tying, I powder the grafting combination charcoal or rinse in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After this, I place the cuttings in transparent plastic bags, sprinkled with wet sawdust, and store them at a temperature of 4-6 ° C for 20-25 days to form callus, both on the lower part of the currant cuttings and at the grafting site. After this, I transfer the cuttings to a cooler room with a temperature of 2-3 ° C and store them until planting in the ground. I plant the cuttings after the soil has thawed so that they are completely buried in the soil. The top bud of the gooseberry should be at soil level or higher. As the shoot grows, I hill it up three times during the summer (preferably after rains or watering). The rooting rate with this method reaches 60-70% of the total number of vaccinations, in favorable years and more.
When such combined graftings are planted in a permanent place, the binding remains in the soil forever. When transplanting a one-year-old seedling to a new location in the fall, you can use pruning shears to remove the black currant root system above the constriction from the tying (provided that a sufficient number of roots have formed at the base of the gooseberry scion seedlings).”
You can also propagate currants and gooseberries from green cuttings in June. I do not use this method, I have no experience, so I advise you to contact specialists in green cuttings or study the literature on this issue.
That's all about the main methods of propagation of currants and gooseberries. I hope that my recommendations will help you grow high-quality seedlings of your favorite varieties.
