Making new fruit bushes

Take hardwood cuttings before buds burst, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

I RECKON we have around a month or so left before trees and shrubs start to develop their springtime fuzz of green and it is too late to take hardwood cuttings.

Time is of the essence, so I have spent some time this week taking cuttings from our blackcurrant bushes. They are easy to propagate and blackcurrants are such a versatile and delicious fruit you can never have too many.

You can take hardwood cuttings of most deciduous trees and shrubs now when they are dormant.

They can be rooted in pots or in a trench in a sheltered part of the garden. The main requirement is patience, as they will take up to a year to develop roots and be ready to be potted on again next autumn.

The young plants can then be planted out the following spring.