Pruning & propagation
Take hardwood cuttings from suitable fruit plants
Confirm the species can be propagated this way and use healthy recent woody growth.
When to do it
During dormancy for a suitable deciduous species such as a currant.
What you need
- Clean secateurs
- Deep pot and free-draining propagation mix
- Labels
How to do it
- Confirm the species can be propagated this way and use healthy recent woody growth. Avoid taking material from a diseased plant.
- Cut sections roughly 15–30 cm long. Make a straight lower cut below a bud and a sloping upper cut above a bud so you retain orientation.
- Insert the lower two-thirds into moist, free-draining mix, leaving a few buds exposed. Space cuttings so new shoots have room.
- Keep sheltered and maintain moisture through dry weather. Do not repeatedly pull them out to check progress.
- Allow a full growing period to develop roots. Separate and pot rooted cuttings when established, not merely when buds first open.
What success looks like
- An independent root system supports the new shoot.
Watch out for
- Inserting cuttings upside down.
- Treating bud burst as proof of roots.
Plant guides using this technique
Blackcurrant
Aromatic Ribes berry requiring a cool winter.
Redcurrant / whitecurrant
Closely related Ribes cultivars bearing translucent berry strings.
Gooseberry
European gooseberry shrub for cool-winter gardens.
Related help
Plant a nursery perennial or bare-root fruit plant
Check the species’ depth, mature space and support needs.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.