How Do I Take Cuttings from a Currant Bush?

Currants are among the easiest fruit bushes to propagate. Hardwood cuttings taken in autumn root readily with minimal equipment, and a single productive bush can yield a dozen or more new plants in one session. The technique works reliably for blackcurrants, redcurrants, and white currants, and the resulting plants are true to the parent variety.

When to take cuttings

Take hardwood cuttings in late autumn or early winter — October, November, or December — when the wood has ripened and the bush is entering dormancy. The stems should feel firm and woody rather than soft and flexible. Avoid taking cuttings from shoots that are still actively growing or that have been frosted back to soft, damaged tissue.

Choosing the right wood

Select healthy, vigorous shoots from the current season's growth — the pale, relatively straight stems that grew this year. Avoid old dark wood, very thin wispy growth, or stems that show any signs of disease or pest damage. Pencil-thickness stems root most reliably. For blackcurrants, choose stems from the base of the bush where the most vigorous growth tends to originate.

Preparing the cuttings

Cut each selected shoot into sections approximately 20–25 cm long. Make the bottom cut just below a bud and the top cut just above a bud. For redcurrants and white currants, remove all the buds from the lower two thirds of the cutting, leaving only the top two or three buds — this creates a clear leg and keeps the plant's energy focused on developing roots and a few shoots. For blackcurrants, leave all the buds intact — blackcurrant bushes are grown as multi-stemmed plants from near ground level, and all the buds can develop into productive stems.

Planting the cuttings

Prepare a narrow trench 15 cm deep in a sheltered spot in the garden with reasonably free-draining soil. Push the cuttings into the trench so that two thirds of their length is below ground and one third above. Space them about 10–15 cm apart. Firm the soil around them. In cold, exposed gardens, a deep mulch of bark chippings over the trench will protect the cuttings from severe freezing. Leave the cuttings in place through winter and spring.

What happens next

By the following spring, most cuttings will produce small leaves as they begin to root. Do not be impatient — root development happens underground first and the top growth may be modest in the first growing season. Keep the cuttings weed-free and water in dry spells. By the following autumn they should be well-rooted young plants ready to move to their permanent positions. Pot them up or transplant them in late autumn or early spring.

Taking cuttings in pots

If you do not have suitable outdoor space, cuttings can be taken in pots of free-draining compost mixed with sharp sand. Keep the pots in an unheated greenhouse, cold frame, or sheltered corner through winter. The principle is the same — the cuttings root slowly over winter and spring and are ready to plant out the following autumn.