How Do I Take Cuttings from a Gooseberry Bush?

Gooseberry bushes propagate remarkably easily from hardwood cuttings, making them one of the most straightforward soft fruit plants to multiply at no cost. A cutting taken correctly in autumn and inserted into open ground will typically be well rooted and growing strongly by the following spring, ready to plant out in its permanent position after a further season's growth. This is the same technique commercial growers use to produce new plants from their best-performing stock.

When to take cuttings

The best time for gooseberry hardwood cuttings is from late October through to December, after the leaves have fallen and the stems are fully dormant. Taking cuttings at this time means the shoot has ripened fully and is ready to callus and root over winter. Cuttings taken too early in autumn, when the wood is still soft and green, are more likely to rot before rooting. In mild winters, cuttings can be taken as late as January or even February with reasonable success.

Selecting and preparing the material

Choose strong, healthy current-season shoots — straight, pencil-thick stems that have grown this year from the main framework of the bush. Cut lengths of approximately 30–40 cm. Make the top cut just above a bud at a slight angle (so water drains away from the bud), and the bottom cut just below a bud, straight across. Remove all the buds from the lower two-thirds of the cutting by rubbing them off with your thumb — these will be buried below ground and removing the buds prevents suckers from forming below soil level. Leave three or four buds at the top to form the first growth.

Inserting the cuttings

Choose a sheltered spot in the garden with free-draining soil that will not waterlog over winter. Make a slit trench with a spade — push the spade in to its full depth and rock it forward slightly to open a narrow vertical slot. Trickle a 2 cm layer of sharp horticultural sand into the bottom of the trench to improve drainage. Push the cuttings into the trench, spacing them 10–15 cm apart, so that roughly two-thirds of the cutting is buried and one-third remains above ground. Firm the soil back around them with your boot.

Care through the first year

Check the cuttings after any frost and re-firm them if the soil has heaved them up. By spring, the buds at the top will begin to break and show green — this is the sign that the cutting has rooted successfully. Water during dry periods through the first summer but otherwise leave the cuttings undisturbed. In the following autumn, the rooted cuttings can be lifted and transplanted to their permanent positions.

Only propagate from healthy stock

Only propagate from bushes that are healthy, disease-free, and crop well. Never take cuttings from a bush showing signs of reversion virus, mildew, or dieback — the problems will transfer to the new plant. If you want to propagate a specific productive variety, take cuttings from the most vigorous, best-cropping shoots on the healthiest part of that bush.