This happily coincides with an ideal time to take hardwood cuttings so you can create new plants from your existing plants – an approach that works for blackcurrants, redcurrants, white currants, gooseberries and figs.
Due to how heavy and compacted my clay soil tends to be (especially after the extremely wet winter we’ve had) I wouldn’t risk rooting my cuttings this way, as they’d likely rot in the waterlogged soil before roots could form.
Now is the perfect time to start pruning your fruit bushes and take cuttings to create new plants.
The traditional approach to the next step is to dig a trench into well draining soil (that was mulched with compost last season, ideally) then sprinkle some sand into the furrow for additional drainage before burying each cutting, leaving only a third of it above the ground.
Although your cuttings may take time to develop roots, this propagation method is very reliable, and since it doesn’t require the protection of a greenhouse, cold frame or cloche, it’s an option for most gardeners.
