Blackcurrant Bush UK

Hello folks,

I have been offered a Blackcurrant bush that needs digging out of the ground.

What would be the chances of it surviving if I move it this time of the year?

Regards,

Tim​

 

There are quite a few factors to consider:
The age of the plant
The size of the plant
The type of soil you are digging it out of
The access to dig around the plant

I have moved a 5 yr old (ie been in its location for 5 years) black currant bush. It took 3-4 years to recover from the move. But I didn’t lift at at this time of year. The best time to move is when the plant is dormant, so it doesn’t loose moisture through its leaves. If you do successfully dig it up, you would need to cut it right back, to allow it time to put down roots to support any foliage.
If the soil is moist, easy to dig, and you have easy access all around the plant, so are able to dig at least 12” away from the base of the plant, all the way round, then you might be able to get away with it. I would want to plant it where I could easily water daily for this season, and if necessary shield from the brighter summer sun, to reduce stress...

 

Sian in Belgium gives good advice.

When some one makes that offer, they mean "take it now before I put it on the compost heap" so don't dither too much, Tim B.

Take cuttings as backup - blackcurrant cuttings strike quite easily. My own twenty fruiting bushes were propagated from a single plant. If you take cuttings from a fruiting branch (ie two year old+ branch) then it will fruit the following year if the new roots become strong enough.

When you cut back, cut back all of the thick old stems. You can leave a few thin young stems on but shorten them by a third or a half. This will reduce to the time you need to wait before getting fruit.