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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Propagating Gooseberry

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  • From: Ribes60@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc: ED@currants.com
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Propagating Gooseberry
  • Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 12:04:17 EST

Chris, I feel the best time to start hardwood cuttings of gooseberry in October, here in PA. I would start them about the first or second week of October. I know that they may still have leaves on them, take them off. I tiil an area or row, place a drip tape and cover it with black plastic. The plastic should be in tight contact with the earth, this will warm the soil more. I cut the cuttings about 6 to 8 inches long about 1/4 inch below a bud, then I rub the bottom buds off the cutting and stick them through the plastic. This will provide at leat 6 weeks of rooting time before really cold weather sets in, sometimes a lot more. The cuttings should start some roots before the ground freezes and the plastic will allow the ground to warm up earlier and the roots to start growing in spring. The cuttings will shor some bud break much before there are roots that will sustain the plant - do not fertilize the plant until it is really growing, then a light application of foliar feed may help, if the ground is fairly fertil, I would not use any at this time.I keep the bed watered and by mid to late October, the plants should be well rooted and growing.
 
Some gooseberries are very hard to root  as dormant cuttings and will do better as green wood or semi-green cuttings. I take the cuttings as the present growth starts to harden somewhat, strip all the leaves off except the top three or four. I then dip these cuttings into a solution of Wilt-pruf keeping the lower end out of the solution, stick them thru plastic in a cold frame in a shaded area.  If you do not have a shaded coldframe, use a 5 gal bucket with several holes drilled in the bottom and cover it with a clear plastic bag that is supported by a couple wires. This will provide a mini-greenhouse effect. You must water the plants several times a day or provide a mist system at least for the first week or so. Keep this in the shade to prevent it from overheating, once the plants have started growing, you can dispose of the plastic but keep them in the shade and well watered.
 
Ed Mashburn



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