How To Propagate Red Currants

How To Propagate Red Currants

Propagating currants is not difficult. What three methods there are and what you should consider when propagating, we show you here.

Currant bushes do not need much space and they bear many healthy berries. In addition, currants are easy to care for. If you take good care of them, you will have few problems with diseases or pests.

The following currant varieties are easy to propagate:

  • Red currant (R. rubrum).
  • Black currant (bot. R. nigrum)
  • Mountain currant (bot. R. sanguineum)
  • Gold currant (bot. R.aureum)


Planting currant offshoots

How To Propagate Red Currants

In the spring you can propagate currants with the help of offshoots.

  • Select shoots that are about a year old, woody and have formed a few buds each. Cut them off at an angle from the mother plant at pencil length.
  • Stick the offshoots into the soil so that only a few inches with two to three buds stick out.
  • Moisten the soil.
  • Once you’ve done that, most of the work is done. From this point on, it is important that you take care of your plant. Currants especially need a lot of water, so check the moisture of the soil regularly and water as needed. For more tips and advice on proper care, check out this article: Planting Currants: How to Grow Them Properly.


Tip: When choosing a location for your currant bush, make sure it’s a place that gets both sun, but also enough shade. Because currant bushes like it warm, but permanent heat would harm them.

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Propagating currants by tearing off


When your currant bushes sprout fresh shoots from the ground, propagation by demolition is particularly suitable. The best time to propagate your currants this way is in spring.

Carefully lift the shoots out of the ground. Pull out as many roots as possible.
Put the shoots in a flower pot with plant soil and take care of them. Make sure that they are always moist enough. If the soil is too dry, water them.
Once strong roots have formed, it’s time to transplant the new currant bushes to a suitable location in your garden.

Propagating currants with cuttings

How To Propagate Red Currants

Propagation of currants with the help of cuttings is considered particularly effective. To propagate your currants in this way, you will again need an annual shoot with some healthy buds. The best time to propagate your currants in this way is in the fall after the leaves fall or in the spring.

  • Cut the shoot into ten to 20 inch long pieces.
  • Fill a flower pot with equal parts soil and sand. Then put the cuttings in it. Make sure that two-thirds of each wood is in the soil and one-third is sticking out.
  • Place the pots in a semi-shaded area that you can keep moist. It is important that the pots can keep their moisture well.
  • Water the cuttings regularly and do not let the soil dry out.
  • When the shoots start to develop roots, you should transplant them from the pot into your garden. Be sure to plant your shoots at 20 to 30 centimeter intervals.
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  • James Jones

    Meet James Jones, a passionate gardening writer whose words bloom with the wisdom of an experienced horticulturist. With a deep-rooted love for all things green, James has dedicated his life to sharing the art and science of gardening with the world. James's words have found their way into countless publications, and his gardening insights have inspired a new generation of green thumbs. His commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship shines through in every article he crafts.

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