Clever Tricks for Planting and Propagating Gooseberry Bushes (and Currants)

Trevor Newman of RootstoFruits.biz shares some cool tricks for planting and propagating gooseberry bushes and other Ribes plants, including currants.
This took place at a workshop at Realeyes Homestead.
Find out about upcoming workshops and more by Subscribing here, and at RealeyesHomestead.com!
Music: Stand up - Prodigy

[@poodleoodle7689]

Thanks for the great info.

[@Realeyeshomestead]

Thank you @PudleLuvr glad you like it! :)

[@Melissa54321]

Very nice video about gooseberries! New friend to your channel!

[@toffeebluenose7331]

Here in the uk we prune so that the gooseberry bush so the air can flow through the bush stopping any mildew or fungal infections.Another problem with the bush is caterpillars.If you have chickens they will eat them of the bush.

[@Adrian-cw8yu]

I'm in the UK too, London, I grow gooseberries that dont get mildew or fungal infections, Hinnonmäki red and Captivator are the best at that, they taste lovely too, straight off the bush, I also try not to prune so much, best fruit comes on 2-3 year old wood, so you dont want to cut too much out, but I can understand for certain strains that are not resistant to diseases to prune more and open up the bush.

[@frustratedmajority851]

I have 2 cuttings I'm growing for my chickens. I'll make more cuttings in a few years but rn I'm nursing these into life. They're little twigs with tiny shoots finally emerging.

[@solfeinberg437]

Yea, baby. Thanks for the video. Do these plants like shade? Full sun?

[@pamelaadams3649]

What about white pine blister rust? Do you ever have problems with that?

[@LeviRealize]

No we haven't had any issues because we've chosen varieties of these species that don't carry the rust. We've had them planted for about 4-5years with no issues. In our state, Michigan, it was necessary to request a permit to plant them. This was a very easy process over email, just confirming we're planting the varieties that don't support the rust.

[@frankkrischick3906]

are thorns of a gooseberry actually starter roots that root down thorns that have daylight form new shoots ?

[@bmoor5353]

👀 That is a helluva postulation...and I wanna test it out!
Everything I've ever come across from thorny fruiting species...edible or not...has led me to realize they don't grow thorns until they're ready to protect something (their fruit). I've grown virus, smilax, blackberries from seed and they don't initially produce the thorns until they're ready to produce their respective flowers and thus fruit.
However, I found out as a kid that all the "white dots" on my grandparents mulberry tree ✌🏾switches✌🏾 (don't judge me, I was a curious kid 😂😂) grew roots from the "white dots" when I stuck em in the soil of their garden (hence what to me was my swords, magic wands, and pillars of my fort in their garden became switches to them 😂😂😂).
If those "white dots" are encapsulated aerial root grow points on several trees, who's to say that the thorns of the smaller fruiting bushes aren't doing more than just ✌🏾protecting the fruit✌🏾....they could also be protecting the aerial root growth points as well only as pointy encapsulated aerial rooting growth points

[@danielsmith336]

@@bmoor5353 From a biological standpoint, thorns are short, leafless modified stems. White dots are lenticels, pores exposing cambium tissue to the environment for air exchange. You saw roots come out of them because the cells of the cambium are the same cells that differentiate into callous tissue that then produce roots when a cutting is planted.

[@FunBows]

Would it be too late in May, to take a cutting to root ?

[@LeviRealize]

No, that would probably work fine. We've taken cuttings almost any time of the year successfully.

[@SM-lx4ws]

@@LeviRealize thanks. I wish I had done it earlier :( My gooseberry plant's stem are covered in gooseberries. Please let me know if it should be covered with mesh netting to protect it from the pests & birds. When is the right time to cover the plant? I live in the UK

[@LeviRealize]

@@SM-lx4ws Hi S M, glad to hear your plants are producing! I have never covered mine with mesh and never had an issue with birds taking them. For the most part, birds leave them alone, thankfully. I'm in northern Michigan. The birds might behave differently where you live in the UK. Hopefully they wont be a problem there either.

[@SM-lx4ws]

@@LeviRealize
Read about sawfly damaging the leaves & gooseberries so was wondering if the netting would help if I didn't want to use sprays on my plants.
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=517

[@scotthargraves576]

Have you guys stopped making videos for good? I haven't seen anything new in a year.

[@LeviRealize]

Hi Scott, Thanks for asking. We have stopped for now, as our life priorities have shifted on account of building a new house, and the increase financial demands that entails. But once we're settled in to the house, we plan to create more videos. If you like this kind of stuff I recommend checking out Edible Acres on youtube, Sean created videos regularly and they are very informative!

[@scotthargraves576]

Levi Meeuwenberg thanks. I look forward to your return