In a previous article about red currants, I mentioned their ability to readily propagate VIA cuttings or layering. Both techniques are VERY easy, and the success rate is unavoidably
high. Today I’ll be outlining a simple method for layering red, white, and pink currants (all of which are variants of Ribes rubrum). Layering is a means of clonally propagating an existing plant by burying an ariel stem so to encourage rooting. Once rooted, it is detached from the parent plant.
After being inspired by Lee Reich to form an espaliered currant, I began to train a ‘Pink Champagne’ currant along my garden fence. To maintain an espalier it was necessary to remove the multiple stems which habitually spring forth from the base of the plant. Instead of just pruning this wood out, I decided to try layering these shoots. The following images depict this process.
