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Grafting gooseberry

iamtoiamto Posts: 111

Have anyonebody grafted their gooseberry before? What type of stem can you graft it on? Thank youimage

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,720

    You would have to graft it on to another variety of Ribes.

    Not sure why you would want to - what would be the desired aim?

    I have heard of them being grafted to produce a standard, but I would have thought that it was perfectly possible to grow a standard gooseberry from a cutting, as you would a fuchsia image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • iamtoiamto Posts: 111
    Dovefromabove says:

    You would have to graft it on to another variety of Ribes.

    Not sure why you would want to - what would be the desired aim?

    I have heard of them being grafted to produce a standard, but I would have thought that it was perfectly possible to grow a standard gooseberry from a cutting, as you would a fuchsia image

    See original post

     Ok thanks, the reason I want it stemmed is that I have planted it in my flowerbed and when stemmed I would not have to worry about all of the thorns.

    But perhaps it is just easier to buy an aleady stemmed gooseberry plant at the store, it is just bad that I need to throw away a fully nice plant image

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,720

    Gooseberry bushes strike easily from cuttings - info here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=387

    If you scroll down you'll see it gives instructions for taking cuttings to grow gooseberries on a single stem. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • If you already have a gooseberry bush growing in situ don't waste it.  Why lift it and lose all the previous growth?  Stake it with a robust cane, select the most upright lateral and bend it to tie it to the cane.  Cut off all other growth apart from a few shoots near the top.  You could also snap off the lower thorns from your selected leader.  Tie it in as it grows keeping all laterals trimmed off until it reaches the desired height then prune the top as if it was a bush.

    Yes, the easiest way to get a standard is to work from a cutting but it takes a long time.  Standard gooseberries are not cheap and are not really standard.

    Dovefromabove asks why graft?   I have a Winham's Industry standard gooseberry which is super-vigorous.  Cook has decided she doesn't like the variety so rather than waste all this growth I'll be cutting away all the top growth and grafting in some gooseberry 'Careless' this spring.

    Try it; you've nothing to lose and you might save several years growth.

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