Currant Plants from Seed

Back in 2019 I found some scrawny little currant seedlings under a couple of my red, white, and pink currant bushes.  I have had zero success for years attempting to germinate currant seeds so I carefully uprooted what I found, potted them up, and cared for them all that summer.  The second photo shows how nicely the seedlings took off once they were being cared for and spoiled.  I planted these seedlings out that fall and all have survived and thrived up until last fall dormancy.  This next growing season will be their fourth year, third year in their transplanted locations.  I expect at least some of them to flower and set fruit.  There are noticeable differences in growth habits as well as leaf shape of these young plants so I am hoping this will translate perhaps to a new cultivar or two, that would be fun.

Growing currant plants from seeds was just a fun challenge for me to try to accomplish (even though I ultimately failed at it and gave up).  I usually propagate currant cultivars by cuttings when I want more plants.

Seedlings as they were found:

Seedlings after a couple months of being babied:

Nice work Tom. I have never attempted such an endeavor but maybe I should. Please keep us posted on their progress.

When they get big enough propagation from cuttings is EASY; as you experienced. Early Spring when soil is soft enough to 'work' or press stick into.
1. Take cuttings of wood that is alive(when you cut it look at the inside of the cutting and see if wet/green looking
2. stick them in soil (garden bed or pot) stick in AT LEAST (2/3 if possible) half way deep. (to make this step easier use a tough stick to "pre-make hole"
3. wait until fall and transplant to final location
4.this can be done with other berries as well!!!

Very interesting, I've always wanted to do something similar with gooseberries so this thread might motivate me to finally do that. Looking forward to seeing how it goes!

Allen Ayers wrote:Very interesting, I've always wanted to do something similar with gooseberries so this thread might motivate me to finally do that. Looking forward to seeing how it goes!

I would like to do this with gooseberries as well.  I have a few established bushes and will have to check under them for seedlings in June.  I need a bunch more plants to fill out my new gooseberry patch.

I would like to pot up more currant seedlings but my currant patch is full.  I might just row run a bunch of them, maybe pass some plants on to others.

I hope to keep this post updated with some more photos this summer.  I would love to hear if anyone else repeats this concept and how it goes for them.

I was walking around doing a spring inspection and took a look at the currant patch.  The currant bushes have wintered over nicely and look good.  We are having a late spring so everything is behind.  The currants' swollen leaf buds are just beginning to shoot out leaves, which to me puts them approximately three weeks behind from the norm.  

I noticed that one of the currant plants I started from a seedling the leaves that are coming out are burgundy in color.  Very pretty and very interesting.  They will green up, but this stands out to me as an indicator of a unique strain.  Perhaps if the berry flavor and production are decent I will have a new cultivar worth keeping and propagating.  I will try to get a photo...