Gooseberry Update

It seems that our gooseberry transplanting went well, and the cuttings I took for propagation have been hanging out in the shade of our gazebo in this month-long drought and heat wave.  What gardener actually *sits* in a gazebo anyways, right?

 

Within a few days of starting these cuttings in soil, the plants started to look like they were dying as they began to wilt and drop their leaves.  I wasn't fooled - I've done this before.

The trick is to just let the plants adjust to the shock, and remember to water them daily to assure contact with the soil.  Soon, those that have managed to root will put out new growth.  My lavender, blueberry and hydrangea cuttings are also sitting under an improvised plastic cover to ensure high humidity, increasing their chances of successfully rooting. I haven't had any luck propagating blueberries before, but decided to give it another try this year.  After another week or so, I will give each successfully rooted gooseberry plant a separate container, and put them with my other potted plants that I've divided and propagated from the garden.  Next on the list is pruning and propagating the currant bushes.