It's that time of year again. Time to prune back the orchard. Last year I done some heavy pruning on the currant bushes. It was the first time in 6 years they had been pruned and I was very nervous as to whether or not they would thank me for it. I made cuttings of them just in case my pruning had all gone wrong and I was left with no bushes. But… It all went right. The bushes doubled in size and the harvest of blackcurrants doubled with it.

Not only that, all the cuttings I had taken also succeeded which meant I was left with over 70 currant bushes that needed new homes. Through Facebook and Instagram, I let people know and then people came to collect their new shrubs from Turra Lodge Farm. As it was during lock-down some people couldn’t travel to collect one, so I had saved a few which I put out later in the season when travel restrictions had lifted. All in all, pruning the orchard had a great outcome. So, I’ve done it again! I have made approximately 60 cuttings which hopefully will strike within the next 8 weeks. As soon as they have a decent root system and are ready to go, I will be looking for new homes for them so stay posted if you would like a free berry bush as an addition to your garden.