How to make Willow Tea | Planting Blackcurrants from Cuttings | Establishing a Permaculture Orchard

[@anthonywestofireland2503]

Sorry to hear you got a set back. Don’t rush back in to it.

[@GubbFarm]

Good to hear from you Paddy. My next appointment has been pulled forward, so we shall see how that plays out over the next 18 hours. It might be time for surgical intervention.

[@What..a..shambles]

Lucky you had the trees in

[@GubbFarm]

Ha, that is exactly what I was thinking. All the best.

[@helenaoconnor9972]

Sorry about your shoulder. I have blackcurrants from my grandmothers garden of the 1930's ish! Quite happy to heal in some cuttings for you now and can forward them as bareroots by post unless I'm passing once we revert to "normal'. I also have redcurrant, raspberry and gooseberry though the gooseberry is not great.... possibly my fault as I'm not a fan! These are all "Cork hardy" but inland and altitude Cork rather than coastal!

[@GubbFarm]

That would be great to get some plants from that list. If you are not passing, I will pay for shipping or I maybe go on a road trip and collect if restrictions on movement have lapsed. Thank you Helena. My email is [e-mail] and my address is 55 Galloon Road, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT92 8HS for when the time is right. All the best.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Sorry to hear about the shoulder. Hope the currants take root.

[@GubbFarm]

Thank you Steve. It is exciting taking the next step in establishing the permaculture forest. I hope all is well with you.

[@What..a..shambles]

Wishing you a speedy recovery 🙏🏻🤞🏻

[@GubbFarm]

That is very kind. Thank you and I hope all is well with you.

[@inforthecabbage]

Get well soon! Thanks for the great content :)

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks Shane. That is very kind of you. I hope all is well with you.

[@chrisstafford5660]

Here’s me fucking you out of it for not having a video up last weekend... Now you tell us you only had a broken shoulder 😉 commitment Dary , commitment!🤔 Best of luck with new X-ray.. speedy recovery!

[@GubbFarm]

Ha. Very good. My apologies Chris, I just need to harden up. However, I really do hope there isn't a second time. All the best and thank you.

[@Bob1Mack]

I'm sorry to see you busted up, but I'm glad it's not worse. Of all the things that would knock you out, I ranked a bicycle pretty low. I don't thinking farming is exactly easy at any time, walking around with a busted shoulder, and planting stuff, is a high level of toughness. Hoping you get better very soon.

[@GubbFarm]

Thank you Bob. I agree, coming off the bike seems pretty low risk when compared to pruning mature oak trees while hanging off branches, but c'est la vie. I hope all is well with you.

[@brudo5056]

Bad luck that shoulder but you should not be afraid of a good ‘bridging’ surgery with a metal connection because that metal might give your shoulder more support in the healing process and is supposed to be removed at the end. Your back and shoulders are one of the most important body parts in your line of work so get a good advice for a life time guarantee 😉 all the best.

[@GubbFarm]

Thank you Bru, I have been thinking about this all day. If the next x-ray is a 50/50 call, then I will request surgery to fix it. I need to make a full recovery as there is no plan B if I am side lined. I will let you know how it plays outs. On a side note, I have been thinking a lot about what you said regarding inoculating the wood chip around the trees. I have been talking to some mushroom suppliers and I plan to try an inoculate the woodchip with some Wine Cap/King Stropharia (Stropharia rugosoannulata), which is edible and likes to grow on woodchip. I will cover it in a video over the coming months when I am a bit more mobile. I hope all is well with you.

[@brudo5056]

Gubb Farm OK, all the best with this shoulder. Side note: make sure that the Fungi inoculation cannot infect your trees, otherwise only use it in composting environment. Good luck.

[@stuartfreeborn1986]

Hey Dary, how is your shoulder now? The willow tea as a feed is an interesting concept. How are the blackcurrants doing now?

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Stuart. The shoulder is getting stronger every day and I nearly have a full range of movement now. Thank you for asking. With regards to the blackcurrants, I must go and have a look. I have just finished putting the cages around the trees, which took weeks, so I should have time to do an update video on the recent planting (coppicing forest, black currants, raspberries and hazel). I hope all is well with you.

[@Brian-qs7fz]

Could have been worse. Could have been 2 ribs as well 😁 Never getting on a horse again 🐎

[@GubbFarm]

That sounds terrible Brian. How long did it take you recover from that?

[@pio4362]

Hi Dary. I got 6 bareroot blackcurrant plants, about 50cm ish in January. They've been putting on a bit of foliage in their pots in the last 3 weeks, and I figure they were pruned before I got them. Could I take cuttings for propagation from next autumn-winter, or would I have to wait longer? I got blueberries during the winter as well, and they'll be going in a special raised bed. I suppose I'll have to wait to get cuttings from them as well. But first I might be better trying to get some willows rooted - the grew willow is pretty dominant over here!

[@GubbFarm]

Where are you based? I'm in Fermanagh and like yourself, there is no shortage of Sally / Grey Willow. As for pruning blackcurrants, from what I've read, it is probably best to wait for a few years before starting to prune. When they are about 4 years old, in the wintertime cut out about 25% of the older branches at the base, as they fruit best on younger wood. Each subsequent year, remove a further 25% of the old branches to allow for new growth. I am hoping that I can take some cuttings this winter from the Blackcurrants, if I get enough growth over the summer, to propagate them next year. It will just depend on how vigorous they are. As for blueberries and cranberry, I am going to try and grow them in a peaty bottom that flood every year (i.e. Floodsalot). I am going to test the pH and maybe mulch with pine to lower it. I won't be planting those shrubs between the trees as they need very different soil conditions. All the best

[@chinesischesser]

I'd rather do compost, cardboard, and woddchips on top. Wouldn't it take too long for the cardboard to rot until the plant gets to the compost? Wish you a quick recovery

[@GubbFarm]

Thank you. Today I put down some cardboard and then added a layer of woodchip around each of the blackcurrant cuttings. I probably should have also added a layer of compost, but it too heavy to work with at the moment. I decided to proceed without the compost as the grass is starting to grow and I didn't want the cuttings to be outcompeted over the coming months while I recover. I will show what I did in the next video, and maybe for the next cuttings when I have recovered I can test using compost to see if it helps. All the best.

[@1fiatman]

Could have told you that Lycra is bad for your health 😂😂 look after yourself

[@GubbFarm]

Ha. I probably wasn't that far from you when it happened. I came off the bike on the Dernawilt road just after Killyfole, having cycled across the Knocks from Brookeborough to Roslea. I hope all is well with you.