Pruning gooseberries should be done regularly, as this shrub very quickly produces new shoots, as a result of which it becomes like a prickly hedgehog, large and decaying, from which it is very difficult to collect berries. But a well-groomed bush does not overgrow so much, does not climb into neighboring plantings, and weeds that are difficult to reach do not grow under its spreading paws. In addition, the nutrition of the bush is distributed from the roots throughout the plant. The more shoots there are, the less minerals the berries will get, which means they will be small and tasteless. That is why pruning gooseberries is the focus of our attention today.

What tools will you need?

First of all, take care of reliable gloves; they should protect your hands from numerous thorns that can hurt you. In addition, pruning gooseberries requires the use of special tools. To do this, you can purchase a garden file or a good pruning shears; special scissors with a long handle, which are usually used for trimming branches, are also suitable. In any case, the tool should be convenient to climb into the center of the bush.

Spring pruning of gooseberries

It is carried out simultaneously with planting. You buy a seedling, plant it in a prepared place and immediately remove the excess. In this case, the shoots should be shortened so that no more than 4 buds remain on each of them. You don’t have to worry about the bush, only at first glance such treatment seems merciless. In fact, it will give amazing results. Pruning gooseberries in the spring allows you to leave all the strength of the plant for rooting. It is in this case that by mid-summer the first fruits begin to form on the branches. In the future, the gardener’s task is to monitor the growing shoots and remove the weakest and thinnest of them. In this case, if the shoot clearly looks weak and has stopped growing before reaching 7 cm, it should be removed to the point where the branch forms strong branches. Then the bush will not waste energy on weak branches.

What time do you need to meet?

Spring pruning is so difficult that you need to guess right time. This procedure should be performed at a time when sap flow has not yet begun, that is, long before the first bud appears on the branches. Otherwise, the plant will become very sick and may die. Therefore, if you missed the allotted time, then gooseberries are pruned in the summer. Gardeners really don’t like spring treatment of plants, as it’s easy to miss the moment. It will be much easier to start working later, when the harvest period has already begun.

Formation of a bush, or Zero branches

Pruning gooseberries in summer is strictly not recommended. This weakens the bush, and if pruning is not done professionally, it may not survive the winter cold. Therefore, in the summer all that remains is to monitor the zero shoots. This is the name given to the branches located lowest, right next to the ground. They need to be cut back by about a quarter and monitored for growth throughout the season. In this case, the bush will be more neat, and it will also produce many new shoots. This is not difficult to do: examine the branch, select the strongest bud with outside and cut the branch 10 cm above it. This is how you will direct the twig outward and not inward of the bush.

Autumn processing

Judging by everything that has been said, you still have the main work to do, and indeed, gooseberries are most often pruned in the fall. Right now you can see which branches have borne fruit and which have not, and you can easily distinguish with the naked eye strong and weak branches, broken and dead. They can be carefully removed, and in the spring all that remains is to form a bush. Gooseberries are not pruned in the fall in the first year after planting. However, after that it is performed every year.

Basic Rules

All activities must be completed before the cold weather sets in. The plant should come to its senses, heal its wounds and calmly go to winter. Before the cold weather, the cutting areas should become dry. At the same time, remember right away that in the fall it is allowed to remove all illiquid items, that is, weak and diseased, broken and too fragile branches. It is strictly forbidden to shorten shoots; there is spring pruning for this. The plant may sprout new sprouts, but soon frosts will come, and the young branches will die, and the bush itself will weaken.

Your actions

Pruning gooseberries after harvest seems simple and straightforward until you come to a thorny bush. Now the confidence leaves the inexperienced gardener. There is nothing complicated here, just follow our tips and you will succeed. First of all, carefully inspect the bark. This will allow us to draw a conclusion about the age of the branch. If you see that it is dark, blackened, and the shoot itself looks lifeless, remove it down to a healthy area. Separately, it is worth mentioning about pruning an old bush, in which most of the branches are in this condition. It is impossible to cut everything at once; pruning gooseberries after harvesting cannot exceed 2/3 of the total volume of branches.

Let's sum it up

In summer, pruning gooseberries can end sadly, so it is only done in emergency cases. New shoots may not have time to grow stronger until the end of summer, and therefore will freeze until spring. You need to be able to identify those branches that bear fruit. They should not remove growths that are less than one year old. This is the main potential of the bush. Only in the spring will they need to be inspected and those that have turned black over the winter cut off. The shoot turns black if it did not have time to become covered with dense bark before the cold weather, this once again proves that it is impossible to prune the bushes in the summer. In early July, you should only pinch the apical buds of the branches, thereby blocking access nutrients to the very tops. This limits the growth of the bush in width. You cannot completely cut out the entire bush. If all the branches look bad, and the bush is already more than 20 years old, then either leave a third of total number branches in the hope of rejuvenating it, or, even better, plant a new bush and uproot this one.

Any healthy bush gooseberries are replenished with new branches every year. Such growths greatly thicken the plant, depriving the lower branches of sunlight and oxygen. Due to insufficient air exchange in the crown, the bush weakens, the berries become small, and in advanced cases the bush may even die. In order for the berry harvest to please the gardener, every year in the fall it is necessary to trim the gooseberries and form a bush. This is a difficult procedure that has its own rules and requires certain skills.

What time of year should you prune gooseberries?

The main rule in pruning currant and gooseberry bushes in the fall is to carry out the procedure before the sap begins to move along the branches, which leads to bud opening.

Gooseberries are the first of the garden inhabitants to awaken from winter sleep, so in the spring it is impossible to have time to prune the branches correctly. If you cut off excess shoots after the start of the growing season, the plant will lose the amount of juice already spent on the development of the first buds. Such untimely intervention can lead to disease and death of the crop. Therefore, experienced summer residents recommend starting to clean the crown in the fall.

Gooseberry pruning - necessary procedure in growing a plant

It is strictly forbidden to prune branches in the summer months, since during this period the gooseberries are in the active stage of the growing season. If you remove the shoots in the summer, the new shoots will not be able to get stronger by winter and will die during the first frost.

Experts advise pruning the bush for the first time before planting, and then maintaining the crown every season and ridding it of infected and aged branches. It is important to always carry out these procedures at the same time. So, it is unacceptable to prune the branches first in October, and the next year - in March. Otherwise the plant will experience severe stress and may die.

When is the autumn procedure carried out?

The most the right time Pruning gooseberries is the period when all the greenery falls off the bush. Most often this happens from November 10 to 20. The timing is approximate; in each region, such a process may occur at different times.

Need to cut aboveground part bush, leaving only one control branch on it

When planning the procedure, each gardener should focus on the climatic conditions of the region of residence, the outside temperature and weather conditions. It is optimal to prune when sap flow ends. The procedure is carried out at least a month before the onset of severe frosts. Treated bushes should be given a little time to heal wounds after pruning and prepare for winter.

If in the region where gooseberries are grown the climatic conditions are too harsh, pruning is postponed until spring. Otherwise, the autumn formation of the bush can negatively affect the health of the plant. The wounds from the cuts will not have time to heal until severe frosts, the immune system will weaken, and the gooseberry may get sick or die. In autumn, such areas are subject to partial thinning and removal of broken branches.

What to prepare for pruning a bush

You need to approach gooseberry pruning fully prepared.

Old gooseberry branches are dark, almost black in color, thicker than younger shoots, and may look dry in appearance

If experienced summer residents always have the necessary equipment at hand, then for beginners the lack of one or another tool can greatly hinder the procedure. To trim branches you will need:

• thick rubber-based gloves;
• a thick long jacket with long sleeves and thick pants to protect the body from scratches;
• chalk, paint or marker to mark the places of cuts;
• pruning shears and garden scissors with long handles;
• a sharp saw if you plan to remove thick branches on old bushes;
• garden varnish for lubricating large wounds;
• a wheelbarrow to transport cut branches;
• means for treatment against infection if the bush is damaged by bacteria or viruses.

When is the procedure necessary?

Pruning gooseberries is required in cases where:

• there are old, diseased, dried and broken branches on the bush, they are removed first;
• new shoots have appeared at the very base, they are cut off completely without preserving the stumps;
• the crown has become too voluminous, the outer branches grow inward and intertwine with other shoots;
• some branches have reached the age of more than 5 years and do not bear fruit.

The shoots are cut off with pruning shears at the very base of the bush, leaving no stumps so that pests do not settle in them

Fresh shoots of the current year are shortened to the largest bud, which should not face the central trunk. After the pruning procedure, approximately 13–14 branches and an additional 4 zero shoots should remain on the gooseberry bush.

Step-by-step instructions for pruning crops in the fall

For simple gardeners who do not have time for long procedures, classic pruning is suitable. When planning pruning branches, you need to decide on the method of forming the bush. There are three methods:

• standard formation;
• classic pruning method;
• growing on a trellis.

The experience of summer residents shows that when classic scheme By forming a bush, the harvest is the most voluminous.

However, other formation methods also have their advantages. Thus, it is easier to pick berries from a bush with trellis pruning, and a standard bush looks beautiful and takes up little space.

Standard gooseberry

Using this type of pruning, gooseberries grow into bonsai. The processing principle in the first year of formation is as follows:

1. Select the strongest branch in the very center of the bush, and remove the remaining shoots. This branch will become a kind of leg for the plant.
2. Determine the height of the future trunk. As a rule, it does not exceed 1 m. You need to mark the maximum height on the branch with chalk and cut off all side shoots to this level.
3. Choose a support. Optimally according to appearance and functionality, a pipe 1.1 m high and 2 cm in diameter is suitable.
4. Deepen the pipe 10 cm into the ground next to the branch chosen as the trunk and attach it to it.

In the second, third and subsequent years, pruning occurs according to the following scheme:

1. The branches from last year are shortened by half, and 4-5 fresh branches are left from the new ones, cutting off the rest.
2. Shoots that point down or have broken after winter are removed.
3. The shoots that appear at the bottom of the stem are cut off immediately so as not to waste the plant’s strength.

To form lateral branches, the branches are cut 1 cm above the bud, which is directed upward or faces in the desired direction.

A peg is always installed near the bush and the trunk is tied in several places

Weakened thin branches are cut back to the largest bud.

On trellises

This method is suitable for varieties with strong, actively growing branches and many shoots. Growing gooseberries on trellises occurs according to the following algorithm:

1. The bushes are planted in one row at a distance of about a meter from each other.
2. Pipes or stakes are dug between them at an equal distance (about 2 m).
3. The stakes are alternately connected with wire or strong thin rope in 3 rows at the following height: 50 cm - 1st row, 80 cm - 2nd row, 1 m - 3rd row.
4. Young gooseberry shoots are tied to a wire with a thin thread, 4-5 branches are added every 20 cm.
5. Excess shoots that remain hanging freely are trimmed with pruning shears and trimmed as they grow.

Each subsequent year it is necessary to prune last year's branches, shortening them by about a third.

Starting from the sixth year of life, anti-aging pruning of the bush begins

Fresh shoots of the New Year are also tied up in 4-5 pieces.

Classic bush formation

The standard pruning method turns the gooseberry into a classic bush, familiar to most gardeners. The execution algorithm is as follows:

1. Year of planting. All damaged and weakened branches are removed, strong shoots are pruned top part up to 3 buds.
2. 1st year of life. 3–4 strong trunks are selected that will form the crown. 1/3 of the top part is cut off. Branches that grow parallel to or toward the ground are pruned close to the trunk.
3. 2nd year. New shoots that appear are cut off by 1/3, 4 zero shoots are also retained, the rest are removed.
4. 3rd year. If pruning was carried out correctly earlier, the bush should have at least 12 branches aged from one year to three years. At this time, the plant begins to bear fruit. New branches are cut back by a third, and up to three zero shoots are left.
5. 4–5 years. The grown gooseberry should already take on the appearance of a mature bush. After this, annual pruning consists of sanitizing from old and broken branches, as well as cutting off excess shoots.

By the age of eight, the gooseberry bush should have up to eight succulent stems and approximately 22–24 branches different ages. If pruning is carried out according to all the rules, the harvest should be stable and of high quality.

If you follow this pruning technology, the bush will be constantly young and abundantly fruiting.

When branches appear that grow downward or parallel to the ground, it is necessary to shorten them so that the outermost bud points upward.

Instructions for beginners on video

Pruning for rejuvenation

Zero shoots that grow throughout the year should be trimmed to approximately 1⁄4 of their length.

This work involves the gradual but complete removal of all branches from which seedlings have ever grown. For bushes over 10 years old, pruning is recommended for the purpose of rejuvenation.

The experience of summer residents shows that after rejuvenation treatment good harvest returns even to bushes that have not bear fruit for several years.

Pruning is to stimulate the growth of fresh young branches, but it should not completely destroy the bush. The replacement is carried out in stages: every year one third of the old branches are removed.

After the procedure, at least 50% of the crown should remain on the bush. It is not recommended to cut growths from fruiting branches.

Caring for the crop after the procedure: preparing for winter

Fertilizing the plant in the spring helps it gain strength before flowering and fruiting.

Pruning branches for any plant is very stressful, so restoration measures are carried out after the procedure. Care procedures:

1. Lubricating wounds with garden pitch. Also suitable as a disinfectant composition is a mixture of crushed activated carbon and urea in a ratio of 1:7.
2. Fertilizing the bush with mineral-organic fertilizer. You can take it already ready-made mixtures in the store, fertilizer labeled “autumn” is ideal. Or you can prepare the composition yourself: mix 15 kg of humus with 200 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium.
3. Abundant watering, which is designed to supply the plant with moisture for the whole winter. At least two buckets of water are poured under each bush. It must first settle and warm up.
4. Inspecting bushes for the presence of pests or infestations. If any, the soil around the trunk is treated with a fungicide (Antrakop, Coronet, Infinito, Flint Star, Teldor). As a preventative drug, Bordeaux mixture is used, which is sprayed onto the soil and the entire bush.
5. Preparing for winter. Involves insulating the stems. In areas with harsh climatic conditions, all branches are treated; in warmer areas, only fresh seedlings are treated. For insulation, rotted leaves are most often used.

The insulation layer should be such as to cover an area of ​​soil near the tree trunk with a diameter of at least 50 cm.

Pruning gooseberries is a serious and painstaking task. And if an experienced gardener most often does not have problems, then a beginner needs to carefully monitor the timing and technology of the procedure. It is important to adhere to the chosen scheme when processing the plant. In addition, other measures for caring for the berry garden cannot be ignored. Only then will the harvest please the owner, and the bushes will always be healthy and strong.

10-12 year old bush.

First it is thinned out

remove dry ends

Immediately after harvest you need to start removing old fruit-bearing branches, as well as root shoots that thicken the bush. Then you should carry out sanitary pruning of dry, broken, diseased shoots and branches (the ends affected by powdery mildew are cut off to a healthy bud). Then all that remains for spring is detailed pruning of the bushes.

Gooseberry pruning

Accelerates and increases the fruiting of summer gooseberries.

Pruning gooseberries after harvest

It is also called pinching and is carried out in late July - early August. The tops of annual growths on skeletal branches and basal shoots are trimmed.

If you have selected a variety

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Pruning gooseberries in autumn: instructions for beginners

All plants in your garden require some care that will not only help them survive, but will also enhance their performance. Pruning gooseberries, for example, significantly increases its yield and immunity, allowing it to resist more pests. In this article we will look at how gooseberries are pruned in the fall, when exactly the bush needs to be formed, and we will also provide detailed instructions for beginner gardeners.

Tools

Before you start forming a gooseberry bush, you should prepare tools, as well as protective elements, because gooseberries are famous for their ubiquitous thorns, which can hurt you. You will need thick mittens with wide cuffs or regular gardening gloves, as well as a jacket or sweater made of thick fabric to protect your hands from scratches and cuts. You need to trim the bushes with ordinary garden pruners. However, a garden saw or scissors with long handles, which are used for trimming branches, are suitable. You also need lime or paint to mark the branches and their length for pruning.

Step-by-step pruning instructions

Gooseberry pruning is carried out twice a year, depending on the convenience of the gardener. Spring pruning of the bush is carried out after the snow has melted, but before buds appear on the branches. That is why pruning is done less frequently in the spring. It is more convenient to care for gooseberries in the fall, after harvesting. Having understood the time and features of pruning in spring and autumn, you can proceed to the instructions on how to prune gooseberries.

First of all, it should be noted that there is not one pruning scheme, since gooseberries can be grown in different ways.

How to prune gooseberries in autumn

There are the following types:

• on a trunk, that is, in the form of a small tree, the strongest shoot is left, which will be the trunk, and all side shoots are removed;
• on a trellis - this method is suitable for varieties that are characterized by lodging of bushes;
• classical - does not imply additional accessories and manipulation.

Schematic illustration of gooseberry pruning

The least time-consuming and effort-consuming is classic gooseberry pruning. In the first year, the branches of the bush are shortened by a third, and of all the formed shoots, the 3 strongest and most promising ones are left. In the second year, it is again necessary to shorten the vines by a third, but leave more basal shoots - about 6-7. In the third year, fresh shoots are shortened and thinned out. Annual pruning of the bush has a positive effect on the quality and quantity of the harvest, and in some cases helps speed up the harvest time. This pruning is carried out in the spring.

In autumn, caring for the bush begins after the harvest and leaves fall. You need to carefully examine the bush, noting those branches that have aged or dried out. This can be determined by the condition of the bark and its color - old branches are almost completely black. Also note competing branches and those that grow too close to the ground.

First of all, cut off the branches and shoots located in the lower part of the bush to improve the view of the rest. working area. Then you need to select 3 large branches, since more can not be cut at a time so as not to harm the gooseberry. But the root shoots need to be removed completely, since they only draw on nutritional resources. After using pruning shears, the cuts need to be properly processed - usually garden varnish is used for this.

Correctly carried out care allows you to notice an improvement in the growth of gooseberries already next spring, and then in the fall, when it’s time to harvest.

Actions after trimming

After you are done with pruning the bushes, the gooseberries will need some care. After all, no matter how you look at it, you caused significant damage to it by removing some of the branches and shoots. Care consists of properly fertilizing, tilling and watering.

After fruiting, gooseberry bushes are extremely weakened, so it is important for them good feeding to survive the winter.

It is recommended to add at least 15 kilograms of humus, compost or rotted manure to each bush. However, it would not be amiss to add mineral elements. Add to organic fertilizer 200 grams of superphosphate and 40 grams of potassium. This will be enough to prevent the bushes from being damaged when the first frosts arrive.

Tillage in the fall is one of the most important preventive measures. As is known, most fungal microorganisms are well tolerated low temperatures in the upper layers of soil and plant residues. Insect pests are no less winter hardy. Therefore, it is important when they are removed from the beds plant remains, carefully dig the ground. This should be done carefully and correctly, trying not to turn care into torture. The row spacing is dug with a shovel, the gaps between plants are to a depth of no more than 10 centimeters, and in the tree trunk circle around the gooseberries - no deeper than 5 centimeters. The dug up soil must be treated with fungicides and complex action insecticides, and then mulched with peat.

Watering is another one important element, which completes the autumn gooseberry care. It is correct to pour water into trunk circle so that it has time to be absorbed.

Under each bush you need to add 15-20 liters of water - this is quite enough to prepare the plant for winter.

Video “Autumn pruning of gooseberry bushes”

From this video you will learn why autumn pruning is needed and how it is done correctly.

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Home Gardening How to prune old, neglected gooseberries

How to prune old, neglected gooseberries

How to trim thickened gooseberries, which has never been approached with pruning shears or a file since the day of planting?

For example, we will tell you how to put it in order
10-12 year old bush.

First it is thinned out, removing low-lying, as well as broken, intertwined, weak, diseased and low-yielding branches of all ages to the base. Usually, such plants have a very dense base of the bush - just a brush of weak, short annual shoots. They are carefully cut out, leaving only 3-5 of the strongest.

On old but still productive branches remove dry ends to any strong lateral branch, then they will grow and bear fruit better.

Pruning neglected bushes should be done gradually. You cannot immediately cut off most of the branches in one year, otherwise you will be left without a harvest. Bring the bush to normal condition possible in 2-3 years. In the future, pruning should be carried out in the usual manner.

The best time to prune berry trees is early spring (before buds open). But gooseberries begin to grow very early, and often gardeners do not have time to do this work on time. In this case, you should partially postpone pruning to autumn. It can be carried out throughout the autumn period, until the onset of cold weather.

Immediately after harvest you need to start removing old fruit-bearing branches, as well as root shoots that thicken the bush. Then you should carry out sanitary pruning of dry, broken, diseased shoots and branches (the ends affected by powdery mildew are cut off to a healthy bud).

Pruning gooseberries in autumn: for beginners, step-by-step instructions

Then all that remains for spring is detailed pruning of the bushes.

Gooseberry pruning must be done with sharp pruning shears or a garden file. Long-handled garden shears are also very suitable for this purpose. With their help it is much easier to penetrate into the center of the bush. When pruning highly thorny varieties, you must work with thick gloves, otherwise you can injure your hands.

In addition to spring-autumn pruning accelerates and increases the fruiting of summer gooseberries. It is also called pinching and is carried out in late July - early August. The tops of annual growths on skeletal branches and basal shoots are trimmed.

As a result, the next year there are more flower buds and the berries grow larger. And fruiting on root shoots begins a year earlier. In addition, summer pinching significantly increases the frost resistance of shoots and buds.

If you have selected a variety, which is satisfactory in all respects except for a spreading bush, pruning will also help solve this problem.
To make the plant compact, it must be formed from several perennial branches. To do this, leave 2-4 of the strongest, most well located branches in the bush. All root shoots that appear during the summer are removed.

Left exposed branches good lighting And favorable conditions feeds develop better and are covered with abundant perennial ringlets. Each of these branches during the period of full fruiting is capable of producing up to 3 kg of berries.

In early spring, pruning a compact plant will not take much time. You need to slightly shorten the ends of the shoots to give the gooseberries correct form, and do a little thinning to open the central part of the bush to the sun.

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When to prune gooseberries?

• garden pruner or saw;

Stages of autumn pruning

1. The green tips of the branches should also be trimmed.

   Gardener's tips for pruning gooseberries in the fall for beginners

   They have little chance of surviving the winter;

2. At the end of the procedure, you will get a short bush, reduced in volume from the original by at least two-thirds. As a result, the main branches should be parallel to each other, with sufficient quantity kidney

• feeding;
• land cultivation;
• watering.

• convenient to harvest.

Question No. 1.

Question No. 2.

Question No. 3.

Question No. 4.

Question No. 5.

Autumn pruning of gooseberries

Since gooseberry bushes are very light-loving, they require regular pruning. A feature of this shrub is its active branching, which summer season makes a fluffy bush out of a cleared bush.

Why prune gooseberries, and how to prune them correctly

Timing for pruning gooseberries in autumn

In the spring, as soon as the sun warms up and the snow begins to melt, active sap flow begins in the gooseberry branches. It is not visible to the eye, and therefore it is easy to miss the time when pruning should be done. That's why experienced gardeners prune their bushes at autumn period to plan other work for the spring and complete it without haste.

The timing of autumn pruning of gooseberries varies depending on the area where they grow, but in any case ends at the end of October. If you prune the bushes at the end of summer or early autumn, when the days are still warm outside, this will activate growth that will freeze in winter and weaken the bush.

Rules for pruning gooseberry bushes in autumn

Sanitary pruning of this shrub has its own characteristics. First, you should cut out all the blackened shoots right above the ground - they will no longer be of any use, but they can interfere with the access of light. But there is no need to cut off more than a third of the bush in this way - otherwise it may become too weak and freeze in winter.

After this, you should proceed to the young shoots that formed during the summer. If the growth branches have a weak appearance, they are too thin and do not show signs of lignification, then they will not survive the winter, and in the spring they will become an obstacle to the sun's rays.

Sections, especially if they have large diameter, it is necessary to treat it with garden varnish, otherwise infection may get through the markets. Before pruning gooseberries in the fall, you should make sure that all the tools used for pruning plants are perfectly clean. After all, if they were previously used to clear other plants, existing plant diseases may spread.

As soon as the unnecessary skeletal branches and young shoots have been cut out, you should proceed to those shoots that grow into the middle of the bush, and there are a lot of them by the beginning of autumn. They interfere with the penetration of sunlight and take nutrients from the berries. If they are not removed, the berry becomes smaller and ceases to have a marketable appearance. A large loss of nutrients also affects the taste of gooseberries.

After pruning, all debris is burned to prevent pathogens present on old branches from entering the soil.

Gooseberry is a light-loving crop. Therefore, incorrect or untimely pruning of the bush, leading to its thickening, will cause a decrease in the yield and quality of berries. An excessive number of shoots interferes with the plant’s nutrition, which impairs immunity and the ability to resist pests. We will tell you in the article how gooseberries are pruned in the fall and how it differs from spring work.

When to prune gooseberries?

Gooseberries need to be pruned in the fall. The optimal period for this procedure for most plants is early spring. But this rule does not work for gooseberries. This feature is due to the fact that the gooseberry “wakes up” in early spring when the snow has not yet completely melted. At this time of year, not everyone is able to get to the dacha. And later, when the snow melts, the gooseberry buds will swell and the first leaves will bloom. In this state, it is too late to prune the bush; the procedure will not only be unhelpful, but even harmful.

The only compromise with gooseberries is pruning in late autumn, after the plant has shed its leaves.

Tools needed for pruning

Before starting work you need to prepare necessary tools for pruning and protection from sharp thorns:

• gardening gloves or mittens made of thick fabric, long sleeves to avoid injury when pruning;
• garden pruner or saw;
• paint or lime to mark the length of branches in preparation for pruning;
• garden varnish and fungicide preparations. "

Tip #1. After removing the shoots, it is necessary to treat the stumps with antifungal drugs. If it appears on a bush in summer powdery mildew, then the bush after pruning is sprayed with a 7-8% urea solution. You also need to cultivate the soil underneath it.

To protect yourself from sharp thorns, pruning gooseberries is done wearing thick mittens and long sleeves.

Features of autumn pruning bushes

Autumn pruning is good because after summer it is not difficult to determine which branches are best to prune. The main feature and difference between this procedure and the spring one is its preventive nature. The plant should go into winter without major changes or losses.

Pruning gooseberries in the fall allows you to rejuvenate and clear the crown of the bush. This makes it possible to subsequently increase the yield and improve the quality of the fruit. Autumn pruning of shrubs has its own characteristics:

1. It should be carried out before the onset of frost, so that the pruning areas have time to dry out and the plant itself adapts to new conditions. "
2. You should not shorten the shoots, as new branches will appear on the gooseberries that may not survive severe frosts. Therefore, pruning consists of removing diseased and weakened shoots, as well as growths that did not produce a harvest in the past season.
3. It is not recommended to remove more than two-thirds of the branches at a time, even if the bush is old and does not bear fruit well.

Stages of autumn pruning

When starting pruning, you need to carefully examine the bark, from which you can determine the age of the shoots. Without regret, you need to cut off all dry branches, as well as young shoots that have grown near the bush.

A characteristic feature of gooseberries is that during the spring-summer season it produces many zero shoots. Therefore, without experience, it may seem that autumn pruning of a plant is a tricky and incomprehensible science. But this is absolutely not true. More than two-thirds of new growth is zero, which must be pruned without regret.

Tip #2. Don't be afraid to thin out the bush! Since gooseberries are light-loving plant, this procedure helps to improve the quantity and quality of fruits. Plants pruned in time are less susceptible to such a dangerous disease as powdery mildew.

Branches older than 5 years must be pruned. It is necessary to leave 5-6 of the most promising growths near the gooseberry growth point

The procedure for autumn pruning gooseberries includes the following steps:

1. First you need to remove old shoots at the base of the bush. Next, you should cut off all the zero shoots, root shoots, which take part of the nutrition for themselves and weaken the plant. The older the bush, the more such branches there are. Shoots that are too far from the bush can be cut off without regret.
2. When examining side shoots, you need to identify diseased shoots that intersect with each other and cut them off. The side branches are cut by a quarter. When working with side branches, you need to transfer them to a side branch. To do this, the shoot is cut one centimeter above the bud, which is directed upward or to the side. In spring, branches will appear on it in a given direction.
3. The green tips of the branches should also be trimmed. They have little chance of surviving the winter;
4. Thin branches are cut to the first large bud.
5. At the end of the procedure, you will get a short bush, reduced in volume from the original by at least two-thirds.

   How to prune gooseberries and currants in autumn

   As a result, the main branches should be parallel to each other, with a sufficient number of buds.

Large sections are treated with garden varnish. After pruning, no more than 5 strong branches may remain on the bush. This is fine. IN next year the bush will grow and after pruning there will be about 10 healthy shoots left.

If you prune gooseberries correctly in the fall, you won’t have to worry about them in the spring. After the snow melts, you only need to shorten the thin branches, cut off the frozen ones and those that have grown again from the ground. Autumn pruning will have a positive effect on gooseberry yields.

The main mistakes of new gardeners

Not correct pruning gooseberries leads to the fact that the work of past years aimed at increasing productivity will be in vain. Let's look at common mistakes that inexperienced gardeners make:

• You cannot prune the plant in summer. New thin shoots that appear before winter cannot withstand frost. In summer, you can only pinch off the buds at the tops, thus cutting off the nutrition;
• On fruit-bearing branches, young shoots that are no more than a year old are not removed. Only cut dry or blackened branches;
• Even if the plant is old, there is no need to cut off all the shoots in an attempt to rejuvenate it. It is unreasonable to expect from a bush that is 20 years old bountiful harvest. In any case, you need to save at least 30% of the branches. Otherwise, the plant will die.

When rejuvenating gooseberries, shoots are cut at soil level, leaving no stumps

Before starting to trim shrubs, it is important for a novice amateur gardener to study as much material as possible on this issue. Proper pruning of gooseberries will give you the opportunity to enjoy the harvest for many years.

Caring for gooseberry bushes after pruning

After pruning is completed, the gooseberry requires additional care. As a result of this procedure, the bush suffered damage in the form of removed shoots and branches.

Caring for gooseberries after pruning comes down to:

• feeding;
• land cultivation;
• watering.

In order for the weakened bush to overwinter well, it is fed. For each plant, 15 kg of humus or compost is recommended. Can add mineral fertilizers. The soil around the plant after autumn pruning needs to be treated.

Insect pests and pathogens remain in top layer soil and tolerate frost well. Therefore, the soil near the bush is dug up after collecting the leaves. You should dig carefully and thoroughly. " Between the rows the ground is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet, between the bushes - to a depth of 10 centimeters, and under the plant itself - no deeper than 5 centimeters.

After this, the soil is treated with fungicides and insecticides, and the area around the bush is covered with peat. In conclusion autumn care the ground is watered abundantly. One plant will require 15 liters of water. The listed set of measures will reliably prepare the plant for winter.

Alternative methods for pruning gooseberries

Gooseberries are among the crops suitable for growing in standard form. In the first year after planting the plant in the fall, the strongest shoot is selected, which will later become the trunk of the tree. Later, in the spring, this shoot is shortened after the first wintering.

Shortening the main shoot will cause the bush to grow second-order shoots. The remaining branches are removed in the fall after the leaves fall. Next fall, the four most conveniently growing branches are left on the trunk, and the rest are removed. Side shoots are pruned in the same way as when classical way. This method of pruning gooseberries has its advantages and disadvantages:

Some varieties of gooseberries that grow well in height can be grown on a trellis with the help of systematic spring and autumn pruning.

The advantages of this form are that:

• the berries remain clean without touching the ground;
• the branches do not touch the ground and do not take root chaotically;
• convenient to harvest.

In the first year in the spring, all branches are pruned so that short stumps stick out from the ground. Throughout the summer, new shoots grow, from which up to 5 best shoots are selected in the fall, and the rest are cut out. The selected branches are tied to the wire. In the spring, the branches are shortened, and the following fall they are tied to a second wire. And so every year. After 7 years, rejuvenating pruning is performed in the fall - old shoots are removed and strong new shoots are left.

Answers to pressing questions from gardeners

Question No. 1. How to properly feed gooseberries after autumn pruning?

After pruning the gooseberry, to ensure the plant's resistance to frost, it is fed. In autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. Substances containing nitrogen are used in the spring. After the first frost occurs, the soil is mulched with organic matter in the form of peat or humus.

This will serve additional source nutrition of plant roots. The mulch layer should not be less than 10 cm! After fertilizing, the bush is watered. To ensure that moisture flows directly to the roots, root grooves up to 15 cm deep are made. The average water consumption for each plant is 15 liters.

Question No. 2. How to properly prune neglected old (12 years old) gooseberries?

Such a bush is pruned in several stages over several years. If you immediately cut off everything unnecessary, then there is a high risk of being left without a harvest or losing the bush. The first part of this pruning is carried out in the spring before the buds open. At this stage, all dry, broken, diseased branches are cut out. The number of root shoots is reduced to 5.

The second part of the procedure will take place in the fall. During this period, the oldest branches with dark, almost black bark are pruned. This pruning promotes the formation of new zero shoots. Dry and diseased branches are also cut out. Important! Over two seasons (spring and autumn), no more than 30% of the shoots can be trimmed. If these measures are not taken, then the gooseberry will completely stop producing fruit in 12-15 years.

Question No. 3. How to trim branches to avoid bush thickening?

When pruning a shoot, determine in which direction the branch will grow from the bud - outward or inward. Select the outer bud and make a cut above it. In this case, the new shoot will grow outward, the bush will not thicken, and will be well lit and ventilated.

Question No. 4. How often should gooseberry rejuvenation pruning be done?

On average, a gooseberry bush bears fruit normally for about 10 years. But in order for the harvest to be good and the berries to be large, you need to rejuvenate the bush every 6 years. If the bush is older than 20 years, then rejuvenating it is pointless.

Question No. 5. What mistakes do beginners most often make when pruning gooseberries in autumn?

The most common mistake is excessive pruning of the bush in the summer, before the foliage drops and the onset of cold weather. This results in new shoots emerging in late summer becoming vulnerable to diseases, pests and frost.

Beginner gardeners may mistakenly remove strong shoots and leave weak shoots. Another common mistake is removing growth from young fruit-bearing branches. In this case, the development of the crown subsequently slows down. Inexperienced summer residents need to remember that even if pruning is done to rejuvenate the bush, at least a third of the shoots must be left.

Beginning gardeners who grow gooseberries are interested in the question of how to properly prune the bush in the autumn? Experienced gardeners They know certain rules for pruning branches on bushes and trees and they can easily cope with this task. It is more difficult for beginners, but they will quickly figure it out and cope with the task.

To ensure that gooseberry branches do not grow excessively and bear fruit well, they must be properly pruned annually. If the owner started pruning the bushes in the fall, then it’s worth continuing. It is not advisable to do 2 prunings in spring and autumn; when frost hits, the plant may not have time to gain strength, will freeze and more than half of the crop will die.

If you take care of the gooseberry bush and trim off unnecessary branches in a timely manner, then the owner will receive an excellent harvest every year delicious berries. How large the gooseberry will be depends on the new shoots on it and does it grow on the sunny side?

If the bush becomes too large, the berries on it will be small and not very tasty. This is due to the fact that they will be shaded by branches, leaves and will not receive enough sunlight.

When there are few shoots, all the berries receive enough nutrients. If gooseberries are pruned in time, the berries grow on fewer shoots, all ripen in the sun and grow large, juicy, and aromatic.

Let's consider what clothes and tools to prepare for pruning gooseberries:

1. Before working with gooseberries, you need to prepare gloves that will protect your hands from thorns and tools for pruning branches. The mittens should be tight and the cuffs should be wider. Those who don’t have these should take regular gloves, which are used to care for trees, bushes in the garden, and vegetables in the garden.
2. You need to wear a thick jacket, for example, thick jeans or canvas. Clothing will protect your upper arms from thorns and cuts.
3. The branches are cut with ordinary pruning shears. Some people use garden shears or a saw. To cover the cuts you will need garden varnish, and to mark where to cut the branches: water-based paint or lime.

Step by step instructions on how to prune gooseberries?

It is best to prune gooseberry bushes twice a year: in spring and autumn. For example, in the fall, a major one, and in the spring, a partial one.

IN spring period You can trim branches after the snow has melted, but before buds appear on the branches. This point is difficult for summer residents to grasp, since most are at work and come to the country only on weekends, therefore many prefer to cut branches once a year - in the fall.

The bush is completely harvested and excess or old, dried branches can be trimmed. If the timing of the procedure is clear, you can begin studying step by step instructions and trim gooseberries in a country house or village plot.

There are several patterns for pruning. The main types are:

• The strongest central branch is left, and the side branches are cut off. This method is called - on a standard;
• Regular pruning is considered classic, when nothing special is done and no devices are used.
• On the trellis. This procedure is performed on gooseberry varieties whose branches tend to the ground.

The photo shows a diagram of how to properly prune a bush. The easiest way for a gardener to do pruning is in the classic style.

More information about annual pruning of shrubs:

• When the bush is only 1 year old, its branches are cut by 1/3. It is necessary to leave the 3 strongest shoots long, and the rest can be shortened.
• In the 2nd year of life, the lash should be reduced by 1/3. It is better to leave 6 to 7 good branches that grow at the root.
• In the 3rd year of life, the branches are similarly pruned and the bush needs to be thinned out, which means cutting out shoots that the owner considers unnecessary and they are located closer to others than 10 cm. This pruning is done in the spring. She helps to collect more harvest and the berries will be larger than last year’s.
• Autumn pruning is done after the leaves have fallen from a bush or several, gooseberries have been collected, some of the branches are old, dried at the tips or along the entire length. How do you know if branches are old? They turn black and the bark peels off easily.
• Branches that are too low parallel or touching the ground are also cut off. It is necessary to remove new shoots that have grown next to each other. The bushes are made less frequently so that in the next season, when the gooseberries bloom, the fruits set, the bush receives enough sunlight and the fruits are tasty and juicy.

Where do you start pruning? Remove the shoots located below. This helps to have a better overview of the work front.

The shoots located at the roots are removed completely. This is done so that they do not draw juices from the gooseberries and do not interfere with the growth and ripening of the fruits.

"Important! If you take good care of a young bush, it will develop quickly, become healthier and produce an excellent harvest, better than last year.”

The video shows the correct pruning of gooseberries:

What to do when you've finished pruning?

A novice gardener may not know that gooseberries need intensive care after the procedures. What to do? Hill up the ground under and around it to about 2 m. Select and discard weeds, apply organic or mineral fertilizer and water the plant thoroughly.

The owner is glad that he has reaped a good harvest from the gooseberry bush or bushes, but the plant is weakened during this period and needs high-quality feeding. This is vital for him to survive frost well.

In the fall, you need to add 15 kg of your choice for each shrub:

• humus;
• compost;
• manure that has rotted.

Add to organic fertilizers:

• potassium - 40 g;
• superphosphate - 200 g.

After these procedures, the owner can be calm, frosts will come, and the bushes will withstand the cold well. If there is a desire to protect the bushes from hares and cold, the trunks are covered with straw.

Unfortunately, harmful microorganisms overwinter well in rotting foliage. Insects hide and overwinter in the bark and hollows of trees, bushes, and in fallen leaves.

A gardener can begin pest control by digging up the soil under the bushes. This can be done only after harvesting, so as not to trample the dug up soil.

You can work a little at a time so as not to discourage yourself from caring for the plants. This is especially true for summer residents who come to their plots on weekends or in bursts.

Between the rows the ground is dug up deeply - using a spade bayonet. And closer to the plant, you can loosen the soil no deeper than 10 cm. At the trunk where the roots grow, you can go deeper into the ground only 5 cm and carefully, so as not to accidentally cut the roots.

Fungicides are added to the dug area, with insecticides that have a strong effect on insects. The latter kill both adults and larvae. Now you need to take peat and mulch the surface around the bushes.

Gooseberries must be watered abundantly. Water is poured into a circle dug around the plants. When pouring, you need to wait until the liquid is absorbed and add the next portion.

"Important! After pruning, gooseberry bushes are watered abundantly. It takes 15 to 20 liters of liquid and the plant will be ready to winter.”

Old gooseberry bushes are rejuvenated by removing no more than 50% of the branches per year. Owners with experience do not rush, cut off dry, diseased and excess branches and often less than 50%.

In the autumn after harvesting, when the gooseberry bushes shed their leaves, you need to inspect them. Old branches have dark bark and it is noticeable which branches are dry. They are removed with pruning shears, a sharp knife, and thick ones are cut down.

The soil under the bushes and between them is dug up to different depths and treated against diseases and insects. This type of care for gooseberry bushes should be carried out annually, for example, in the autumn. This helps to rejuvenate the plants, increase productivity, and up to 10 or even 12 years the gooseberries will produce a good harvest.