During spring, caring for gooseberries is extremely important.. It is comprehensive and includes: preparing the plant for further active growth, treating the bushes with fungicides (for pests), and pruning the branches.

First of all, they check the bushes planted in the fall, and, if necessary, add fertile soil where the soil has subsided.

It is worth remembering that the growing season of gooseberry bushes is intense, that is, the shoots and branches of the crop develop faster than the roots. Therefore, gooseberries need special attention precisely spring period. If the crop survived the winter cold well and began to develop in the spring, then the bushes were properly cared for.

Weed control

The first step in the spring is to remove all the weeds.

As soon as the earth has warmed up, the gooseberry tree trunk needs to be cleared of weeds and old leaves.

They are not dangerous at an early stage of plant development, but are later able to feed useful substances from a bush. If the gooseberry has a large number of needles at the base of the bush, then removing such weeds is quite problematic.

That is why, in addition, it is recommended to treat the bushes with the drug “ Fusilade Forte " To prepare the solution, you need to take 20 milligrams of the drug and dilute it in 3 liters of water. Some summer residents do not remove weeds in the spring at all, but simply treat the bushes with this solution.

Bush pruning

Gooseberries are pruned in early spring until young leaves appear.

Pruning gooseberry bushes is a very important component of plant care. In spring the plant is rather lethargic and weak, and this normal condition after the winter cold. It is in the spring that bushes need to be pruned..

Pruning bushes increases gooseberry yields.

Spring pruning of a gooseberry bush: a - before pruning; b - after trimming.

Watering

The plant needs to be watered in the spring. But, if the winter was quite snowy, and there was a lot of rain in the spring, then the crop will not have problems with water. But if there was little snow in winter and no rain at all, then it is necessary to water the bushes .

You don't need to water the bushes too often. It is enough to pour 1 bucket under each bush 2 times a week to ensure the plant’s water balance.

There is no need to flood the plant, as gooseberries do not like excess moisture.

Feeding and fertilizers

After winter, the bushes begin to wake up. That is why gooseberries especially need useful components during spring. The yield depends on what components were added to the soil.

• Fertilizing gooseberries in spring requires several stages. But, in any case, it is necessary to use fertilizers that are quickly absorbed. And there is also no need to use fertilizers that acidify the soil.
• Can be used as fast-absorbing fertilizers nitrogen fertilizing . It is nitrogen that gives the plant strength for growth and bud development. You can use manure and bird droppings. To prepare the solution, you need to dilute 1 part of manure in 10 parts of water and pour 1 bucket of solution under each bush.
• Mineral fertilizer can be produced independently, to do this, you need to pour 35 grams of ammonium nitrate under each bush and then pour it with water.
• At the first signs of flowering, pour under each bush 45 grams of potassium sulfate . If wood ash was applied to the bush in the fall, then you can refuse this feeding.

Pest treatment

Gooseberries are susceptible to attack by harmful insects that can destroy them. It is necessary to treat bushes against pests in the spring during the budding period.

The first preventative spraying of gooseberries is carried out before the buds open.

Illness care

Gooseberries are most often susceptible to powdery mildew. This disease appears in the form of spots gray on shoots and leaves.

To defeat the disease you need to dilute baking soda (5 grams) in 1 liter of water and treat the plant at the first sign of disease . This procedure can also be performed as a disease prevention. For this purpose, you can use iron sulfate (3 grams) diluted in 1 liter of water.

Spraying gooseberries with a baking soda solution helps against powdery mildew.

conclusions

According to most gardeners, caring for gooseberries in the spring is very important, since it is this that ensures the quantity and quality of the harvest in the new season.

The crop is not too demanding to care for, but timely application of fertilizers, regular watering and pruning of bushes guarantees increased gooseberry yields.

Video about spring pruning gooseberries

When a gardener decides to start growing gooseberries, many questions arise that need to be studied (where and how to plant, what insects to protect from, how and when to prune). The most important question is the care and cultivation of gooseberries.

The primary task for the gardener is to choose a suitable place for planting young gooseberry shoots. This plant loves a lot of light, so it needs to be planted in an open area, away from tall trees.

It is best to plant gooseberry bushes in the soil in late September - early October. This is done in order to adapt to a new place before the onset of frost. In early spring, a young bush can use its full potential nutrients and soil moisture reserves. Already by autumn, when proper care behind the gooseberries, the bush will grow noticeably.

Autumn planting is more related to Western European varieties of Grossularia reclinata (Z) Mill (Warshavsky, Industry, Brazilian, bottle, Seedling Murera, green). They differ in average height. The buds in these varieties awaken early (April 3-20), when the air temperature does not exceed 10 0 C. In appearance, the fruits are large, the leaves are small, and the bushes are small.

To provide the plant with proper care, it is necessary to have information about some principles and features of the development of fruit and berry crops.

Care Tips:

Using a wealth of knowledge about the principles of caring for gooseberries, you can get the desired result within two to three years after planting.

Spring gooseberry care

An important point in caring for gooseberries in the spring is the timely application of fertilizers to the soil. When, what and how much fertilizer needs to be applied depends entirely on the type and condition of the soil on the garden plot.

If the soil is depleted, it is necessary to apply once a year. For moderately fertile soils, it is enough to apply the fertilizer once every two years. For good fertile soil- once every three years.

Phosphorus and are applied in two doses. The first procedure is carried out in early spring, and the second after harvesting.

Very important point is the application of potassium fertilizer in the spring. An excellent organic source of potassium. This is not only a fertilizer, but also an excellent tool in the fight against various insect pests and protection against powdery mildew.

How to properly care?

Every gardener wants to get a big harvest every year from a plant he planted himself. To ensure a positive result, you need to know how to properly care for gooseberries.

It is possible to achieve high rates of gooseberry fruiting only if the bushes are pruned in a timely manner. There are a number of ways to trim gooseberry shoots, which allow you not only to get a large harvest, but also to give the bush a decorative shape.

The classic method involves. By this time, annual shoots are growing at the bush. The gardener should select about 5 of the strongest and strongest branches. It is desirable that they diverge in different sides and were at a distance from each other. All other shoots should be removed with pruning shears as low as possible, approximately at soil level (leaving branch “stumps” is not recommended).

With the appearance of new strong shoots, all weak shoots and those lying on the ground are removed annually. This process will allow already in the fifth year of the plant’s life to obtain a properly formed bush with branches of different ages, which contributes to high productivity.

Rules for pruning gooseberries - video

The “Stlanets” method is used in harsh climatic conditions or for growing varieties that do not like cold weather. When using it, expect big harvest It’s not worth it, because the bush needs to be trimmed so that no more than 2-4 shoots remain on it. In addition, branches should be allowed to grow wider, not longer.

Method of forming a bush “One-shouldered cordon”. This is essentially one shoot that is overgrown with side branches. The yield when using this method is small.

Method of forming a bush “Two-arm cordon”. It represents the growth of two shoots from one root system. The branches are arranged horizontally. Vertical shoots are already growing from them. The yield of this method is quite high. Thanks to this method, you can plant gooseberry bushes in a small area, near walls or fences. It is very difficult to form a bush in this way, but if it works, the effort will be worth it.

The Trellis method has several interpretations. This best option planting gooseberries both from the point of view of productivity and from a decorative point of view. Plants are planted opposite each other in two stripes, at least one and a half meters between the bushes. Thus, two rows are formed. The “trellis” method can be used on small summer cottages with limited area.

An important point in caring for gooseberries after harvest is pruning old shoots and preparing for the winter.

How to properly care for gooseberries (video)

Let's continue our conversation about gooseberries. We learned about what healthy berry isgooseberry , as well as how to choose the right seedlings and how to prepare the soil for planting this wonderful plant.

And now I want to tell you directly about him growing and caring for gooseberries.

The most best time The best time to plant gooseberries is the end of September - the first half of October. After all, before the soil freezes, it must have time to take root, then in early spring the plant can fully use the entire soil moisture reserve and by autumn it will grow noticeably.

This primarily applies to European varieties, since their buds awaken very early (from about April 3 to April 20). At this time, the average daily air temperature becomes above 5 o C, and the soil has not yet warmed up enough.

Hybrid varieties can also be planted in the spring, but this must be done very early, since moisture leaves the soil quickly. And if we are late with planting, the gooseberries will take root worse and will not grow for a long time.

There may be no growth at all if the summer is dry and some of the plants die before they have time to take root. This is due to the fact that gooseberries have a very early growing season, which significantly advances root growth.

Let's start landing

We choose a place for planting gooseberries, taking into account several factors: firstly, since they come out of dormancy early and bloom early, it is necessary to avoid low places, as they can accumulate there. cold air, and it is also desirable that the site be protected from cold winds.

Secondly, gooseberries cannot tolerate swampy soils; in such areas it grows very poorly, gets sick more, and in most cases dies. Therefore, it is best if the groundwater level is no closer than 1.5 m from the surface of the earth.

Thirdly, gooseberries are very demanding of light and react negatively to darkening and thickening of the bush. At the same time, its branches stretch out and become bare, the berries become few and smaller, and they also ripen at the same time and are less colored.

Based on these requirements, we select a site, prepare the soil, as described in the previous article, and mark out our plantation.

If we plant varieties with powerful bushes (Senator, Belarusian Sugar, Northern Captain, Nezhny, Malachite, Serenade), then the distance between the bushes in the row should be 1.2-1.5 m. On good ones fertile soils this distance can be increased to 2.0 m, since gooseberries always develop better on such soils.

And, when planting early-fruiting and compact varieties (Yubileiny, Baltic, White Nights, Muscat, English Yellow), the distance between the bushes can be reduced to 0.9-1.0 m. At the same time, we need to try to avoid excessive thickening, because fruit buds are being laid only when good lighting bush.

It is best to prepare planting holes in advance, approximately 1.5-2 months before planting (for spring planting - in the fall) and they must be made of such width and depth that after we fill it with all the necessary fertilizers, there will be room for free placement straightened roots of seedlings.

The approximate size of the pit is diameter 50 cm, depth 30-40 cm. We fill the pits with the following organic and mineral fertilizers: humus or compost (2 buckets); peat (1-2 buckets); superphosphate (200 g); potassium fertilizer (20-30 g). It is best to use potassium sulfate or wood ash (200-300 g).

Potassium chloride is applied only when there is no other potassium fertilizer and no later than 20-30 days before planting, since gooseberries tolerate excess chlorine very poorly, especially if the soil is light.

It is also necessary to remember that the plant is very sensitive to a lack of potassium and if there is a lack of potassium, a physiological disease develops - “leaf burn”.

If your soil is sandy, then it is better to make the planting holes shallow and put a mixture of manure and clay on the bottom. It is advisable not to use high doses of fertilizers on such soils during planting, but then fertilizing should be done more often during the growing season.

After filling, be sure to thoroughly mix the contents of the pit with the soil and moisten them well.

Before planting, we cut off non-lignified tops and leaves, damaged or too long roots from the seedlings. In order for the plant to take root better, the roots can be dipped in a clay mixture, and if the seedlings have dried out a little, then they need to be kept in water for about 1 day.

In the planting hole, carefully and slowly straighten the roots, then cover them with fertile soil, compacting the soil around the plant so that there are no voids left.

We plant seedlings with a slight depth (3-5 cm). And those varieties (most often from the European group) that have a weak or medium shoot-regenerating ability are best planted obliquely, since this creates more additional adventitious roots and basal shoots. On soils of heavy mechanical composition, this technique also gives good results.

If your area has high groundwater, then plant gooseberries on hills or ramparts 1 m wide.

After planting, water the plant well, and then be sure to mulch the soil around the bushes. As mulch, you can use humus, straw, peat, crushed tree bark, and mowed young grass.

When mulching in the upper fertile soil layer, good conditions for the formation of roots, moisture is also retained much better, the bush is not so thickened with basal shoots and the growth of weeds is suppressed.

Shoots from hybrid varieties after planting, you can cut it short enough, leaving only 12-15 cm above the soil surface. This technique will contribute to the appearance more shoot renewal and rapid crown formation.

In seedlings European varieties, which are weaker, it will be enough to just pinch the tops of the shoots.

How to properly care

In order for gooseberries to grow well and bear fruit abundantly, they must be properly cared for. What is the care for our northern grapes?

Firstly, monitor the soil around the plant. In the fall, we dig it up, avoiding damage to the roots, to a depth of 10-12 cm near the bush and 15 cm between the bushes. It is best to do this with a pitchfork and at the same time seal up organic and mineral fertilizers into the soil, and also plant the gooseberries for the winter.

In the spring, we loosen the soil near the bush to a depth of 6-8 cm, and between the bushes - to 10-12 cm. At the same time, we combine loosening with loosening the bushes and applying fertilizers.

Then, during the summer, we carry out another 3-4 loosening to a depth of 6-8 cm and, of course, regularly weed the weeds.

Secondly, maintain the required soil moisture. During dry periods, water the gooseberries regularly.

The most important periods when the plant especially needs moisture are the time of active plant growth, the time of ovary formation (immediately after flowering) and 2 weeks before harvest.

We water the gooseberries as the soil dries, and always at the root, since when irrigated by sprinkling, the plant can get sick.

Third, the plant needs feeding. How much and what kind of fertilizers we need to apply during the growing season largely depends on the composition of the soil on our site.

So, for example, on poor lands, fertilizers must be applied annually, on cultivated soils they are applied once every 2 years, and on fertile soils they can be applied once every 3 years.

We apply nitrogen fertilizers in one dose in the spring: in the first year after planting, approximately 15-20 g per 1 m 2 of tree trunk circle, and in subsequent years we increase the dose to 20-25 g. Then we immediately loosen the soil.

It is better to apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in two doses, in the spring and after harvesting. We apply them in the following quantities per bush: potassium sulfate - 20-30 g, superphosphate - 50-80 g.

As mentioned above, when growing gooseberries, potassium fertilizers must be given Special attention. Ash is considered a very good source of potassium, which is also a means of protection against powdery mildew and pests.

Undoubtedly, the best fertilizers are organic ones, which are good to use for summer feeding. Usually we carry out the first feeding after flowering, and the second after harvesting. For these feedings, we take mullein or bird droppings, fill a container with them to 1/4-1/5 of its volume and add water. Then, when the organic fertilizers are well infused (3-4 days), we begin fertilizing, diluting the resulting solution with water: mullein - 4-5 times, bird droppings - 10-12 times.

We apply fertilizer in the grooves between the bushes or around the bushes, a bucket for each plant.

Trimming and shaping

If we want to get high gooseberry yields every year, then we cannot do without proper and timely pruning of the gooseberries. And some methods of forming bushes not only increase the yield of the plant, but can also create a very spectacular decorative form bush.

Gooseberries are quite a flexible plant, so they can be given the most exotic shapes. Except classical There are a number of other ways to form gooseberries, for example: in the form stlanza, one-armed (vertical) And double-shouldered cordons, on a trellis.

Let's look at the beginning classic way pruning and shaping the bush. Usually, by the autumn of the first year, gooseberries grow several annual shoots. From these we need to select 5-6 of the strongest shoots, which are directed in different directions and located more conveniently relative to each other.

We leave these shoots and cut out the rest at soil level. So every year we add no more than 3-4 new shoots, and we remove the excess, diseased, weak ones lying on the ground.

By the beginning of mass fruiting (approximately 5 years), we will have a correctly formed bush consisting of 18-20 branches of different ages.

Then, when the bush reaches 6-7 years of age, we begin to annually remove 3-4 old branches that have already begun to bear fruit poorly, leaving the same number of new annual shoots to replace them.

This pruning is best done either in the fall after harvest and leaf fall, or in early spring before the buds swell.

We shorten the replacement (zero) shoots by 1/3-1/4 of the length, since they usually grow for a very long time, do not have time to prepare for winter and freeze slightly. In addition, with such pruning, the shoots form flower buds much better, ripen and grow overgrown.

For the same reason, we also shorten strong shoots of higher branching orders.

And we shorten the main skeletal branches in order to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots and, thus, we somewhat rejuvenate the branches of the gooseberry bush.

This type of formation of a gooseberry bush is like stlanets It is best used in very harsh climatic conditions or when growing non-frost-resistant varieties.

And from the point of view of productivity, of course, this formation option is not interesting, since total There are very few branches, which means the harvest is small.

In addition, the berries are low from the soil surface, so there is a possibility of contamination, and the bush takes up much more space than with the classical formation.

Another forming method is one-shoulder cordon It also does not shine with yield, since it is a stem or branch with overgrown branches.

Double-armed cordon- these are already two shoots that are located almost horizontally, with numerous vertical branches. This type The formation is not suitable for everyone, although the bush looks very impressive and bears fruit beautifully in a very small area near the walls.

But such forming of a gooseberry bush is very labor-intensive; moreover, with periodic renewal of horizontal branches, the bushes will not produce a harvest.

And here is the formation on a trellis much simpler and, from a yield point of view, more productive. There are several options for this formation, but the following is closer to the classic one.

We plant the bushes on a strip 1.5 m wide, then place the strongest and most illuminated branches vertically on two trellises that stand opposite each other.

With this forming method, the number of branches is also limited and they are located only vertically, so the bush becomes flat. This arrangement of branches is good because it makes it possible to plant gooseberries on a narrow strip of soil, and this is very valuable for small summer cottages.

U this method There are still two significant drawbacks to the formation of gooseberry bushes.

The first is that you have to remove good horizontal branches that for some reason cannot be directed vertically.

The second is that the yield on such bushes, due to the limited number of branches, turns out to be lower than potentially possible.

Therefore, the yield of bushes can be increased if we combine trellis formation with the classical approach, in which the branches are placed at an angle of approximately 45%.

This forming option is called “a hybrid of trellis and classics” and is recognized as the most optimal for gooseberry bushes.

I’ll tell you a little about the features of this formation. At the initial stage of bush development (approximately the first 2 years), we prune them using the usual in the classic way, which was written above, and thereby form a base of strong branches.

Then, in the third year, we install a temporary square fence around the bush, or if we have several bushes, then a rectangular one, approximately 30-35 cm high, and evenly distribute the branches inside it.

In the fourth year, we install wooden trellises 2 m high inside this fence. If we have bushes planted with a ribbon, then the trellis is best made in the form of the letter “P”, and if one by one, then we make a quadrangular trellis, which will be like an additional fence located inside basic.

We tie to these trellises that part of the branches that matches the slope of the shoots, so that they cover as much of the light space as possible.

Then, already in the fifth year, when our bush already has a large number of long strong branches, some of which bend too low, we replace the temporary fence with a permanent one, and we make it higher than the temporary one (about 50-60 cm) and larger in area.

After this, we redistribute all the branches evenly throughout the fence and, if necessary, tie some of them to the trellises.

The main advantages of this type of molding are:

• increase in yield per unit area by approximately 2 times;
• the quality of berries improves, as it achieves better illumination shoots;
• a large number of strong shoots are formed, which are more resistant to diseases and more productive;
• very impressive appearance bushes, especially during flowering and fruiting.

And the disadvantages of this forming option include the fact that, firstly, it cannot be used for non-frost-resistant varieties, since there are no guarantees that tall bushes will be covered with snow before the onset of frost; and secondly, it will take much more time to form gooseberry bushes in this way compared to the classical approach.

In the following articles I plan to talk about the most common of this culture and measures to combat them.

And in conclusion, I would like to invite you to watch the video “How to grow gooseberries correctly.” Take a look, I think it will be interesting.

Preface

Experienced gardeners claim that with healthy bush It is quite possible to collect up to 15 kg of berries, tasty and healthy, which are eaten fresh or stored for the winter. Provide the same bountiful harvest Proper care of gooseberries in the spring will help.

List of work for caring for gooseberries in spring

A set of measures for caring for gooseberries in spring time includes:

• proper removal of winter shelter;
• watering;
• loosening;
• mulching;
• application of fertilizing and fertilizers;
• preventive and therapeutic treatments;
• pruning

It is widely believed that even without special care, gooseberries grow well and bear fruit for many years in a row, but we're talking about about ensuring that the plant lives as long as possible (up to 40 years) healthy and strong, and in the harvest in superlatives the quality, quantity and size of the fruit would be combined.

Interesting. Gooseberries and currants have much in common in terms of cultivation, since jyb belong to the same biological species Therefore, the listed stages of caring for gooseberries in the spring season largely apply to caring for currants. Both crops are in dire need of timely watering and fertilizing. Both gooseberries and currants require sanitary pruning and preventive treatments against pests.

Regular pruning of the crop helps to improve its health and increase fertility. Moreover, due to the relief natural ventilation, this type of care reduces the likelihood of fungal infections of the bush.

1. Removing old, damaged, frozen branches.
2. Removing shoots that have a horizontal direction of growth.
3. Removing weak shoots from last year, leaving only 3-4 of the strongest.
4. Removing root shoots.
5. Planned removal of old branches with gradual replacement by young shoots if the age of the bush exceeds 5 years.

It should be remembered that maximum yields are achieved provided that the bush consists of shoots of different ages.

Spring pruning of gooseberries (video)

Spring feeding

Feeding of gooseberries begins from the second year of its life, provided that the planting was carried out correctly, with the addition of nutrients. This kind gardening work must be carried out at the following stages:

• awakening the kidneys;
• flowering;
• fruit ovaries.

Both natural and mineral complex fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

At the first stage, urea (45 g) or ammonium nitrate (60 g) is used, which are scattered under the bush and buried during loosening. As an alternative, you can offer an absolutely natural fertilizer - pour a liter jar into 1 bucket of boiling water potato peelings, leave until the temperature reaches 50 °C, add 1 cup of wood ash, stir and immediately apply under the bush.

During the second feeding, apply water solution chicken manure (1:12) or nettle tincture (¾ of any container is filled with chopped nettle, filled with water, infused for 3-5 days until fermentation is complete, diluted with water in the ratio of 1 liter of infusion to 1 bucket of water, suitable for root, and for foliar feeding).

For the third feeding, slurry (10 liters of water, 3-5 kg ​​of manure, 200 g of wood ash) poured into circular grooves around the bush or a green tincture prepared according to the same principle from nettle, tansy, horsetail, and chamomile is suitable.

Gooseberry pests and diseases: prevention and treatment in spring

At the dacha, there are many enemies of gooseberries, which can lead not only to the destruction of the crop, but also to the death of the plants themselves, and neighboring crops are also at risk. The most dangerous pests of gooseberries include aphids, spider mite, moth, and among the diseases - powdery mildew.

Pests, diseases and methods of controlling them:

• The gooseberry moth is a small butterfly whose young caterpillars eat away the ovaries of flowers and damage the pulp in the berries. To protect your garden from moth, you need to use plastic film or roofing felt, which are lined on tree trunk circles bushes immediately after the snow melts. As a result, the butterflies will not be able to fly out of their wintering grounds and will die. You can also dig up the soil around the bush in early spring;
  
• Another “misfortune” for gooseberries can be currant glass. Identifying the pest is quite simple - the caterpillars penetrate inside the shoots, which is why they turn black, the leaves begin to fade, and the ovaries dry out.
  A 0.15% solution helps in the fight against glassware. Actellica or Decisa after the flowering period.
  From chemicals To combat leaf-eating pests, in addition to the above, experts recommend spraying with the preparations “Karbofos”, “Fufanon”, “Gardona”, etc., which are carried out twice a week 7-10 days after the first and second stages of fertilizing. Natural control methods include treating shrubs with biological preparations (“Entobacterin”, “Gomelin”, etc., as well as infusion of tomato tops, wood ash, mustard powder).
• One of the most famous and unpleasant diseases to which gooseberries are susceptible is fungal disease - powdery mildew, which affects young shoots and developing ovaries, however, berries are most affected. The best way control is a 3.5% solution copper sulfate, however, compositions such as Bayleton and Sulfaride are also suitable.

It is important to remember the validity of the rule that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it, so regular inspection of gooseberries and timely preventive treatment will help preserve the health of the bush, and save you money, time, and nerves. Typical mistakes when caring: learning to do everything correctly

Wrong	Right
Watering the bush is carried out from above by so-called sprinkling, which contributes to the formation of rot.	Dig the gooseberries to the depth of a spade bayonet in a circle, stepping back from the root to prevent damage to it, pour two buckets of water under the bush
Irregular, too frequent or too infrequent watering	You can adjust the frequency of watering by mulching
Loosening is done with a sharp shovel, which may result in damage to the roots.	Use a rake or small hoe
Excessive, insufficient or untimely application of top dressing and fertilizers	Carry out fertilizing in accordance with the above recommendations
Bush pruning is carried out at one time or untimely	Pruning gooseberries should be done in stages, throughout the life of the bush.

Gooseberries were once called the royal berry, and if you take proper care of them, then the harvest will be royal.

Common gooseberry (lat. Ribes uva-crispa), or rejected, or European- a species belonging to the Currant genus of the Gooseberry family. The gooseberry berry comes from North Africa And Western Europe, also grows wild in Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia And North America. Gooseberries were first described by Jean Ruel in 1536 in the book “De natura stirpium”. In Europe, gooseberries became known in the 16th century, and already in the 17th century they became so popular in England. berry crop that active breeding work began, which resulted in the appearance of several varieties of gooseberries, and 19th century there were already hundreds of them. At the same time, American breeders also got to work and managed to develop gooseberry hybrids that were resistant to powdery mildew, the plant’s main enemy. Now gooseberries are grown in almost all gardens in the world. We call this berry northern grapes.

Listen to the article

Planting and caring for gooseberries

• Landing: possible in the spring, but better from late September to mid-October.
• Lighting: bright sun.
• The soil: sandy, sandy loam, loamy and even clayey, neutral or slightly acidic reaction.
• Mulching: in May after watering and loosening the soil around the bushes.
• Watering: drip or subsoil, from 3 to 5 waterings per season. The sprinkling method is absolutely not suitable.
• Garter: hanging branches are lifted from the ground with a net or guy wires.
• Trimming: before the buds swell - for sanitary purposes, the main pruning is in the fall, during the leaf fall period.
• Feeding: 1st - at the beginning of the growing season, 2nd - immediately after flowering, 3rd - 2-3 weeks after the second.
• Reproduction: dividing the bush, perennial branches, cuttings, layering and grafting. Seed propagation used mainly in breeding experiments.
• Pests: shoot aphids, gooseberry moths, sawflies, moths, borers, glass beetles, currant gall midges and spider mites.
• Diseases: anthracnose, powdery mildew, septoria, goblet rust, viral mosaic.

Read more about growing gooseberries below.

Gooseberry bushes - description

Gooseberry is a small shrub up to 120 cm high with exfoliating grey-brown bark and leafy spines. Young cylindrical shoots have thin needles - gooseberry thorns. Round or heart-ovate leaves of gooseberry up to 6 cm long are dull, short-haired, on petioles. Leaf blade with three to five lobes and blunt teeth along the edge. The flowers, reddish or greenish, axillary, bloom in May. Gooseberry fruits are oval or spherical berries up to 12 mm long (although there are varieties with fruits up to 40 mm long), bare or covered with coarse bristles, with obvious venation, yellow, white, red or green in color, ripen in June-August.

Gooseberries are not only tasty, but also healthy, as they are rich in organic acids, metal salts, tannins and vitamins. Gooseberries are early honey plants that attract many pollinating insects to the garden. In addition, this is a self-fertile crop, that is, even if you have a single bush in your garden, it will still bear fruit.

Planting gooseberries

When to plant gooseberries

Gooseberries are planted both in spring and in autumn - from late September to mid-October, and experienced gardeners prefer autumn planting, arguing that before the onset of winter the bushes have time to take root and form strong roots. Before planting gooseberries, choose a place for it in accordance with the requirements of agricultural technology: root system The plant is quite long, so do not plant it in lowlands, so as not to expose the gooseberry to the risk of fungal diseases.

Give it a sunny place on a hill or on a flat area, protected from cold northern and eastern winds, with neutral or slightly acidic soil, the pH value of which is close to 6. Gooseberries grow well on loamy, sandy, sandy loam and clayey soils, but the latter require when growing gooseberries frequently loosened.

Planting gooseberries in autumn

It is inconvenient to weed the soil around gooseberries because of their thorns, so in early autumn you need to clear the area where you plan to grow gooseberries from root weeds - for example, wheatgrass.

Before planting gooseberries, dig up the area, carefully selecting weed rhizomes from the ground, then level the soil surface with a rake, breaking up the lumps.

2-3 weeks before planting, so that the soil has time to settle, they dig holes 50 cm deep, long and wide: the upper one, fertile layer the soils are removed and set aside, then the lower, infertile layer is set aside in the other direction. About 10 kg of rotted manure or humus and 50 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to the fertile layer and the fertilizers are mixed with the soil - this supply of microelements will last the plants for several years. If the soil on the site is clay, add a bucket to the hole river sand. The distance between two bushes should be from a meter to one and a half, and between the rows - about three meters.

For planting, you need to take one-year or two-year-old gooseberry seedlings with a well-developed root system - the roots are 25-30 cm long, and ground part should consist of several strong shoots. Before planting, soak the roots of the seedlings for a day in the solution. organic fertilizers at the rate of 3-4 tablespoons of sodium humate per five liters of water. The seedlings are placed in the hole straight or slightly inclined so that the root collar is several centimeters below the ground level, the roots should be well straightened. The earth is poured into the hole in parts, each portion of the earth is compacted.

The planted bushes are watered with a bucket of water, and when it is absorbed, the area is mulched with a two to three centimeter layer of peat or humus - this measure will reduce the evaporation of moisture and prevent the formation of a crust on the surface of the soil. After planting and mulching the area, trim the shoots, leaving from each only a piece of about five centimeters long with five to six buds.

Planting gooseberries in spring

We will not waste your time by describing how to plant gooseberries in the spring, since this procedure is no different from autumn planting. The only thing I would like to add to the above: if you have a choice, plant gooseberries in the fall, since plants planted in the spring have a slightly worse survival rate and shoot growth than bushes planted in October. And one more thing: gooseberries actively begin to bear fruit only in the third or fourth year, and this activity, with proper care, continues for 10-15 years.

Gooseberry care

Caring for gooseberries in spring

Planting gooseberries and caring for them is not particularly difficult, especially for those who already have experience in growing this plant, but even for beginners, growing gooseberries, provided that all the rules of agricultural technology are followed, will not be a punishment. At the very beginning of spring, while there is still snow, gooseberry bushes are treated with boiling water through a sprayer. This “hot” treatment of gooseberries in the spring is carried out as a preventive measure against plant infection by pests and diseases.

In May, the soil around the bushes is loosened to a depth of 8-10 centimeters and mulched to avoid frequent loosening in the future; at the same time, if necessary, the gooseberries are fertilized with manure infusion or a solution of potassium and nitrogen fertilizers.

The plant is very sensitive to lack of moisture in the soil, especially in spring, during the flowering period, and in summer, when gooseberry fruits ripen. The most effective are subsoil and drip irrigation methods, since they allow moisture to be delivered directly to the roots of the plant - to a depth of five to forty centimeters. During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out from three to five such irrigations. You should not water gooseberries using the sprinkling method, especially cold water. If you mulched the area in May, you won't have to fight weeds as often and loosen the soil with the prospect of being scratched by the sharp thorns of the gooseberries, but if necessary, be prepared to perform this feat.

If the gooseberries are planted in rows, the hanging branches are raised with nets or guy wires stretched between the rows at a height of 25-30 centimeters on both sides of the row.

Gooseberry care in autumn

In the fall, gooseberries are prepared for winter - they are fertilized so that the plant has food for laying fruit buds on next year, pruned so as not to do this in the spring with a risk to the health of the plant.

How to feed gooseberries

Gooseberries bear fruit for many years, extracting a significant amount of nutrients from the soil, so annual application of both mineral and organic fertilizers becomes necessary. In the spring, half a bucket of compost, 50 g of superphosphate and 25 g of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate are added to each bush. If the bush is very large and bears fruit abundantly, double the rate.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil along the perimeter of the crown- it is in this diameter that the gooseberry roots lie - and are sealed by loosening the soil. Immediately after flowering, and then 2-3 weeks later, fertilizing is carried out with a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1:5 at the rate of 5-10 liters for each gooseberry bush.

Gooseberry pruning

Pruning gooseberries in spring

In early spring, before the buds swell, gooseberries are pruned - unproductive, weak, dry, diseased or broken shoots are removed, as well as shoots that have frozen over the winter; in addition, you need to remove the root shoots and lightly trim the weakened ends of the branches to healthy tissue. But before you prune the gooseberries, make sure that the sap flow in it has not yet begun: the gooseberries awaken very early, and you may not have time before the damage to the branches becomes dangerous for the plant - by belated pruning you will only cause harm to the plant, weakening it . That is why responsible people prefer to do the main pruning of gooseberries in the fall.

Pruning gooseberries in autumn

Pruning must be carried out annually, otherwise by the third year of life the bushes become thickened, and low-quality fruits are formed in the thicket. And it is much easier to treat gooseberries for diseases and pests if the bush is not overgrown. The most valuable branches on a gooseberry bush are five to seven years old, and the branches are of the first three orders; the remaining branches and branches are unproductive. Based on this, branches older than 8-10 years should be pruned to the ground - they are almost black in color. This measure will allow the bush to form zero shoots, which will eventually replace the aging ones.

The tops of the shoots are cut off only when small, low-quality berries begin to form on them, but it is also better to cut off shoots that grow too low or too far away. How to treat gooseberries after pruning especially cuts on thick shoots with a diameter greater than 8 mm, so that the plant juice does not leak out through these wounds? The best way to do this is with a garden varnish.