Gooseberry is an undemanding fruit shrubthat grows on all types of soil. Its cultivation is not a problem even for amateurs, but it is worth remembering thatthe correct fruiting is favored by regular cutting of the gooseberrySee when and how to trim the gooseberries, what is the difference between pruning a standard gooseberry and cutting a bushy form. Here iseverything about the correct cutting of gooseberrieson the plot and in the garden.
Cutting gooseberries in a bushy form
Fig. depositphotos.com
When to prune gooseberries?
Trim the gooseberries most often in the spring right after planting and in the following years in the early spring(before the start of vegetation).After the fifth year of early spring cultivation, we make a stronger cut than in previous years. Then the gooseberry becomes fully fruiting and the task of further cutting is to maintain a balance between the growth and fruiting of the plants.
Gooseberry bushes are often attacked by the American gooseberry mildew. Then we make an additional cut to remove the tops of the shoots. Affected shoots have a brown coating, are unnaturally densely arranged, in summer a characteristic white, powdery coating appears. During the growing season, shoots, leaves and fruits with symptoms of the disease are removed on an ongoing basis.
Gooseberries are most often grown in a bushy form, but an equally popular form is the stem form, grafted on a golden currant rootstock. In nurseries, gooseberries in the 3-stem form are most often sold andthis is the form we start cutting the gooseberry bush
How to prune gooseberries in a bushy form?
In the first year after planting, trim each stem to 2-3 eyes from the root . During the vegetation period, 2-3 new shoots develop from these eyes.
In the spring of the second year, remove the shoots growing from the center of the crown , crossing or those that lie low above the ground. Again shorten the shoots that knocked out of the eyelets left.
In the third year, the gooseberry bushes should be x-rayed . Then we remove the crossing and laying shoots on the ground, and shorten the annual shoots by 1/3 of their length. Thanks to this, we will stimulate them to produce short shoots on which the first flower buds and fruit will develop.
Failure to cut the bush leads to excessive thickening of the bush, which weakens fruiting and promotes the development of diseases (visible spots on leaves and fruits are most likely symptoms of anthracnose).
Photo . pixabay.com
After three years, the formation of the shrub's crown is completed . It should consist of 8-10 main shoots growing from the base of the bush.
In the fifth year after planting, the full fruiting of the gooseberry begins. After entering fruiting, we examine the gooseberries every spring in the springCut 4 to 5 oldest shoots hanging above the ground and replace them with the same number of strong one-year shoots. Strong shortening of annuals is not necessary, we only remove the weak one-year shoots, so that they do not thicken the bush too much and do not hinder the harvesting of fruits.
How to prune gooseberries in a stem form?
In the first two years of cultivationcutting of a trunk gooseberry involves shaping its crownForming a trunk gooseberry is similar to shaping the crown of a shrub near the ground. After planting the plants, their trunks are attached to stakes, which should be 3-4 cm lower than the height of the trunk.
Moth gooseberry
In the spring of the first year after planting the garden gooseberries, shorten the lace shoots to half. If the lace consists of two shoots, cut one out completely or shorten it to two stitches from the base and shorten the guide by 1/3.
In the spring of the second year, cut the weak and crossing shoots from the lace , and shorten the remaining ones by 1/3 . If any of the shoots grows too strongly and deforms the crown, we shorten it more. We finish the formation of the standard gooseberry when the crown has 6-7 skeletal branches.
X-ray the formedcrowns of older Thyme gooseberry bushes , cut out the twigs hanging too low, thickening the center of the crown and shorten the shoots that go out too strongly in one direction only.We also cut out any outgrowths from the rootstock that appear on the trunk or at the base
Become confident in pruning fruit plants
"If you are unsure how to make a cut or are just afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School 2" ontrimming fruit trees and shrubs
This is the second part of the best-selling book "Cutting School", in which the authors Lucyna and Alicja Grabowskieexplained in a simple and clear way the secrets of cuttingornamental plants.The first book The School of Cutting for its simple language and clear, accurate drawings was loved by garden owners all over Poland.The book quickly became a bestseller- 20,000 copies sold! "
"Cutting School 2" will make youconfident in pruning fruit trees and shrubsand learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations and bear fruit abundantly. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
