How to properly prune gooseberries in spring for a good harvest
A rich gooseberry harvest is the dream of any gardener. This delicious berry has been grown since ancient times specifically to be served at the royal table. Since then, gooseberry jam has been called royal.
However, gooseberries are a capricious crop when growing. With proper care, the plant can bear fruit abundantly and for a long time, up to 30-40 years, but if you start it a little, there will be few berries. On average, you can collect up to 10 kg of berries from one bush. One of the most important elements of care is pruning shoots. To have a good harvest, it is necessary to prune the shoots in autumn and spring.
Is it necessary to prune gooseberries in the spring and what are the benefits of doing so?
During the season, the bush produces a lot of shoots, gradually grows and loses fertility. Shoots absorb moisture and take nutrients from the ground when fertilized. The bush becomes vulnerable to pests and diseases. To prevent this from happening, the plant is regularly pruned.
Spring pruning of gooseberries has its own goals:
- Health improvement. When young shoots are pruned, moisture and nutrients are retained for the main bush. This makes the plant strong and fertile.
- Productivity. If pruning is done correctly and in a timely manner, the crop ripens faster, the berries have a sweet taste and retain their beneficial properties.
- Aesthetics. Properly pruned gooseberries decorate the area, but numerous sluggish and diseased shoots give it an ugly appearance.After pruning, the crown of the plant is transformed.
The only disadvantage of spring pruning is its untimeliness. In this case, the bush runs the risk of getting sick or stopping bearing fruit. It is possible that he may die.
Benefits of spring pruning:
- increasing productivity;
- healthy roots;
- reducing the risk of disease and damage from insect pests;
- preventing unauthorized rooting of plants;
- beautiful bush shape.
How to prune gooseberries in spring for a good harvest
It is important to know how to prune gooseberries in the spring, especially for novice gardeners. Pruning is a necessary element care, since the bush must receive all the necessary conditions for productivity.
What you need for pruning
To trim gooseberry bushes, two main tools are used:
- Secateurs. It is used to remove thin and dry stems along the edges of the plant.
- Lopper. It is used for strong branches that are located in the middle of the bush and which cannot be cut with pruning shears.
When purchasing, choose tools with well-sharpened knives. Dull knives can only damage the plant, which will have a bad effect on its yield.
The weight of the equipment is also important. A heavy tool is inconvenient to use.
The handle of any tool must be rubberized. If your hand slips, you risk injury while working.
When choosing a model, you should not save money. A low-quality, cheap tool quickly breaks when cutting powerful branches.
Another necessary item is durable gloves so as not to injure your hands on the thorns.
Trimming scheme and algorithm
There is an opinion that the size of the crown affects the yield, and the more massive the bush, the more prolific it is.. In reality, this is not so; only proper pruning will give the plant the opportunity to bear a lot of berries.
The optimal time to start spring pruning in the middle zone is early March. In different regions, the dates shift depending on climatic conditions.
In the first year of life the bush is formed, and then regularly maintain this form. Formation is necessary for the good development of the plant.
In the first year, the shoots grow intensively and already in mid-summer change color from green to brown. In autumn, the young stems become hard, and the next year shoots appear on them. These first order branches form the basis of the bush.
Every year they form a growth from 10 to 30 cm in length. Over the summer, the growth acquires bark and becomes a second-order branch. In turn, new shoots begin to appear from it and by autumn they also become branches, but of a third order. Further, the shoots grow stronger, up to the fourth and fifth orders.
The branches of the first, second and third order are more prolific. With regular pruning, these shoots are constantly renewed, which promotes productivity. It is recommended to remove branches of the fourth and fifth order completely.
Also, due to the specific structure of the root system, gooseberries form a lot of horizontal root shoots. It is also removed because it takes away the plant’s strength.
It is also necessary to trim excess shoots because they block the flow of air, and gooseberries love good aeration and abundant sun.
Reference. The optimal number of main stems in gooseberry bushes is 8-10 pieces.
Classic way of pruning
Trim the bushes starting from the middle.
In the first year of life, the plants remove all root shoots, leaving five buds on the pruned branches.
In the second year, the root shoots are removed and healthy branches are left.
For 3-4 years, last year's branches are removed by a third and 4-5 new shoots are retained. After pruning, leave no more than 15 branches.
In the fifth to seventh year of life, branches older than five years and all root shoots are pruned. Up to 20 strong, healthy branches are left on the bush.
Standard cutting method
With this method, one healthy central shoot is left as the base (trunk) and the branches extending from it are preserved. All other shoots are removed using the classic method. The crown of the plant is trimmed.
The formed trunk needs support, so the bush is fixed at the base using a regular wooden stick.
With this method, a lot of light and heat enters the bush, its productivity increases, and space on the site is saved. At the same time, the plant’s immunity and frost resistance decrease, and it ages faster.
Gooseberries also need pruning in the fall to ensure a large harvest.
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Care after spring pruning
Pruning alone is not enough to get a good harvest. After this procedure, the gooseberry requires further care.
Treatment of the cut area
Treatment of cut sites is carried out for preventive purposes. A fresh cut can be attacked by pathogens.
Before processing the cut, it must be dried. Experienced gardeners do not recommend processing wet cuts.
Garden lime is most often used for processing. It is a product of processing limestone carbonates and chalk.It is used in gardening to improve soil fertility and protect plants from pests and diseases.
You can also treat the cut areas with garden varnish. It is a mixture of resin and bee products. Var prevents the appearance of fungi and bacteria in the cut areas and prevents juice from flowing out.
Processing will be of high quality if:
- smooth the cut with a garden knife;
- clean the cut area;
- Gently apply the product with a spatula or fingers.
Top dressing
First feeding gooseberries after pruning, it is carried out in April. They begin after the kidneys swell.
For two-year-old plants, 40-60 g of urea (carbamide) per bush is enough. It contains nitrogen, which gooseberries need in the spring. Urea granules are mixed with ash and applied to the soil under the bush.
Adult plants are fed with a more complex composition. Mix organic and mineral fertilizers.
Composition for the first feeding:
- superphosphate – 20 g;
- urea – 10 g;
- potassium – 10 g.
These substances are diluted in one bucket of water. Bird droppings or slurry are also used at the rate of 1 kg of droppings per bucket. An alternative to this feeding is 4 kg of compost.
The crop is fed a second time during the flowering period.
Composition for the second feeding:
- 1/2 bucket of humus;
- 1/2 bucket of rotted manure;
- 20 g of potash fertilizer.
The composition is applied to the soil at a radius equal to the size of the plant crown.
The third feeding is carried out after flowering in May. Plants are watered with a mixture of mullein and water in a ratio of 1:5.
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Watering, loosening and mulching the soil
To prepare the plant for fruiting, it is necessary to saturate the soil with moisture and oxygen.
Since gooseberries do not require abundant watering, moisten the soil during dry weather. But on the day of pruning, the plants must be sprayed with boiling water. This is necessary to awaken the bush and destroy pests.
To water one bush, 2-3 buckets with a volume of 10 liters are required.
During flowering, up to 50 liters of water are consumed per bush. The plant needs water during this period to form fruits.
After watering, loosen the soil under the bushes. A hoe is best suited for these purposes. It is immersed in the ground by 7-8 cm. When loosened, it provides the roots of the plant with access to oxygen and increases the permeability of the soil.
In order to retain moisture in the soil as much as possible and slow down the growth of weeds, after loosening it is covered with mulch along the tree trunk. Sawdust, peat or straw can be used as mulch. Crushed tree bark is also used. Sprinkle mulch in such a layer that the soil underneath is hidden.
Reference. Gooseberries usually begin to bear fruit at the age of three.
Conclusion
Caring for gooseberries is not easy. It should not be allowed to become overgrown; this will have a bad effect on the harvest of berries and reduce their taste and quality. Therefore, pruning bushes is an important component of care. It must be carried out promptly and correctly, taking into account the age of the bushes and the degree of their overgrowth.
Also, pruned bushes need nutritious soil, enriched with fertilizers and sufficient moisture. By following these rules, you can enjoy an abundance of berries, which are enough for fresh consumption, making jam, compotes and various fruit delicacies.