Many people believe that if there are no dry branches on the shrub, it grows normally, blooms in time and brings berries, then you can not pay attention to it. However, in fact, pruning gooseberries is a mandatory procedure, without it the plant will not develop properly.
Why and what is gooseberry cut
Gooseberries can give a lot of shoots. But if you do not control this process, the shrub will grow rapidly and will soon turn into spiky thickets with small acidic fruits.
Reasons to trim
It is important to understand not only how to cut gooseberries, but also why, when to do it. The first reason is that overgrown spiky thickets obviously will not decorate the site.
Gooseberry pruning
But also:
- with strong growth, the shoots receive less light and the berries are smaller;
- due to the plexus of branches, the risk of the spread of diseases and the appearance of pests is higher;
- new shoots require more nutrients, but each next gets less and less, and as a result they become weaker;
- if you do not prune the branches for a long time, they become very elongated, fall under their own weight to the ground, and after some time take root as layering.
As a result, gooseberries not only stop giving crops, but become a dangerous neighbor, due to which diseases and pests can continue to spread in the garden. While timely trimming allows you to avoid all this, if only you put a little effort into it.
When and how to shape gooseberries is what every gardener should know. The main goal of such manipulations is not just getting rid of old or diseased branches of the disease, but forming a bush in which shoots of different ages will coexist, both those that are at the peak of productivity and young.
Core toolkit
Trimming the bush - in any case, trauma to the plant, even if everything is done in compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology. Therefore, it is very important to choose the appropriate garden tools.
Attention! All tools should be good - sharp, high-quality, if possible - new, and it is best to choose instances of light weight and with rubberized handles.
Of course, you need to take a very sharp garden knife, which will clean out irregularities in the sections (and they will inevitably remain), as well as a high-quality pruner. More solid tools will not be needed, because the branches of gooseberries are not large thickness. The exception is the old bushes - in their depths thick branches can develop, for which a special delimber will be needed.
Safety gloves for trimming
We still need to take care of the protective equipment. Firstly, these are mittens, since we are talking about prickly shrubs. Secondly, we need protective plastic glasses and a respirator. To do all the trimming work is only in them so that the dust does not get into the eyes and respiratory tract, does not provoke conjunctivitis and allergic reactions.
The correct structure of the bush for gooseberries
To find out how to trim gooseberries, you need to understand its structure. The plant is a multi-stemmed shrub that most often grows up to 150 cm in height.
The base of the bush is called the root neck - shoots covered with spikes are formed from the kidneys formed here. In fairly old plants, the root collar can grow greatly, reaching solid sizes over time.
Interesting! New basal shoots can form throughout the life of the bush. On average, freely growing gooseberries can develop up to 60 shoots, however, their productivity will be different. In those that grow in the middle of the bush, berries form only on top.
The root system of gooseberries depends on how the bush was grown. If from the seed, then the shrub will have a root root. If the bushes were obtained vegetatively, that is, propagation was carried out by cuttings or layering, the system will be composed of subordinate roots.
The ability of gooseberries to restore shoots depends on the variety. For example, varieties Warsaw and Houghton are quickly restored. The latter can produce up to 25-30 new branches on a six-year bush. But, for example, the Phenicum variety gives fewer shoots.
In the second year after planting a bush, root shoots give growth. They can be both short and long. There are more fruit buds at short growths, which eventually, after 2-3 years, turn into so-called pods. The latter usually live for 3-4 years, then dry up, but they do not need to be cut, they themselves fall off. Because of this, in seven- or eight-year-old branches, the yield is greatly reduced, and it is customary to cut them.
Bush formation
For proper pruning of the bush, you should use a step-by-step instruction that takes into account the age of the plant.
Annual bush
How to cut gooseberries:
- the first pruning is carried out immediately after planting a seedling in the ground;
- the plant is carefully inspected and removed all weak shoots, as well as those that grow horizontally;
- the remaining branches are cut so that 4-5 buds remain, counting from the ground level.
Important! In no case can you damage the fruit kidney, so the cut is performed at an angle of 50 degrees, about 0.5 cm above its level.
Biennial
In order to get a good crop in the future, you need to shorten the grown shoots by about a third.
As for the zero shoots, then together with last year's them should remain a maximum of 8 pieces.
Three year
Trimming is carried out according to the same principles as in previous years. That is, the shoots that appeared this year are shortened.
Of the zero shoots, four should remain.
Fourth and subsequent years
It is necessary to carry out pruning so as to obtain by the fifth year 20 sufficiently powerful branches of different ages.
In the future, one principle is observed - old and diseased branches are deleted. Those that have already outlived their time differ from the rest in a darker bark.
Anti-aging pruning
It will be necessary to renew the bush by the time it reaches the age of 7-8 years. Then anti-aging pruning is performed, in which only the most developed and healthy branches are left - there should be about 2/3 of these. Not only weak or damaged branches, but even simply twisted or too old branches will have to be removed. In addition, on those that are left, you still need to cut off the top.
Trimming a running bush
If you already managed to bring the bush to a running state, the situation will not work out in one cut. Depending on the specific situation, this may take 2-4 years.
Thickened gooseberry bush
In the first pruning, you need to try to at least thin out the shrub. If it bears fruit, then from healthy branches it will be necessary to completely cut off the dried and non-viable tops - approximately to the side branch.
Custom ways to trim gooseberry bushes
The formation of gooseberries can be carried out by non-standard methods - standard and trellis. Each of them has its own characteristics.
Stamp
The task of such pruning is to turn the shrub into a kind of tree with a long leg and a spherical crown. This method has three advantages - the attractive appearance of the bush, its compactness (it does not grow and does not take up much space) and easier harvesting.
In order to form a standard, you need to choose the strongest shoot from those that grow vertically, without deviations to the sides, and the rest will have to be removed. This also applies to lateral shoots, growing to the level of formation of the "crown". Typically, the height of the trunk is about a meter, and all emerging side shoots must be regularly removed.
Important! In order to facilitate the care of the stem, gardeners recommend adding a support to the trunk - a metal or plastic tube, to which the bush is tied. At the same time, it will help to insulate gooseberries for the winter.
After removal of the lower shoots, the formation is already done according to the traditional scheme. Every year, only the strongest and most viable shoots are left - up to 5 pieces, and last year's ones are halved. Shoots are also cut, which, when growing, are turned into the bush.
So that new shoots do not appear at the base of the stem, you can mulch the soil around the bush. For this, crushed bark is used. It looks beautiful, and at the same time interferes with the emergence of a new shoot.
The standard method of forming a bush
The standard form has a serious drawback. It will no longer be possible to rejuvenate such a bush, therefore, its lifespan is reduced to 10-12 years. The way out will be the arrangement of the cycle of boles on the site - that is, each year to choose new plants for the formation of such a bush, and let the old ones grow.
It is also important to remember that boles have lower frost resistance, which requires additional care.
Tapestry
The formation of a trellis gooseberry bush is another interesting option. At one time, this method was considered fashionable, since it also looks very decorative. But the main thing is that at the same time all productive branches receive good lighting, and access to fresh air.
Trellis method of forming a bush
For the trellis method, it is imperative to install supports and pull on them three rows of wire, the lowest one should be at a distance of 50 cm from the ground, and the highest - 100 cm.
Important! Seedlings are placed at a distance of a meter from each other, and their branches are fan-shaped and tied to established trellises.
When pruning is done, they try to make sure that the new shoots grow horizontally - 3-5 of the healthy ones are selected from them, they are again tied to the wire, and the rest are cut. But the central shoots are greatly shortened, while the zero shoots, due to which the bush thickens, are cut completely.
Seasonal bush pruning
Features pruning depend on the time of year, below will be considered the nuances of seasonal work.
Spring
This shrub in the spring wakes up earlier than others, so it is very important not to miss the deadlines. As soon as it gets warmer enough so that you can safely work in the garden, you should start such work.
How to cut gooseberries at this time of the year - this issue is often of interest to beginner gardeners. In spring, you just need to remove dry and damaged shoots, including blackened branches - their appearance indicates that they have suffered from powdery mildew.
Summer
Cutting gooseberries in the summer is necessary in order to increase its productivity.
There is nothing complicated in it, since the main task is to shorten the young green shoots. No more than seven leaves are left on them, and the crown is carefully removed.
In August, gardeners are recommended to cut poorly developing zero shoots, since they only waste the plant’s resources in vain.
Autumn
If spring pruning was not carried out, then autumn is mandatory. It is recommended that it be carried out at the end of October.
Important! If pruning is started too early in the fall, lateral shoots will begin to grow actively during warming. But they will not have time to get stronger before the frost, and most likely they will not survive the winter.
In autumn, unlike summer pruning, the old branches, as well as the weakest of the young ones, need to be eliminated. Remove damaged shoots and those that grow deep into the bush. Zero shoots are recommended to be cut off about a quarter of their length.
Gooseberry Pruning
In order to understand how strong a young branch is, you need to look at its tip. If by the end of the season it remains very thin, such an escape for the next year will still not yield a crop. As a result, after all the manipulations, the bush turns out to be clarified, as the branches will no longer be so thick.
To get a good crop, it is not enough just to properly water the plant or to conduct timely pruning. It is also necessary to feed the plant after removing the shoots so that the bushes receive more nutrients. This is done both in summer and autumn. The latter procedure allows the plant to better tolerate frost. Subject to all these rules, gooseberries will become more resistant to negative factors, and yield will increase significantly.
