Cutting gooseberries is not a whim of perfectionist gardeners, but the most important procedure on which the quantity and quality of the crop depends. For sweetness and growth, berries need as much light as possible. In a neglected berry plant, only lush crowns will grow, on the branches of which small and tasteless fruits will occasionally be found. How to put the bushes in order, is it possible to alternate autumn and spring trimmings and with what frequency they are carried out - you will find the answers to these questions later in the article.
Do I need to cut gooseberries in the fall
The need for regular haircuts for gooseberries is due to its photophilousness and exacting care. Without the right conditions, a crop is at risk of contracting common infections and becoming a victim of harmful insects.
Important! Gooseberries are very afraid of northerly winds, harsh winters, nearby groundwater and shade. In such conditions, the plant is doomed to death.
Experienced gardeners recommend the first pruning of the bush before planting, and after rooting, annually form a crown and clean it of old and diseased sprouts. It is important that all manipulations with the secateurs be implemented in one season - in the fall. It is strictly forbidden to cut branches in October in one year, and in March in another. Such actions will provoke severe stress for the plant and, possibly, will cause its death in the winter.
Most land owners are not completely aware of the main purpose of pruning. Consequently, due to improper actions, the bushes lose their fertile branches, and the crop is still small and tasteless. Therefore, before you take on the pruner, you need to understand the key principles of haircuts.
Some of them are aimed at forming a crown, while others are aimed at sanitary cleaning. In the first version, the emphasis should be on the removal of competing branches and strongly thickened segments, and in the second - on the pruning of frost-bitten branches infected with fungi, viruses and insects.
Important! The key goal of trimming gooseberries is to create a neat crown for the full development of the bush. Do not let the weakened lower branches lie on the ground and take root - they will be the first to die in severe frost.
If all of the above procedures are done in a timely manner and in compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, then the berry for two decades will thank you with stable and generous fruiting. And you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the crop.
When to start
Gooseberries are very sensitive to heat, so with the onset of spring, it adapts before the rest of the berry crops after winter sleep. In March and April, catching up with full pruning is unrealistic. By the time we traditionally take up garden tools, buds are already beginning to open on gooseberry bushes. If you begin to cut during the growing season, the plant will become very sick and may even die. That's why experts advise forming a crown and sanitizing it in the fall. 
The best time for this is the second decade of November, when the foliage is completely showered. But these are only indicative dates. When planning pruning, each gardener should take into account the climatic specifics of his region, weather conditions, and temperature conditions.
Ideally, pruning is done when the plant slows down the movement of the juice. It is important to be in time at least a month before the start of frosty weather. After all, the bushes need time to heal the wounds and prepare for the cold.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to remove gooseberry shoots in the summer months. The fact is that during this period, culture is at the peak of vegetation. New sprouts do not have time to get stronger in the winter and die in the first severe frost.
What do we need for work
Experienced gardeners always have the right equipment at hand, but for beginners - this is the first stumbling block. To understand all the details of preparing the necessary trim kit, take a look at the bins of professionals.
So, we need:
- protective gloves with a dense rubber base;
- strong outerwear with long sleeves (so that the thorns do not scratch the hands);
- garden secateurs;
- small saw (for old bushes with thick branches);
- garden shears (preferably with long handles);
- garden var (for puttying of volume cuts);
- paint or chalk (for marking places of cut);
- wheelbarrow (for collecting and exporting trimmed branches);
- if necessary, disinfectants (for the treatment of plants damaged by bacteria, fungi or viruses).
What shoots should be cut
Often, newcomers in the process of trimming gooseberries make the same mistake: they radically cut off everything that seems to them superfluous. As a result, such a bush adapts very painfully to a new form. Meanwhile, professionals advise to spare the plant. After shearing, at least 30% of the initial biomass should remain on it. Otherwise, it may die.
Did you know? Wild gooseberry thickets from ancient times covered the territory of modern Europe. The French were the first to notice the prickly and inconspicuous plant, who at the beginning of the 13th century tried to cultivate it. Over time, the sour-sweet fruits of this culture attracted the British. By that time, gardeners had already revealed the main secrets of obtaining large and sweet berries. The rest of Europeans learned about gooseberries only in the 17th century..
So that pruning will benefit your berry, take into account the generally accepted rules for the formation and cleaning of bush crowns. Are subject to removal:
- branches directed into the bush;
- sprouts competing among themselves (preference always remains with the strongest);
- shoots dry and blackened after winter;
- branches that are too low or bent and grown;
- shoots old and affected by diseases and pests.
Age differences
For forming pruning, the age of the bush is of particular importance. It can be identified by the bark: in young specimens it is smooth and greenish, and in old specimens it is rough, thick and dark gray.
The first pruning should be done before the spring rooting of the seedling. For this purpose, the tops on all shoots are removed so that no more than 4 buds remain from the root. Such radical measures will become the basis for the proper laying of fruitful branches. In autumn, there is no need for such manipulations. At this stage, the main task of the gardener is to eliminate dead branches. They are cleaned to the place where new shoots grow.
Did you know? In the XI century, gooseberries were an integral part of all the monastery gardens of Europe. Initially, its green berries were revered as soup seasonings, and ripe and sweet as a dessert. Over time, the fruits began to be used for medicinal purposes.
We remove the tops on all the gooseberry shoots
Inexperienced gardeners should be prepared for the fact that the first 2-3 years the berry will not bring the desired crops. Despite this, it is important to ensure proper care for gooseberries. The peak of its bearing will occur in the 5-10th years of life, after which the recession will begin again. Therefore, it is important to give a timely push for the proper formation of a healthy bush. This is done as follows:
- on the 1st year of life in the autumn, all weak and broken sprouts are cut from the seedling, on the strong and strong, the apex is removed at the level of the 2-3rd kidney;
- in the 2nd year of life in the bush, 3 or 4 powerful trunks are chosen, on which the crown will form (their tops also need to be shortened by a third), everything else is removed from the ground itself;
- on the 3rd and 4th years of the plant’s life, it is important to check the presence of the main sprouts, which should be no more than four, zero shoots (as they are called those that grow low near the ground) are cut off at the base, and a third of the length of the bush is removed branches
- at the 5th year of life, gooseberries have already formed and do not require a modeling haircut, at this stage of development and in the future sanitary cleaning and control over the number of shoots is relevant for him.
Gooseberry pruning 1-3 years after planting
Important! Ideally, eight-year-old gooseberry bushes should have about 4-8 powerful main shoots (the number depends on the variety) and about 25 branches of different ages.
All subsequent pruning is aimed at cleaning the plant from non-fruiting shoots. As a rule, these are specimens that are more than 7-8 years old. They are distinguished by their curvature and dark bark.
Pruning a bush to rejuvenate
A rejuvenating haircut is shown to bushes that have already stepped over the peak of their fruiting. These are plants that are over 10 years old. Experienced gardeners say that you can make gooseberries give a good harvest by stimulating the growth of new sprouts. Thus, all branches from which a seedling once grew were subject to removal. But pruning should not completely destroy the bush. Replacing young shoots occurs gradually. Do not rush to remove growth from fruiting branches. And also make sure that after the procedure about 50% of its crown remains on the bush.
The old gooseberry is always distinguished by a large number of zero shoots and a slight increase in promising branches. It is advisable to remove about a third of unnecessary sprouts during the season.
Keep in mind that all efforts will only slightly increase the yield of such specimens. Therefore, weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision about planting a new seedling. After all, the difference between young berry crops and rejuvenated ones will still be felt in the quantity and quality of fruits.
Did you know? To this day, linguists cannot unravel a tangle of different types of gooseberry berries. For example, in English it sounds like “gooseberry” (goose paw), in German - “stachelbeere” (Hristov turn), in Belarusian - agrest, which is consonant with the “unripe bunch” borrowed from Italians. Many believe that the origin of the various names of the plant has nothing to do with either the geese, or with Christ, or with green brushes. In fact, this is a layering of different languages \u200b\u200band dialects. Therefore, the Dutch word "cruisbezie" is considered the starting point in this long etymological chain.
What to do after trimming
During the autumn pruning, berry bushes lose a lot of vegetation, which is a great stress for them. Therefore, the competent formation and cleaning of plants is also in further care.
The complex of recovery procedures includes:
- Processing large sections with garden varieties - as an alternative to disinfection, you can cover bare wounds with crushed activated carbon and urea solution (prepared in a 1: 7 ratio).
- Fertilizing the plant with mineral-organic fertilizers - purchased variations with the marking "autumn" are ideal. Complex substances can be replaced with a home-made mixture of 15 kg of humus, 200 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium.
- Generous watering of the bush - the main task of the procedure is to prepare gooseberries for wintering. For this purpose, it is recommended to pour about 2 buckets of water under each root. She must be well defended and not be cold.
- A thorough examination of the berry for pests or signs of disease - if necessary, the soil in the trunk circles will need to be treated with any fungicide (Infinito, Coronet, Teldor, Antracol, Flint Star). As a prophylactic, Bordeaux fluid has proven itself very well. She needs to spray not only the earth, but the whole bush.
- Preparing for winter - young seedlings require special attention, but in plants with harsh winters, all plants need to be insulated. This is done with peat or leaf compost. It is important that the mulch closes with itself about half a meter of the near-trunk zone.
Newbie Common Mistakes
So that the pruning of the berry would be successful, and the young gardener would soon be able to reap the benefits of his labors with pleasure, we advise you to learn from the mistakes of others. Here is a list of the most common mistakes:
- Gross violation of the timing of trimming. We are talking about summer cutting of branches, as well as malfunctions in time.
- Intuitive removal of branches. Usually occurs when a novice gardener, not understanding the intricacies of pruning, tries to maximize clean the bush from everything that seems to him superfluous. As a result, promising branches can fall under the pruner, and the remaining weak ones are doomed to die in the first frost.
- Abundant shoot removal. This is a fatal mistake, because in most cases it ends with the death of a bush.
- Cutting off annual growths on fruit-bearing sprouts. With this pruning, the crown of the plant cannot further develop.
- Complete removal of the aerial part of the bush during its rejuvenation.
Important! When forming a bush, a culture variety is important, since some varieties of gooseberries are prone to build crowns in 2-3 years, while others take twice as much time. Therefore, care should be taken when pruning root shoots. The first thing to do is remove the weakest and those that create a shadow inside the bush.
Video: pruning gooseberries in the fall
To renew gooseberries in spring, it is necessary to remove basal shoots, thin out branches to facilitate removal of berries, and shorten all drooping branches. After such events, gooseberries will abundantly bear fruit on last year's uncircumcised growths. As soon as the fruiting is over, these growths are removed to stimulate the formation of young shoots.
http://forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t\u003d3866
Gooseberries must be trimmed in autumn after leaf fall, when the crop is already harvested. The main rule when pruning branches is to take into account the optimal cut location near the fruit bud. This is approximately 5 mm above the kidney at an angle of 45 degrees. If the cut is made closer to the kidney, it will dry out, and if it is too high above the kidney, part of the branch will suffer. The second thing to consider: the position of the kidney. It should be such that the shoot that will grow from this bud is not directed inside the bush, but out. This is the key to good lighting and airing the bush.
First, all dry and diseased branches are removed. Dry branches of a dark color are old branches. They need to be deleted. But if the gooseberry bush is all seemingly dry, then only 1/3 of these branches can be removed in a year. Skeletal branches should ideally be around 10-15. Then you need to cut branches lying on the ground. There is no need for them: they will not bear fruit. In addition, these “lying” branches develop inferiorly due to the fact that they receive little sunlight. They are weak and will inevitably hurt. Once again, inspect the bush and thin out its crown. It should be well ventilated.
After autumn pruning, be sure to mulch the bush.
https://www.agroxxi.ru/forum/topic/7880-%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F%D1%8F-%D0%BE% D0% B1% D1% 80% D0% B5% D0% B7% D0% BA% D0% B0-% D0% BA% D1% 80% D1% 8B% D0% B6% D0% BE% D0% B2% D0 % BD% D0% B8% D0% BA% D0% B0 /
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After planting gooseberries, many do not think about carrying out regular pruning of the bush. It grows quietly and let it grow - if only it would give berries. This simple consumer tactic is based on the desire to get rid of unnecessary trouble and focus on more significant things. But unimportant matters in the garden do not happen, and any plant requires careful care. And experienced gardeners will only confirm the benefits of periodic pruning. We will tell you in this article about how to properly trim the gooseberries so that the bush is healthy and gives an excellent harvest.
Why remove branches and shoots?
Cutting gooseberries is not just necessary, but necessary, because this plant is unattended able to grow and thicken its crown, making it difficult for sunlight and air to reach the center of the berry. Hence, various diseases, and suddenly announced pests. But even if you purchased a gooseberry variety that is resistant to all sorts of misfortunes, you just won’t be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Any variety requires periodic rejuvenation of shoots, especially at the age of 5-7 years.
There is another important point, and it concerns the harvesting process. Most gooseberry varieties have shoots richly studded with thorns. And without pruning, the berry bush inside looks steeper than any barbed wire. Obviously, in this situation, picking berries is not very nice. And when scratches appear on the hands (and they will certainly appear, no garden gloves can protect against this), the owner of the site will involuntarily have to think about how to trim the gooseberries.
Gooseberry pruning is a necessary event if you want to have a healthy bush on your plot
So, if you are one of those who have scratches from thorns, or just understand the importance of pruning for gooseberries, we’ll try to talk about this aspect of shrub care in the most detail.
Pruning
Yes, gooseberries are being trimmed even before it is planted in a permanent place. In this case, the shoots are shortened so that no more than four buds remain on each of them. This approach seems a little cruel, but you should not worry about the plant - thanks to its ability to quickly grow shoots, gooseberries will make up for the lost and will soon please with an excellent harvest.
Gooseberries begin to be cut off even before landing at a permanent place - this is the key to its active development
Of course, it is important to carefully inspect the seedling for broken, dried or damaged branches. They will have to be removed before planting, otherwise then it can lead to troubles in the form of diseases that have settled in damaged areas of the bush.
In spring or fall - when is it better?
It is impossible to get an exact answer to this question, since both spring and autumn trimmings have a right to exist. The difference lies in the convenience of the time chosen for this event. In spring, gooseberry pruning is recommended very early - as soon as the snow comes down and the days become at least a little warm. Gooseberries wake up one of the first, and you need to have time to cut it before the leaves open. Not everyone can do this, given the rapidly changing weather conditions and the inability to spend time comfortably in the country for even a couple of hours (not all houses are equipped with a heating system). And then autumn pruning becomes the best option.
Table "Features of spring and autumn pruning"
| Trimming type | Spring pruning | Autumn pruning |
| Best time | Early spring After the snow melts When does sap flow begin | After falling leaves |
| Goals | Crown formation Getting rid of old and damaged shoots Bush rejuvenation | Cleansing and rejuvenation of the bush Preparing the bush for winter Improving the quality and quantity of the crop |
| Benefits | Preparing the basis for the formation of shrubs Stimulus for the formation of new shoots Providing access to fresh air and sunlight to the center of the bush | It is easier for the gardener to find out where the berries grew, which growth was on the shoots Neat appearance of the bush The key to increasing the volume of the crop |
Most gardeners agree that the main burden still lies on spring pruning, but it needs to be done on time. Then in the fall it remains only to remove the old branches. If for some reason you did not manage to carry out spring pruning, autumn will be a good help, but here you need to remember an important rule - August and September are not the best months for this event, since the shoots that grew before winter will be too weak to survive the frost . And this, in turn, will affect the whole plant as a whole. That is why it is recommended to cut gooseberries in the fall after falling leaves - he will not have time to grow new shoots and will leave for the winter with the existing ones, and in the spring after waking up he will begin to actively build up new ones in return for the lost ones.
Spring procedure
A big load falls on spring pruning, so we approach it with special care. As soon as the snow came down and the sun warmed, the buds on the shoots of the bush had not yet swollen, and we were already seizing time for our operation. Actions will depend on the age of the gooseberry.
If this is a seedling, then on strong shoots we leave three or four buds, and on weak shoots - two. Of those buds that remain, lateral shoots and basal shoots, also called zero shoots, will grow. Often gardeners remove all weak shoots, leaving a few strong straight lines - these branches will become the basis for the future crown.
In gooseberries growing in the second year, berries will form on the shoots of the second branch row (they grow in the second year after planting). They remove weak basal shoots and leave 3-4 strong and developed ones - this is done to strengthen the new branching. By the end of the season, three one-year and two-year-old shoots will grow on the bush, on which there will be growths and branches.
When the third year ends, the bush will have to consist of two to three dozen shoots of different ages - this will be the skeletal base of the bush. From this moment, all young shoots are disposed of.
Gooseberry pruning pattern in spring for the second year
When the base and crown of the bush are formed, it will be necessary to carry out trimming every year. All branches that thicken the bush are deleted. Broken branches, as well as branches frozen in winter, are cut to the first healthy kidney or whole. If the shoots are very extended, and the tips droop, they need to be shortened to the first strong branch.
To successfully and correctly cut gooseberries, you will need a sharpened and sanitized secateurs and powerful garden gloves that will protect you from an unpleasant meeting with spikes. I repeat, most gloves do not protect very much from the collision of thorns or do not protect at all, so to trim you need to find the most powerful and strongest gloves.
An old gooseberry or gooseberry, several years without supervision and care, needs a slightly different approach. It has several weakened shoots and at the same time developed basal shoots. Usually, root bushes and strong branches are left at such a bush. As a rule, most of the berries grow on the branches of the first, second and third order, and the branches of the fourth and fifth order do not bring special benefits and even weaken the plant (on bushes over the age of seven years). It turns out that competent spring trimming of gooseberries helps to form a crown and gives an incentive to the growth of berry shoots.
A bush over eight years of age needs radical pruning. All weak growth is removed from it, leaving 4–5 of the strongest skeletal shoots. After such pruning, gooseberries begin a new formation.
When radical pruning, leave at least a third of the shoots so as not to cause irreparable harm to the bush. Too many cut branches can weaken gooseberries, and then during the season he will fight for survival, not the crop.
Video: gooseberry care in spring
Autumn pruning
After the summer season, it is much easier for an attentive gardener to determine which branches will need to be cut, on which berries grew, how the growth of shoots came out and in which direction they stretch. The whole picture becomes completely understandable. That is why autumn pruning is so appreciated. Nevertheless, it is better for her to play the role of a cleansing and preparatory procedure - radical changes should not be made. The bush should go into a state of rest without serious losses.
Autumn pruning is done to cleanse and rejuvenate the crown of the bush, which will increase the number of berries and their quality in the future.
Before pruning, the bush is inspected for the presence of dry and blackened shoots. Usually these are old branches that have lived their own for seven or more years. They need to be trimmed to the root. The same fate befell the shoots that did not bear fruit last season.
The lateral branches are cut a quarter, the cut is located a centimeter higher from the kidney, looking out. Thin-end shoots are cut to the first large bud. Growing crosswise or in the wrong direction cut to the place where they will no longer interfere with others. Branches with poor annual growth (up to 7 cm) shorten to a strong growth.
The result will be many sections, among which there will be large ones - they should be covered with garden var. After the pruning procedure, 4–5 strong shoots can remain on the bush - this is a completely normal number, and it usually makes up a third of all large and medium shoots. Next year, due to its growth rate, the bush will already have ten or more branches. His health will only get stronger from this, not to mention the volume of the crop.
Gooseberry pruning is often called anti-aging
Video: how to trim in the fall
Important Nuances
Each type of gooseberry has its own characteristics in the care.
Gooseberry
Gooseberries can be grown as a multi-stem bush. Its base should be about 50 cm in diameter, and the number of skeletal branches of different ages should be in the range of 20–25 pieces. Such a bush can produce excellent crops for several consecutive seasons.
If you purchased a seedling in the spring, then when planting, shorten it by 4-5 buds. In autumn, this procedure is best not to be carried out and left until spring.
By autumn, gooseberries build up basal shoots, from which 4-5 strongest shoots are selected in autumn, the rest are removed. The selected shoots are halved, and next year shoots of the second order from the side buds appear on them, and in addition, root shoots grow. In autumn, the best 4–5 shoots located on different sides of the bush are left from this shoot, the rest are cut out.
In the third year, the procedure is repeated, again leaving 4-5 of the tallest and strongest basal shoots. Thus, by the end of the third year we have 20–25 branches of different ages, which will form the basis of the bush. From this moment, all new shoots must be removed, and with them sick, damaged and lying on the ground.
Since at the age of 7–8 years, gooseberries begin to age and lose in yield, some outdated branches should be replaced by young ones formed by shoots.
It is important to remember that most of the crop ripens on the branches of 3-6 years of age, they can not be touched.
Now, within a few years, it will be necessary to replace the old shoots with new ones, updating the bush and increasing the chances of a good harvest. This will continue until the gooseberry ceases to bear fruit and turns into a regular green shrub.
When trimming gooseberries, it is important to prune all low-growing and branches that are far from the bush
Gooseberry Gooseberry
How to cut the multi-stem gooseberry bush, we have already figured out. And what to do with its standard form? Although it is rare in our areas, it nevertheless raises questions about leaving, including pruning.
The gooseberries are cut off in the autumn, so we wait for the time when all the leaves fall, and proceed. Of all the shoots, we select one - the strongest and largest - we leave it, and cut the rest to the bottom. In the spring, this shoot is slightly shortened - this will prompt the plant to increase second-order shoots. By next fall, we will have plenty to choose from. It will be necessary to leave the four most conveniently growing ones in the upper part of the main shoot, we cut all the others to the base. In spring, we halve these branches so that the extreme bud is facing up.
The scheme for trimming standard gooseberries for two periods of vegetation
After this, the plant will begin to develop branches of the next order on these four shoots. On each of them we leave two branches, which should not grow deep into the bush or hang down, cut off the rest. And now we have eight new shoots. Next spring, of course, they will also need to be halved, and in autumn new shoots should be shortened by 10 cm, without affecting the continuation shoot.
Now each spring we will shorten the continuation shoot by half, and in the fall, cut new shoots to 10 cm. And again after that, in spring, the same shoots will need to be shortened by 5 cm.
When pruning the branches of the standard gooseberry, the number of new shoots grows almost exponentially
On the trellis
Some gardeners like to grow gooseberries on a trellis - this makes it easier to care for the bush and harvest. In the first year after planting, all gooseberry shoots are shortened so that the stumps stick out slightly above the soil level. Over the summer, new branches have time to grow, from which 3-5 best are selected, the rest are removed.
The berries of gooseberries growing on trellis receive more sunlight and mature well, gaining their best taste
In the autumn, the left shoots are tied to a wire, and in the spring they are slightly shortened. Next fall, these same branches are tied to the second wire and do not shorten in the spring. Everything that grows from the root neck is removed every year. After 6-7 years, anti-aging pruning will be required - old shoots are replaced with annual ones.
Gooseberries grown on trellis do not thicken the crown due to pruning and blow well in the wind
Bush separation
The bush is divided in order to propagate gooseberries. It should be noted that this is a rather categorical measure, required only in special cases - when you need to transplant a bush to a new place. With this approach, the mother plant is destroyed. This operation is performed in September-October or April.
Gooseberries are dug up and divided into several parts using a saw or secateurs. Each part should have roots, shoots and buds in good condition. Young bushes are planted on a bed with loose fertile soil, where they are grown during the season to the required state. A distance of 40 cm is maintained between rooted cuttings during planting. As necessary, they are looked after and irrigated, and in the fall they are moved to a permanent place.
Use the following tips during pruning so you don’t make common mistakes and don’t cross out all your efforts:
- Do not cut gooseberries in the summer: by winter, new shoots will not have time to grow stronger and freeze. All summer pruning is reduced to the removal of apical buds in early July so that nutrients do not enter the very tops.
- In fruiting branches, annual growths cannot be removed. They are inspected in the spring and removed blackened and dried. The black color of the shoot is a sign of defeat by its powdery mildew. If before winter it is not covered with light dense bark, it will die.
- If the bush is more than 20 years old, it can be left on the site unless as a decorative decoration, such a plant will not bear fruit.
- Even if all branches of gooseberry stopped bearing fruit, a third of the shoots are left with a major pruning.
- Too low or far from the main bush branches can be cut without hesitation.
Timely pruning of gooseberries will protect it from many diseases and pests, as well as significantly increase the chances of a good harvest for several years. To do this, you must always have a reliable tool at hand and strictly follow the instructions. If at some point you feel sorry to cut off the extra branches, in your opinion, remember that gooseberries have an excellent rate of growing new shoots even at an advanced age. So, everything that you cut off during the season will be replenished twice, or even three times.
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One of the most important gooseberry care procedures is to trim the bush in the summer after harvesting. This event has a number of beneficial effects on the growth, quantity and quality of the future crop. Trimming has a number of nuances: the timing, methods and schemes, which we will talk about later.
Pruning a berry shrub.
Cropping Functions
Gooseberries, like any berry shrub, are characterized by rapid and chaotic growth, gradually the bush begins to create a shadow for itself, and this negatively affects fruiting and productivity. Therefore, regular pruning is a mandatory procedure. The benefit of autumn pruning is difficult to overestimate - so, it has a number of important functions:
- As a result of a properly formed crown, all branches of the plant receive enough air and sunlight.
- The risk of pests and diseases is reduced.
- The growth rate is maintained at the right level.
- The reproductive period of the bush increases.
- The number of crops for the next season is increasing.
- The quality of berries improves.
- Plant care is simplified - so, to harvest and care for a neat bush is much more pleasant and easier than trying to do this with a randomly overgrown bush.
Important! At the same time, pruning incorrectly or at the wrong time can have a radically opposite effect: the bush will weaken, stop growing and cease to bear fruit. Therefore, it is extremely important to know when and how to remove old shoots.
The timing
Autumn pruning of the bush is divided into two main stages:
- Sanitary pruning of gooseberries - carried out immediately after harvest, that is, in the summer. At this stage, old, sick and weak, damaged branches should be cut from the bush.
- Rejuvenating / forming pruning of gooseberries - carried out in the fall, or rather, after the leaves fall, but before the onset of frost, at a stable plus temperature.
Types of scraps.
For example, for the middle lane, in particular the Moscow Region, flight pruning falls throughout August, and autumn - at the end of October, beginning of November.
Advice: in no case do anti-aging pruning in the summer - this will start the process of forming new shoots, but they will not have time to get stronger before the onset of frost, therefore they will die.
If the forming autumn pruning for some reason was not carried out in the autumn, it can be done in the spring. But you should definitely be in time before the start of vegetation and sap flow, which begin immediately after the snow melts and the first sunny days. Otherwise, the resources of the bush will be spent on branches, which subsequently will be cut anyway. Simply put, the period suitable for spring pruning is very short and that is why experienced gardeners insist on autumn forming pruning.
Features of molding trimming.
Rules and nuances of trimming
To prune prickly shrubs as safe and effective as possible, it is worth getting a quality delimbing knife - unlike a regular pruner, it has elongated handles that allow you to comfortably work with prickly shoots without getting hurt. It will also be useful to have tight gloves, for example, welding ones.
Basic cropping tools.
Tip: do not be too lazy to sharpen tools carefully. Firstly, it will facilitate and speed up pruning. Secondly, the cut will be more even and heal faster.
The formation of the bush by the standard method
Shtambovy bushes of a standard form are now very popular, because aesthetic pleasure brings no less than practical benefits and is often used as elements of landscape design.
The advantages of the standard method of growing:
- neat, aesthetic form of the plant;
- the most simple care due to high access to the bush;
- uniform distribution of fruits over the bush, the best quality (sweetness) of berries;
- compactness of the bush, and accordingly, less space for each plant.
Pruning is the fundamental and most important procedure, which allows you to get a beautiful spherical shape of the crown, therefore it must be carried out necessarily.
The plus is that with standard plants, pruning is very easy and simple. A two-year-old plant must have at least 6 branches for a beautiful formation. The central shoot needs to be cut to 1/8, the remaining branches can be cut off more to give a spherical shape. Rejuvenating pruning traditionally begins with 5-6 years of bush life, but it is important to remove old branches gradually so that the symmetry and neat external shape are preserved.
In the photo below you can see in stages the process of forming the standard crown:
Trimming the standard bush.
If the bush is old and groomed
If you are dealing with old and neglected gooseberry bushes, you can also try to bring them back to life and get a decent harvest from them thanks to the correct pruning. It is better to carry out it in two passes: first, heal the bush with sanitary pruning, and then carry out the shaping.
It should be moderate in the removal of old branches - young growths are formed on them, which give the bulk of the crop. The most fruitful shoots are 3-5 years old. Therefore, removing them, you will lose a significant part of the berries.
Pruning a neglected plant.
You can also try another, more radical method of rejuvenating the old shrub, in which absolutely all shoots are cut to the soil level. However, some gardeners still advise leaving up to 4 of the strongest shoots of a young age. The next year (if the shrub has been trimmed completely) you will receive many new branches, of which it is worth leaving up to 5 of the highest quality with the correct location, and cut the rest. Next, it is worthwhile to carry out the usual care procedures: water, mulch, and fertilize.
In the best scenario, after a well-conducted radical crop pruning, it will be in the second year, but most often in the third.
Related Procedures
Pruning is a very important, but by no means the only procedure that should be done in the autumn with bushes. Cro it is also carried out:
- cleaning the root zone from fallen leaves and old mulch - this will reduce the risk of pest reproduction and damage to the bush;
- loosening the soil;
- conducting;
- watering;
- spraying the bush from viral and bacterial diseases, harmful insects;
- mulching fresh mulch before winter.
Trimming gooseberries in the summer after harvesting and in the fall, coupled with other procedures, will make the bush strong, healthy, and prolific. At the same time, it is important to adhere to all recommendations on cropping methods and comply with deadlines.
Video: proper pruning of gooseberries.
Recall that the gardener has every right to prune gooseberries in the fall or. However, we will not forget the fact that currants and gooseberries are among the first to awaken in the spring. Given that in recent times, spring does not cease to amaze with its early “raids", it is better not to postpone the gooseberry pruning until spring, but to do it in the fall.
Main tool and materials
Spiky varieties of gooseberries make sense to trim with long-handled garden shears. Moreover, as is the case with the old currant bushes, the old gooseberry bushes will require scissors with a ratchet mechanism, which will greatly facilitate the work. At trimming gooseberries up to 5 years oldyears enough garden secateurs.
ON THE PICTURE:Not the most neglected young gooseberry bush. However, lateral and "zero" shoots are clearly visible
Also do not forget the garden var, preparations with fungicides for the treatment of hemp from remote shoots. If powdery mildew was noticed on the fruits this season, we prepare 7% ( and preferably 8% urea solution: 700/800 grams of the drug per 10 liters of water ) With the prepared solution, we will process the trimmed bush and foliage / soil under it.
What to look for, the main steps
Gooseberries are very fond of giving a ton of young ("zero") shoots during the season, which turn the bush into a "porcupine" by autumn. You can’t immediately figure out how to approach such a beast. However, if you remember that 70% of the bush is the "zero" shoots that we need to remove, everything falls into place.
1. Our task: to lighten the bush. Gooseberries love light, and the more it is, the larger and tastier the berries will be. This item is critical if you have noticed on the fruits this year or earlier. Lighter, thinned bushes suffer less from this dangerous disease.
2. We begin to work from the base of the bush: unlike currants, whose shoots often grow from the ground, gooseberries often have a pronounced growth point, similar to the root neck of roses. It is at this base that it is necessary to remove old (over 5 years old) shoots. Evaluate with a glance which shoots are younger and more promising. Leave only 4–5 such growths. Cut the rest.
ON THE PICTURE: No matter how difficult, you need to start with the oldest shoots that are at the base
3. Rising above, we remove all "zero" shoots. Most often they represent the root shoot, which weakens the bush. The older the gooseberry, the more shoots it will give. Whether to leave some of them to form a younger bush nearby or to remove is up to you. For beginners in the process of trimming gooseberries in the fall, we recommend trying different options on different bushes.
4. We remove lateral shoots that intersect with each other, have few buds or are weakened, affected by diseases or pests.
ON THE PICTURE:We remove the old branches, which already next year can lie on the ground. We don't need berries in the mud
In the case of gooseberry side shoots, you can do the same as with: translate to lateral branching. To do this, select a pruning shoot, find a kidney that "looks" in the direction we need (usually up or sideways) and cut to that kidney. In the spring, it will give growth in the direction we need. This is relevant only in the case of gooseberries and is not suitable for currants.
ON THE PICTURE: Arrows and lines show the growth directions of the buds and shoots. It is necessary to form a beautiful shrub in the same way as it is done with an apple tree
5. We cut the green tops that will not survive the winter.
ON THE PICTURE:We cut off the unripe tops of the shoots, since they have no chance to survive the winter
6. Upon completion of the work, a rather short bush should turn out, which will decrease in volume by a factor of 3. The main shoots should look up and be parallel to each other. The side branches do not intersect; they also look up or to the side. At the same time, they must be ripe, strong, have enough kidneys, from which new shoots and fruits will appear.
ON THE PICTURE: Gooseberry bush after pruning in all its glory. Hanging branches can be removed, but there will be a bountiful harvest on them next year.
After trimming gooseberries
All suspicious remains must be burned. The foliage should be left only after treatment with the urea solution, which we wrote about above. You can also treat the entire bush with urea in order to destroy the spores of fungi. Zero shoots, as a rule, are healthy, they can be cut and sent to a compost pit.
MATERIAL USED PHOTOS FROM THE MASTER CLASS FOR CUTTING BERRY CROPS IN THE FRUIT SECTION OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN OF MSU.
If the formation of a new shoot of gooseberries is not controlled in a timely manner, then after a few years the bush will become an interweaving of prickly branches with small berries. It will be susceptible to various diseases and spoilage by pests. Due to the increase in the number of branches, the berries will not receive full nutrients and the yield of the bush will decrease.
To avoid this, trim. There are several technologies for forming a bush. The choice of each of them depends on the time of year and the method of growing gooseberries.
- 1. Inspect the bush and find old dark and diseased branches. They are cut to the ground.
- 2. Remove the deformed annual shoots at the root.
- 3. Lateral branches are cut into a quarter, thin - to the first large kidney, the curves are removed completely.
- 4. Process slices garden var.
- gloves with wide cuffs;
- clothes made of thick fabric;
- pruner or saw;
- scissors with elongated handles;
- lime or paint.
- 1. In spring, choose a strong shoot, which will become the trunk, it is shortened.
- 2. The remaining shoots are cut to the base.
- 3. Determine the height of 1 m and cut the side shoots at the main to the indicated height.
- 4. Put a light-tight tube on the barrel so that later on it does not grow new shoots.
- 5. Make a backup so that the gooseberry does not break.
Show all
What time of year?
The ideal time for the formation of a bush is spring before the onset of a period of active vegetation. You need to cut the branches before the gooseberry releases the buds and sap flow begins, otherwise the procedure will significantly weaken the plant.
Spring pruning is performed for young bushes up to 5 years old so that 5 buds remain on each branch. Finally they will form by 6 years. After this, rejuvenating pruning is done: removing old branches.
It is undesirable to cut gooseberries in the summer, even if the weather is warm outside. Pruning in August provokes the development of new shoots.
Gooseberries after winter wake up earlier than other garden crops, but not all summer residents have the opportunity to come to the site and rejuvenate the bush, so pruning is sometimes done in the fall before frosts. Autumn pruning is suitable for an adult bush.
Technology step by step:
At the end of the work, 1/3 of all branches remain from the bush. With the onset of the next season, gooseberries will begin to grow and grow stronger, the quality of the crop will improve. For better shrub resistance to winter cold after harvest, the soil under it is mulched with a 10 cm layer of peat or humus.
Instruments
Before starting the formation of the bush, you need to stock up on working tools and protective equipment.
You will need:
First cut the lower branches to improve the overview of the workspace.
Before boarding and in the first year
Pruning a bush before planting
In order to correctly form a gooseberry bush, it is necessary to carry out its first pruning before planting it in the ground. 4 buds are left on the branches to stimulate growth in early spring. No need to spare the bush. Thanks to good pruning, new side shoots will appear and the bush will begin to grow faster.
When the branch growth is small, it is shortened by secateurs at an angle of 45 °. The main thing is not to damage the kidneys when working. Pruning is performed 1 cm above the kidneys. On developed branches leave up to 4 buds. If the bush is weakened, then all shoots are shortened, leaving 2 buds each.
Weak shoots take away nutrients from the remaining branches, but cannot become strong skeletal branches. With correctly conducted autumn work on the formation of a young bush, at least 5 annual shoots will remain on it.
Adult bush formation
The annual pruning of the gooseberry bush is carried out in the summer. In the second year, during spring work, last year's shoots are shortened by a quarter. And also remove curves and diseased branches. In summer, dry and diseased processes are regularly removed so that pests or infection do not have time to switch to healthy branches.
After three years, the lateral branches of the 1st and 2nd order are strengthened. When the bush actively shoots, but they do not look strong, the aging branches are cut to the first branch with strong shoots. If the pods are strong and can give a good harvest of berries, then the procedure is postponed for a year.
The maximum yield is harvested from seven-year and eight-year-old bushes, but under the condition that their annual anti-aging pruning is carried out.
Some gooseberry varieties are distinguished by the absence of substitution shoots in adulthood.
When gooseberries are 9-10 years old, in spring or autumn they cut old weakened branches on it, instead of which root-like annual shoots come.
The classic way to trim gooseberries
Adult bushes are strengthened with props, which do not allow extreme branches to lower to the ground and protect against damage by pests and mold infection.
Stamp method
The culture can be grown in standard form. As a result, an ordinary bush turns into a small tree.
Instructions for beginners:
It is important to carry out the correct pruning and make sure that the boles are not exposed to frost.
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