Gooseberry is a thorny shrub with interesting multi-colored fruits. In order for the gooseberry planting to be successful, you need to purchase high-quality seedlings, determine the right time for planting and carefully prepare the seat. When planting several bushes, try to keep the distance between them, and after planting, pay attention to proper and proper care for gooseberries. With timely watering, weeding, pruning and top dressing, the gooseberry will very soon begin to bear fruit and will delight with fruits every year for a long time.

Planting gooseberry seedlings

I advise you to purchase seedlings exclusively in nurseries with a good reputation. When buying, be sure to inspect the roots so that they are not torn off or dried. The optimum root length is approx. 25 cm. The aerial part - 2-3 shoots - should also be without damage, and the shoots should be alive, not dried up. I advise you to buy exactly two-year-olds, since one-year-olds are weaker and require careful care.

Gooseberry planting dates

It is more convenient to buy gooseberry seedlings in the spring, I advise them to be planted during the same period. Then, during the warm period, the seedlings will take root well, take root in a new place and endure the winter without any problems.

Planting site for gooseberries

Under the gooseberry, I advise you to choose a secluded place so that its thorns do not cause inconvenience. The area for planting gooseberries should be well lit, protected on the north side by the wall of the house or a large bush with a dense crown, for example, shadberry. Such protection will allow the gooseberry to endure the winter without problems, because this crop does not have good frost resistance.

When choosing a place for gooseberries, give preference to leveled areas, without depressions and depressions. Well, if it is cool enough there, melt or rain water accumulates. The groundwater level should be no closer than 1.5 m to the soil surface, and the soil itself should be loose, moisture and breathable and nutritious.

Gooseberry planting scheme

If you plant several plants on the site, you need to observe the distance between the gooseberry bushes when planting. Step back 1.5-2 m from one bush to another - it will be easier to cultivate the soil, cut plants, and harvest.

When laying several rows of gooseberries, it is advisable to leave approx. 3 m of free land.

5 rules for planting gooseberries

1. Fertilization
If the soils in your area are depleted, be sure to fertilize before planting, preferably in the fall. It is necessary to scatter peat, humus or well-rotted manure on the soil surface in the amount of 5-6 kg per square meter. m, scatter wood ash (500-600 g per sq. M) and nitroammofoska (1 tbsp. per sq. M). If it was not possible to prepare the soil in the fall, then apply fertilizer in the spring as early as possible - 2-3 weeks before planting.

2. Digging the soil
Dig up the soil to a full bayonet of a shovel, level it, breaking all the clods. Only after that prepare the landing pits. From myself advice - be sure to carefully remove weeds when digging the soil, especially the roots of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is the very first competitor to gooseberries, it suppresses its growth, does not allow plants to ventilate, from which they begin to suffer from fungal diseases and be affected by pests.

3. Preparation of planting holes
Exact size planting pits is difficult to say, because it all depends on the size of the purchased seedling. The main thing is that the root system is freely located in the hole without creases and bends. As a drainage, I advise you to use expanded clay - a couple of handfuls is enough so that the water does not stagnate at the roots during wet seasons. At the base of the planting hole, add a mixture of fertilizers, consisting of equal parts of peat, humus and river sand. Pour a bucket of water on top, and place the roots on a nutritious and moist mixture, gently straightening them.

4. Planting a seedling
Gooseberries should be planted carefully so as not to damage the roots. Sprinkle the landing site with earth and carefully compact it with your hands so that there are no voids between the roots and the soil. Pay attention to the root neck - after planting and subsidence of the soil, it should be located at the level of the soil or be deepened by 1-1.5 cm, no more.

5. Watering and mulching
After planting and compacting the soil, the bushes need to be watered with another bucket of water, then the soil surface should be mulched with peat or humus with a layer of 2 cm. The mulch will retain moisture in the soil, prevent a crust from forming on the surface and slow down the growth of weeds, allowing the plant to take root in a new place.

gooseberry care

Caring for gooseberries is not complicated and consists of watering, weeding, loosening the soil, pruning and top dressing.

Watering gooseberries

Watering is necessary, as crops will be weak on dry soil. It is advisable to water the soil if there has been no rain for at least 4-6 days in a row. It is better to water the plants in the evening under the bush, and not on the leaves. Young plants need 1 bucket of water, and bushes older than 3 years need 2 buckets during watering.

Gooseberry top dressing

As a top dressing at the beginning of the growing season, I advise you to add 1 tbsp. l. nitroammofoski under each bush, after loosening and watering the soil. After that, it is advisable to water the soil again and mulch it as when planting.

During the flowering period, gooseberries can be fed with superphosphate and potassium chloride by mixing these fertilizers to make a total of 1 tbsp. l. The order of entry is the same. After harvesting, I advise you to once again feed the plants with phosphorus and potash fertilizers in the same quantities and proportions.

Weeding and removing weeds on gooseberries

Do not forget about the removal of weeds - it is better to keep the bite zone clean throughout the life of the gooseberry bush. I advise you to combine weed removal with loosening the soil (depth no more than 5-6 cm) and watering.

gooseberry pruning

You should not be smart with pruning, sanitary-thinning is enough. It is best to do it in March before bud break, when the snow settles, exposing the bushes. Remove, cutting into a ring, all old shoots over 5 years old, broken and dry branches. To thin out the bush, you need to cut off the shoots that grow deep and thicken the crown.

When gooseberries bear fruit

Usually, on good soil, with sufficient nutrition, moisture and proper care, gooseberries will give the first fruits for 3-4 years of planting. The berry bush will bear fruit regularly for at least 10 years. It is better to collect fruits as they ripen. If you want to eat the berries right away, then wait for the pulp to color and soften. If the fruits need to be transported, then pluck early.

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Gooseberries in spring - necessary care and feeding

Gooseberries in spring need care and attention no less than in autumn. A delicious and rich gooseberry harvest can be harvested if you start caring for it yourself in early spring. With proper constant care and attention, bushes can produce bountiful harvests for up to twenty years. How to properly care for gooseberries and achieve good fruiting, read on.

Pruning and harvesting gooseberries in spring

With the advent of spring, when the snow melts, and it will be possible to spend garden work, trash is removed on the ground around the bushes. Last year's leaves, branches, straw or hay residues that were used as mulching material must be cleaned and the top soil layer around the plants should be released. This land clearing work is important point in the right spring care. The fact is that various larvae and pests that have overwintered and still remain there will be removed from the site and will not harm the shrubs.

The next stage of work is pruning, which should be carried out strictly before the buds swell, or this is done at the end of winter. Depending on the age of the plant, the intensity of pruning is determined. If you know how to care for the crop in the spring and make the right pruning, then in the coming year it will be possible to harvest a good harvest of berries.

Pruning and shaping a young bush consists in removing weak shoots, as well as cutting strong-growing branches, leaving up to five buds on them. From the experience of gardeners it is known that even with intensive pruning of young shrubs, a good crown and shoots are formed. Such plants are able to bring good yields in the first year of pruning.

in the photo - spring pruning of gooseberries

How to cut or rejuvenate an old gooseberry if it has grown a lot? The pruning principle is quite simple. You need to leave a maximum of four or five branches each year until the age of five. Thus, four branches of the 1st generation are left on the bush, the same number of 2, 3, 4, 5 years. But no more, five-year-old shoots are advised to be removed, as they are highly susceptible to infectious diseases and pests.

Determining and knowing the age of the branches is quite simple. Strongly light, thin shoots belong to the sprouts of the first year, slightly darker - the second, thick brown ones signal that they are already more than five years old. If the shrub has not been trimmed for a long time, it is very neglected, first of all, all juveniles and shoots that come from the roots are removed. Shoots that are and lie on the soil are also subject to cutting. As a result, after proper pruning, approximately 20-25 shoots remain on each bush.

Preventive measures against diseases and pests

Disease prevention does not begin with spraying the bushes, but. The place is chosen bright, not shaded, a small distance between the bushes must be present. Also preventive measures include mulching, timely fertilization of gooseberries.

Pest control and prevention of various diseases are carried out not only in summer and autumn, but in spring. Excellent folk remedy dousing the culture with boiling water is considered, which is carried out only before the swelling of the kidneys begins. Boiling water treatment is good against pests, serves as a prevention of infections, fungal diseases.

Garlic solution against scale insects, aphids and other harmful insects is prepared as follows: 5 tablespoons of garlic are finely chopped, poured with one liter of water, infused for 3-5 days in a dark, warm place, after which the infusion can be used. In this way, you can not only fight, but use the infusion as a prophylactic.

in the photo - gooseberry bushes after spring processing

Before flowering and ten days after it, as well as when the berries depart, the bushes are treated with sodium carbonate (soda ash) in diluted form (½) with the addition of laundry soap, or a 0.4% solution of ammonium nitrate. Such treatment will serve as a good prevention of gooseberry powdery mildew. To prevent septoria, treat the plant with a 1% solution of copper sulphate in milk of lime (Bordeaux liquid) before flowering and after harvest, and cut off and destroy all affected areas.

Spring top dressing of gooseberries and watering

Gooseberries do not like excessive soil moisture, it is necessary to water the plant only in cases of extreme heat and drought. If the area is close ground water, should be planted on raised ridges or hilled if the gooseberry grows completely in the lowlands.

In the spring, a pet can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, and in the fall, with phosphorus, potash. You can start fertilizing in the very early spring, when the snow has not yet melted. Two tablespoons of ammonium nitrate or 1.5 tablespoons are poured directly onto the snow under the bush. urea. On poor soils, in addition to nitrogen-containing fertilizers, it is possible to add superphosphate (2 tablespoons per plant) and the same amount of potassium salt. With the melting of snow, melt water and trace elements dissolved in it will be evenly absorbed by the roots.

in the photo - watering a young gooseberry bush

It should be remembered that in the first couple of years after planting, it is not recommended to feed gooseberries, unless the soil on the site is infertile. When the gooseberry reaches the age of three, top dressing can be carried out. Since the gooseberry root system is close to the soil surface, humus is often used either in the form of organic additives. Nutrient fertilizer for gooseberries is distributed near the bush, or loosened along with the top layer of soil.

On those soils that are rather depleted, liquid organic top dressings are used (slurry, bird droppings, mullein). The first watering is carried out before the gooseberries begin to bloom, and then after the fruits are harvested. Such fertilizers are best applied in grooves or dimples dug on both sides of the bush, so you can be sure that the roots will not get burned from the liquid solution.

If you properly care for gooseberries, apply all the necessary fertilizers and rejuvenate the bushes, then healthy, strong plants will generously thank their owners with a bountiful harvest!

Do you want to collect fifteen kilograms of delicious large berries from gooseberries growing in your garden? Then you need to try to provide the bush best conditions for growth and fruiting. Although some gardeners manage to get a good harvest without much effort, for a plant like gooseberry, planting and care are of great importance.

How to care for gooseberries from early spring to early autumn

Plant young bushes in a place lit by the sun, regularly cut off old branches, water the gooseberries, feed, loosen the soil, remove weeds and do not forget about the autumn gooseberry care. Thanks to these simple rules, you will be able to achieve excellent results - every year the bushes will be strewn with selected fruits, and common gooseberry diseases will bypass your garden.

Plant young bushes in a place lit by the sun's rays.

Throughout the season, care for gooseberry bushes does not stop. In the spring, all frozen and damaged branches are removed, the ground is loosened under the bush and the first top dressing is introduced into it in the form aqueous solution nitrophoska with urea. Before flowering begins, wood ash is poured around the gooseberries and the roots are fed with potassium sulfate and organic fertilizer"Berry" or "Breadwinner".

During the summer, weeds are weeded and the soil is loosened by ten centimeters and watered after each loosening. During a drought, it is also necessary to water the gooseberries - the care is that the plant does not have to spend energy on surviving in adverse conditions. Only water under the root, otherwise there is a high probability of damage to the bushes powdery mildew. When the first fruits begin to set, you need to feed the gooseberries for the third time, top dressing consists of nitrophoska and Ideal liquid fertilizer.

Autumn processing of gooseberries is of particular importance, because you need to prepare the bushes in such a way that they endure the winter well and give a good harvest next season. Let us dwell in more detail on the procedures that you will need to carry out in the autumn months.

Autumn processing of gooseberries is of particular importance, because you need to prepare the bushes in such a way that they endure the winter well.

What does caring for gooseberries in the fall include?

If you are determined to provide the best conditions for your gooseberries, before the start of winter you have to do the following work:

• remove weeds from under the bushes;
• remove plant debris, including fallen leaves;
• process gooseberries in order to prevent diseases;
• water abundantly;
• to loosen the aisles;
• feed gooseberries;
• prune branches;
• mulch for the winter.

Dig up the ground under the bushes and create a soil cushion in the radius of the crown

From the beginning of autumn, it is necessary to carefully weed the weeds around the bushes, digging out large plants with a bayonet shovel, remove all accumulated debris (sticks, branches, leaves, etc.) with a rake. Later, when all the foliage has fallen, it will also need to be collected from under the gooseberries and burned so that pathogens of dangerous diseases do not remain in it for the winter. Dig up the ground under the bushes and create a soil cushion within the crown radius to protect the gooseberries from pests. Additionally, gooseberries are treated in autumn with fungicides. How to process gooseberries in the fall from the most? From rust and anthracnose, you can spray loosened soil and bushes with foundationazole, and from powdery mildew - with Topaz.

Do not forget to carry out a moisture recharge watering at the end of September to enhance root growth and help the gooseberries prepare for winter.

Top dressing in the fall of gooseberries is done during the digging of the soil. Autumn top dressing of gooseberries includes phosphate and potash fertilizers per bush 30 g and 20 g, respectively. Before frosts, humus or peat is poured under the bushes with a layer of 10 cm.

Do not forget to carry out watering watering at the end of September to enhance root growth and help the gooseberries prepare for winter. For this purpose, a hollow is dug around the shrub along the perimeter of the crown, and water is supplied to it - up to thirty liters per bush.

Video about gooseberry care

In late autumn, without waiting for the first frosts, get busy by removing all old, damaged, unnecessary branches that bear little fruit. After autumn pruning there should be about five of the strongest young shoots, evenly spaced. These branches will give you a good harvest in next year.

We found out how to care for gooseberries in the fall, it remains only in December to sprinkle the bushes with snow to protect the roots from frost, and you can not approach the gooseberries until spring.

Did you know that quite recently, about a hundred years ago, gooseberries were much more popular than currants? And the spheroteca, which is often called powdery mildew, knocked him out of the distance. In those years, the sphere library, having appeared after the Colorado potato beetle (it is generally accepted that from the American continent), began to exterminate the gooseberries by hectares, hitting everything: shoots, leaves, fruits, tender growths. The bush simply rotted in front of the owner, and the latter could not do anything about it.

Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of breeders, sphere resistant varieties and those that, although they suffer from powdery mildew, have appeared, but not to such a significant extent. And no one canceled the fungicide treatment either, so the gooseberry is gradually resurrecting. And in order to help the gooseberry catch up with at least the currant in terms of area, it is necessary to properly care for it. And not only in spring and summer, but also in the dank and rainy autumn period.

Autumn pruning gooseberries. © garden.ru

The main measures for the care of gooseberries - briefly

Few people know, but the gooseberry is a literally eternal and very productive culture, so the Malachite bush can productively exist for at least a decade and a half, annually increasing a kilogram of berry products. Thus, from a well-developed gooseberry bush, which you looked after properly, you can collect up to 15 kilograms of both tasty and large berries at the same time, which can be stored for a long period, transported far, and consumed both fresh and in recycled. Do not forget that "royal jam" from gooseberries is still in vogue.

So, let's first briefly list the main activities that we need to carry out during the autumn period with gooseberry bushes, and then we will describe each of them in more detail so that you have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat and how to do, and at the same time you have a minimum of questions.

The first step is to pay attention to the gooseberry bite zone, clearing it of foliage and branches. Then all the weeds should be weeded out, after that, digging the near-growth zone, then carrying out water-charging watering, then carrying out autumn top dressing, pruning closer to the middle of autumn, then pay attention to the row spacing, loosening or even digging them properly and, finally, carrying out preventive processing, mulch the surface of the gooseberry bite zone.

Removing debris from the gooseberry bite zone in autumn

What's wrong with her? On it is a bunch of gooseberry leaves that have already crumbled, different kind sticks, crushed, rotten and whole, but fruits and other debris starting to rot. All this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the hands on the thorns (after putting on thick gloves) and shoots with a rake, rake to the side, away from the gooseberry bushes. And with other leaves and branches, burn it all to ash. By the way, the resulting ash is a very valuable natural fertilizer. Wood ash cannot be written off, and in no case should it be simply thrown into the trash.

Cleaning the near-stem circle of gooseberries from debris and weeds. © RedSun

Weed control in the gooseberry bush zone in autumn

After the gooseberry bite zone turned out to be clean of fallen leaves, branches and other debris, only weeds crushed by a rake remained on it. Very often among gooseberry weeds, wheatgrass predominates. Know that it greatly oppresses this culture, therefore it is strictly necessary to fight with wheatgrass.

Of course, contact herbicides can be used, that is, which act only when the poison comes into direct contact with the plant. Such herbicides should not be written off, they are often used even in areas where medicinal plants. In our case, if there are few gooseberry bushes in your area, then after rain or heavy watering, armed with a small scoop, you can try to pick out the unfortunate wheatgrass from the soil with the maximum amount of its root system, because even if one centimeter of it remains in the soil, the wheatgrass will be reborn again .

Digging the soil in the gooseberry bush area in autumn

There are two ways - to dig or not to dig. Look, if you are a resident of the center of Russia, where the freezing of the gooseberry root system is a rarity and additional mulching (in this case, just covering the roots with mulch) is not required for this culture, then it is quite possible to dig up the bite zone, placing a shovel along the growth of the roots and not deepening it is more than 5-6 cm. When digging the gooseberry buccal zone in autumn, it is important that the clods of earth are turned over, but not crushed, but it is also important to prevent the gooseberry root system from being exposed, otherwise even in your zone the roots may suffer. Digging will allow you to turn the wintering stages of pests and diseases to the surface, and they will die, simply freezing in winter period time. In addition, digging will enhance air and water exchanges and allow evaporation on warm and hot autumn days. excess moisture, and it will allow the roots to breathe and grow normally: after all, even during leaf fall, small moisture-absorbing roots continue to develop.

Moisture-charging watering gooseberries in autumn

After the soil is loosened, it is possible to carry out moisture-charging autumn watering of the gooseberries. What is it for? Exactly as for fruit and other berry crops, the abundance of moisture in the soil will not allow it to freeze to a very great depth, and in winter, during the period of provocative thaws, to thaw, as well as to activate the growth processes of plants. In addition, in moisture-rich soil, gooseberry roots that absorb moisture will develop as efficiently as possible before frost, they will absorb maximum moisture into the plants and they will not be afraid of winter desiccation, when on sunny days from the surface of the gooseberry shoots, albeit small, but evaporation of moisture is observed. . And if in autumn there is very little moisture in the soil, and the plants do not have time to accumulate it, then the shoots can simply dry out. Although it doesn't happen often, it does happen.

Top dressing gooseberries in the autumn

Now (in autumn) it is important to do without the use of nitrogen, which can activate the growth processes of the aerial parts of the gooseberry, and all the parts of the shoots that have grown and the flower buds that begin to swell will simply die in the very near future, because winter is coming.

Usually in the autumn, dry phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied under the gooseberries. Under a bush younger than five years of age, 15-20 g of superphosphate and 10-12 g of potassium sulfate are added; for older plants, this dose can be safely doubled. Wood ash can also be added, 250-300 g of wood ash is allowed for each bush, the gooseberries do not require other fertilizers and winter well without their use.

Pruning gooseberries in autumn

Around the middle of autumn, you can prune the bushes completely without fear for the culture. Here it is advisable to arm yourself with a very sharp pruner and thick gloves to protect against thorns. It is also advisable to take some alcohol with you to moisten (for disinfection from infection) the sharp blade of the pruner when moving from one bush to another. First of all, take a good look at the gooseberry bush, usually the branches that prevent it from developing normally are striking themselves, in other words, they are clearly visible.

Cut into a ring all the gooseberry branches broken during the harvest period, all those that lie directly on the ground or are bent so low to it that the berry touches the soil and begins to rot. Next, pay attention to the thickening shoots: they usually grow strictly in the center of the gooseberry bush, which leads to its thickening, from which it stops being blown by the wind, fungal diseases form, and the crop moves to the periphery of the crown (that is, both the quality of the crop and its quantity decrease). ), so such branches need to be cut out, and the places of cuts should be covered with garden pitch or garden paint.

Try to remove gooseberry shoots that are more than five years old, here you can break any pruner, so it’s better to use a garden file and be sure to cover all cuts with garden pitch or garden paint (just in case).

Ideally, after autumn pruning of gooseberries aged six or seven years, no more than five or six of the strongest and most well-developed side shoots should remain in the bush, which should be the strongest, strongest, youngest, carry fresh side growths and, of course, evenly spaced, diverging radially from the bush. It is these gooseberry shoots that next year will give both good growth and a full harvest.

Autumn preparation of gooseberries. © Becky Reader

Processing row-spacing gooseberries in autumn

For those who have several rows of gooseberries, you need to take care of the row spacing, be sure to dig the soil there and you can not mulch it in any of the regions. It is necessary to combine digging with the removal of weeds and treatments against possible stages of development of pests and diseases.
Preventive treatments of gooseberry plants and soil between rows

To protect gooseberries from possible wintering stages of pests and diseases, it is best to treat the plants with 2% Bordeaux liquid, and the soil with 3% Bordeaux liquid. You can, at your own peril and risk, treat plantings and soil with foundationazole or topaz, but you already know everything about them.

Mulching the gooseberry bite zone in autumn

Finally, if you are not a resident of the central, but an inhabitant of the more northern regions of the country, then you need to mulch the root system of gooseberry plants. For this, dry and healthy leaf litter is suitable, which must be covered with spruce spruce branches so that it does not scatter over the site, as well as needles, sawdust (but keep in mind that they acidify the soil a little), humus (by the way, in spring, humus can not be removed, but loosened and it will be an additional spring natural fertilizer), and you can also use newfangled non-woven covering materials. Covering materials, as a rule, do not need much, it is enough to cover only the bite zone with them.

Most importantly, remember that in the spring the covering material must be removed in time, because the soil warms up under it for a long time, and we absolutely do not need this.

That's all we wanted to tell you about how to care for gooseberries in the fall. In principle, this culture is unpretentious, but it suffers from the same powdery mildew or leaf necrosis quite often, so do not forget about the appropriate treatments in the spring. In the meantime, we are waiting for winter and the first snow that will cover the gray earth for a long six months.

Prickly gooseberry bushes can be found in many sites throughout the country. Most gardeners note that a good harvest of berries is obtained only in the first two or three years, and after the gooseberries overgrow, the fruits become smaller, lose their taste and aroma. One cut is not enough. There is a whole complex spring work, which must be carried out every year so that the harvest is stable and does not reduce volumes.

Gooseberry care in spring

Spring shrub care consists in removing winter shelter, timely and sufficient watering, mulching the soil, fertilizing, treating diseases and pests, forming a bush, and, if necessary, transplanting.

Most main principle all these procedures are timely. It is convenient that during the period when it is necessary to pay maximum attention to the gooseberries, it is too early to carry out many other works on the site, so you will definitely have time for everything.

Taking cover

The first thing to start with is the removal of winter shelter. According to the rules, before the onset of cold weather, the gooseberries are pressed to the ground, fixing the branches with hooks, and wrapped natural material, using fallen leaves, humus, tree bark, straw or needles, and additionally pull on top artificial materials. It can be fabric, film, agrofibre, etc.

In the southern regions, you can get by with only natural shelter. But in middle lane and closer to the north it is better to play it safe.

It is necessary to take off winter “clothes” with the first heat. Do not rush and immediately release the branches. First you need to remove the artificial turf and remove the fasteners pressing to the ground. This is done even when the snow has not yet melted. If the film is not removed in time, a greenhouse effect will be created under it, which the gooseberry does not need at all, because it can cause the onset of rotting processes. With natural shelter, it is necessary to act depending on the weather. It is optimal to gradually rake the formed pile, allowing young branches to adapt to natural conditions and develop normally.

But just remember that last year's remnants of the bush will need to be removed completely. Many gardeners leave them, covering them with new mulch and believing that this is how they carry out additional feeding of the plant. In fact, this only causes harm to the root system. The uncleaned remains of last year's shelter are a great place to develop pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Watering, loosening and mulching

Gooseberry bushes are rarely watered, hoping that, thanks to a well-developed root system, they are able to independently provide themselves with the necessary amount of moisture. Indeed, during the period of melt water, when the snow melts, you should not interfere in natural processes. But after watering should be one of the regular procedures for caring for shrubs. It is especially important to water the gooseberries during the period of fruit formation. If the plant does not have enough moisture, the berries will turn out small and sour.

Plantings should also be watered regularly on hot days. To do this, the soil is first loosened, then watered under the root (leaves can be sprayed only in the evening and only if the air is too dry) and mulching is carried out.

One bush aged 1.5-2 years per week should take at least 20 liters of water.

It is very important to regularly loosen the soil. This will allow not only moisture, but also air to flow to the roots.

The root system of the gooseberry is quite developed. It goes deep underground, but at the same time, young roots are almost on the surface. Therefore, it is not worth loosening the soil around the bush by more than 10 cm.

Mulching will not only help maintain a sufficient amount of moisture, but will also serve in an additional way feed the bush. Most often, straw, freshly cut grass, peat and sawdust are used for gooseberry mulching.

Spring top dressing

Fertilization is a mandatory step spring care for gooseberries. Fertilization helps to strengthen root system and stimulates the development of the aerial part, increases the immunity of the plant, has a positive effect on the volume and quality of the crop.

You can use ready-made mixtures, or you can use only nitrogen. It is on him that the plant responds best. Just do not be overly zealous, otherwise the result will be visible not by the fruits, but by too lush foliage.

Most often, saltpeter or urea is used as a fertilizer. They are introduced at the rate of 20 g per sq. m. You can apply them individually, or you can mix them in equal amounts.

Gooseberries respond well to nitrogen. But they should not get carried away, otherwise you can achieve not a plentiful harvest, but only stormy foliage.

You can use ready-made mineral complexes, or you can add saltpeter or urea at the rate of 20 grams per square meter. You can also prepare a mixture of these substances by mixing them in equal proportions.

Fertilizers can be applied by scattering over the soil, or you can prepare a solution. Then for 10 liters of water you need a tablespoon without a slide of the selected drug. The first time you need to feed the gooseberries, as soon as the snow melts. The second before flowering, and the third at the time of active fruiting. But this is normal. If the plant is sick or weakened, the frequency of feeding increases.

If the gooseberry grows in the same place, then every two years the soil should be fertilized with potassium-phosphorus preparations.

You can apply and folk methods. The most common uses are compost, manure and compost. Infusions are prepared from them and root dressing is carried out.

The most simple folk way gooseberry fertilizer among gardeners are considered potato peelings. They are used for mulching and used to prepare nutrient solutions. The most common recipe is: liter jar cleansing pour a bucket of boiling water and leave for three days in a warm place. After pouring two liters under each plant.

The secret behind potato peels is simple. They contain a huge amount of starch, which gooseberries need for full development, as well as nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

If the soil is poor, the plant may suffer from potassium deficiency. Then try making an infusion of banana skins. They can be used fresh, but experienced gardeners always store this indispensable fertilizer for future use, drying or simply freezing.

Pruning gooseberries in spring

If the shrub is overgrown and overgrown with thorns, this is only the owner's fault. This means that insufficient care was carried out, in which pruning is mandatory. Moreover, it is a mistake to assume that only old branches are deleted. Damaged and diseased shoots are also subject to pruning.

This procedure must be carried out immediately after removing the shelter. Then the plant will not waste energy on restoration and recovery, but will let them all into the young shoots and the formation of fruits.

It is necessary to prune branches older than two years of age, all broken, thickening. And all other shoots are cut to the level of young buds.

Pruning is carried out not only for the purpose of rejuvenating the bush. Timely removal of branches will avoid the development of diseases and prevent pests from settling on gooseberries. Although one pruning is not enough here.

Treatment of the bush from pests and diseases

Gooseberries are considered one of the most undemanding plants in terms of cultivation and the most resistant to diseases and pests. But that doesn't mean he doesn't need protection.

Attention should be paid to all gooseberry bushes, but first of all, those located next to currants and raspberries need it. These plants have similar problems. Crimson moth, weevil, spider mite, aphids and other pests, as well as fungi.

If infection has occurred, the affected branch must be cut and burned outside the site, and the plant itself should be treated with fungicides, a cool solution of potassium permanganate, onion decoction or infusion of laundry soap.

What gooseberry lovers should be afraid of is anthracnose. This disease very quickly destroys the plant, but it can be quickly identified and overcome. As soon as infection occurs, the development of the bush stops. At the slightest sign of illness, spraying with preparations containing sulfur should be carried out.

The same is done if the bush is affected by rust.

Prevention is better than cure, so be sure to spray with special preparations in early spring. Aktellik and Karbofos are in demand.

Transfer

If you plan to transplant the entire bush, it is best done in early autumn, but for reproduction, this procedure gives the best results in the spring. It is at this time of the year that young seedlings take root perfectly, and the soil contains a sufficient amount of essential nutrients and especially melt water, the benefits of which should not even be compared with tap water.

Transplantation is carried out very early, as soon as the snow melts. If the buds begin to bloom, it will be too late.

The above-ground part of the cutting selected for transplantation must be shortened to 20-25 cm. Lubricate the cut with garden pitch. Immerse into the hole along the root bud, cover with loose soil and do not tamp.

Gooseberry care in different regions

Gooseberry care has general rules, but the time of their holding depends on the weather conditions of the region.

In the south of the country, the weather is consistently warm, so you don’t have to worry about the fact that the bush will suffer from frost. In the Moscow region, the deadlines coincide with the southern cities, but the opening should be removed a little more slowly.

In the Volga region there are features of transplanting young seedlings. They are not planted immediately in the ground, but either in a greenhouse or in pots, which are cleaned in a closed, relatively warm room. After the appearance of the roots and the establishment of consistently warm weather, you can move them to a permanent place of residence.

Gooseberry care in Siberia and the Urals consists of the points listed above. Only the shelter takes off more slowly and at first only for a day, and the trimming should be carried out only when the threat of frost has passed.

care mistakes

Gooseberries suffer from a lack of attention, but an excessive amount of it can also have a detrimental effect on the condition of the plant.

If you remove the shelter too early, the bush will freeze, and if you do it later than the deadline, rotting processes may begin.

If watering is not enough, the foliage will wilt, the ovary will fall off, and the fruits will turn out to be too small.

If there is not enough fertilizer, the plant will be weakened, and if there is too much, the foliage will be lush and the berries will be very few.

Often, gardeners regret cutting bush branches. But by doing so, they reduce productivity, turn the plant into neglected thickets, make it susceptible to diseases and pests.

Consistently getting an excellent harvest of gooseberries is not at all difficult. Follow all care recommendations and carry out all procedures in a timely manner. That's the whole secret!