How to care for gooseberries after harvest. Pruning currants in autumn
If the gooseberry care was organized correctly, then from the age of 4 the bush enters into full fruiting and gives quite large yields.
Successful cultivation of gooseberries is right choice places for planting, regular pruning, top dressing and pest control.
Gooseberries grow well and bear fruit on fertile soils moderate humidity and sufficient aeration. Bad - on wetlands, as well as on soils with a close occurrence of groundwater.
The root system of the gooseberry is better developed than that of the currant, so it is more drought-resistant. Therefore, a good choice of landing site will greatly facilitate the care of gooseberries.
The roots lie at a depth of up to 80 centimeters, some reach a depth of one and a half to two meters. Gooseberry is a light-loving crop, with shading, the yield is significantly reduced. The aerial part consists of branches of various ages, formed from basal shoots.
- The fruits are located on the fruitlets, formed from basal shoots that can bear fruit. two to five years.
- Some varieties have the most fruits on annual branches.
- The highest productivity is observed at the age of 4 years, then it decreases, and the branches begin to die off.
Gooseberries are very diverse depending on the variety in color and shape, taste.
Where to plant
On the flat or slightly sloping ground well lit and sheltered from the winds. Compared to blackcurrants, gooseberries do not require regular watering. Excess moisture inhibits plant development.
Gooseberries are successfully grown in regions with arid climate. It can be planted in various soils, but high yield get on loamy, sandy and chernozem soils rich in organic compounds.
Planting gooseberries
Planting gooseberries is better autumn in the second decade of October or in early spring.
- Before boarding acidic soils necessarily lime.
- Make 400 grams of lime per square meter.
- Distance between rows 2 meters, in a row between plants - 1.5 m, depending on the strength and nature of the variety.
- Spreading varieties are planted less often, and compact ones are denser.
How to fill the landing pit
AT landing pits 50-60 centimeters wide, 30-40 centimeters deep, make:
- 10 kilograms of humus;
- 150 g of superphosphate;
- 60-80 g of potassium salt.
gooseberry seedling deepen into the soil by 5-6 centimeters. Aboveground part during planting, gooseberries are cut off, leaving 3-4 buds above the soil surface. 
How to feed gooseberries in spring
If a sufficient amount of fertilizer was applied before planting, then in the first two or three years the gooseberry can not be fertilized. To enhance growth, it is better to feed gooseberries in the spring. ammonium nitrate 30 grams per square meter. Fertilizers must be applied to moist soil.
After entering the time full fruiting gooseberries in the spring must be fed:
- nitrogen
- phosphorus
- potassium
- organic
To saltpeter add 120 grams superphosphate and 40 grams potassium chloride or instead of it 200 grams of vegetable ash per square meter. organic fertilizers- compost, humus - make a year later 10-12 kilograms for feeding gooseberries at a young age.
How to feed gooseberries in the fall
After harvest at the end of summer and at the beginning of autumn, gooseberries are fed with complex mineral fertilizer. And in September-October for each adult fruit-bearing bush under autumn digging soils are applied according to 30 kilograms of organic matter for feeding gooseberries for the winter.
How to prune gooseberries
Autumn or early spring you can prune gooseberries without harm to the plant. On the second-third year after planting, underdeveloped, diseased and damaged branches are removed. Leave in the bush every year 3-4 strong shoots from which a bush is formed.
For the fourth or fifth year cut off the outer young shoots directed to the middle of the bush. They also get rid of those located close to the ground if they are not used for horizontal layering.
The most productive in the gooseberry bush are 4-5-year-old branches. Therefore, starting from the 6-7th year, the branches are removed, since their yield decreases.
One year growth on fruit-bearing bushes do not shorten if it is not affected by powdery mildew. Cut branches should be burned.
Reproduction methods
Most accessible ways gooseberry breeding are:
- Propagation by jigging
- Woody cuttings.
Varieties Donetsk large-fruited, Date lignified cuttings take root poorly, therefore it is more efficient to propagate gooseberries of these varieties green cuttings. They are rooted with small greenhouse or even under a glass jar.
Cuttings are cut into lengths of 10 - 12 centimeters at the end of May-beginning of June from the growth of the current year and immediately planted in moist soil, leaving 2-3 on the shoot top sheet. Further care will consist in frequent watering, shading from direct sunlight. Then the covers are removed and the gooseberries are fed with fast-acting fertilizers.
How to treat gooseberries from pests
Currant bud mite
Gooseberries are often affected by currant bud mites, so caring for gooseberries in the spring necessarily includes measures to combat this pest.
Ticks live in the middle of the buds of currants, gooseberries. Blackcurrant brings the greatest harm, but often settles on the kidneys.
The buds inhabited by the mite do not open in the spring and die. During flowering and crop formation, mites migrate to new buds that form in the axils of leaves growing in shoots. Infected kidneys enlarge and look large, round, swollen.
The kidney tick is transmitted:
- with planting material;
- carried by birds and insects, people when processing plantations during its migration.
Fighting methods
- Harvesting gooseberry cuttings only from healthy bushes.
- Disinfection of cuttings for 13-15 minutes in water heated to 45-46 degrees Celsius.
- Removal and destruction of damaged buds in the fall after leaf fall or in the spring before they bloom.
- Annually carry out sanitary pruning, feed, carry out preventive spraying in spring and autumn.
- Spraying the bushes during the flowering period, after flowering and after another 10 days with an infusion of garlic (50-100 grams per 10 liters of water).
- Manure application, as well as early spring top dressing nitrogen fertilizers increases the resistance of plants to mites.
Common spider mite
Damages currants and gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries. spider mite on gooseberries, it sucks the juices from the leaves, which leads to premature fall.
Adult mites are greenish yellow color up to half a millimeter in size, hibernate under dry fallen leaves, plant debris, soil lumps.
Weeds are also breeding and wintering grounds for ticks. They appear in May and harm until September, producing 6-10 generations over the summer. Therefore, careful care for gooseberries is the best prevention of infection of the bush with spider mites.
Control measures
- Digging the soil in autumn.
- Destruction of weeds.
- Spraying with infusion of garlic, onion peel (150-200 g per 10 liters of water when infused for 5 days).
- Spraying gooseberries with tobacco infusion (400 grams of tobacco or tobacco dust is poured into 10 liters hot water, insist two days, add 40 grams of soap). It is important to carefully cover the underside of the leaves with the solution.
blackcurrant gall aphid
Damages also red, sometimes blackcurrant. Aphid eggs overwinter on branches. During the period of unfolding of the first leaves, green larvae emerge, settling on the underside of the leaves and sucking the juices from the plant. As a result, red thickening (bloating) appears. The foliage becomes ugly, the growth stops, the yield decreases.
Fighting methods
- To destroy the eggs of the pest, the gooseberry bush is sprayed with three percent nitrafen before bud break - 300 g per 10 liters of water.
- At a small amount aphids cut and burn the damaged tops.
- Treat the underside of the leaves with an infusion of tobacco, yarrow, laundry soap(200 grams per 10 liters of water) during bud break and again after 10 days.
- Plant tomatoes between rows.
- With a high number of aphids, gooseberry bushes are sprayed with 10% karbofos (75 grams per 10 liters of water) during bud break and immediately after flowering.
currant glass jar
Damages currants and gooseberries. A moth with transparent wings, similar to a wasp. The massive flight of the moth begins on the 20th day after the end of the flowering of the currant. Females lay their eggs one by one in cracks near the buds in the lower part of 2-4 year old branches. Caterpillars emerge from the eggs, they bite into the shoots and make moves in them.
Gooseberry branches damaged by a glass case wither and dry out. Signs of damage are clearly visible after flowering.
Fighting methods
- In early spring, damaged branches are removed and burned, leaving no stumps.
- During flowering, the bushes are inspected and wilted flowers are cut out to a healthy part.
- Avoid mechanical damage to the bark and branches.
- 18 days after the end of flowering and after harvesting, spray the gooseberries with 10% karbofos (75 grams per 10 liters of water).
- Instead of karbofos, you can use an infusion of garlic and pepper, a solution of laundry soap, mustard (200 g per 10 liters of water).
gooseberry sawfly
Damages currants and gooseberries. In 2 days, the larvae completely devour the leaves, leaving only thick veins. Adult larvae overwinter in dense cocoons at a depth of up to 15 centimeters.
In early spring, they pupate, and during the leafing period, adult insects appear, laying eggs on the underside of the leaves along the veins.
Control measures
- Caterpillars shake on the litter and destroy.
- In autumn, dig the soil under the bushes.
- During bud break, bud separation and immediately after flowering, spray gooseberries with a 10% solution of karbofos or its analogues.
- Against the second generation of the pest, spraying is carried out after harvesting.
- To scare away the sawfly, you can plant tomatoes between the bushes.
Harvesting
Unlike other berry crops, gooseberries ripen at the same time and therefore the crop is harvested at one time in a state of technical ripeness.
Fully developed and of typical size, but still firm fruit, harvested for jams, compotes, jams. And in a state of full ripeness - for consumption in fresh and making jelly.
What is useful gooseberry
Valued for high nutritional and medicinal properties. It has a high content of sugars, organic acids (mainly citric and malic). Unripe fruits contain oxalic and amber acid, which have an anti-sclerotic effect.
Gooseberries are rich in iron, copper, zinc. But the special value lies in the high content pectin. For the prevention of diseases and treatment, fresh gooseberries are most often used as anti-radiants, choleretic and diuretic.
Gooseberry fruits stimulate activity gastrointestinal tract and metabolism.
Do you want to collect fifteen kilograms of delicious large berries from the gooseberry 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 applying special efforts, yet for a plant such as gooseberries, 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 sunlight, regularly cut old branches, water gooseberries, feed, loosen the soil, remove weeds and do not forget about autumn care for gooseberries. 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, pour around the gooseberries wood ash and feed the roots 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. Just water under the root, otherwise the bushes are likely to be damaged by 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 liquid fertilizer"Ideal".
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 next season good harvest. 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;
- put away plant remains, 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 bayonet shovel, remove all accumulated debris with a rake (sticks, branches, leaves, etc.). 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- drug "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 gooseberry includes phosphorus and potash fertilizers based on one 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, five of the strongest young shoots should remain, evenly spaced. These branches will give you a good harvest 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.
Relatively low maintenance requirements speak in favor of the shrub. Gooseberries grow best in sunny, warm places protected from the wind. Flat areas are ideal, as well as hilly, provided that the bush occupies the western and southwestern sides.
Sandy-clay or loamy soils, fertile, rich, are best suited for growing gooseberries. nutrients, with low acidity (pH 6.2–6.7). Do not plant this crop on light soils, swampy and too wet, in low areas where fog often occurs.
In addition to choosing a gooseberry variety, it is worth considering whether you want to see a bush in the garden, clearstem tree or grafted stump. Everyone knows what a bush looks like, but the standard variety is not so common. This gooseberry resembles miniature tree with an umbrella-shaped crown. Good decision for small area and ... sick backs. During the harvest or do not need to bow low.
Top dressing gooseberries in autumn and spring
Gooseberries, as a plant with a shallow root system, require periodic fertilization. The post-harvest period is the time to apply. In the spring, before the growing season, you can add ammonium nitrate with boron (27% N). In April, just before flowering, another dose of saltpeter is added.
How to fertilize gooseberries in the fall? After the harvest is completed, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil. The mineral mass cannot be left in a pile in one place; it must be distributed evenly. If indicated on the package, fertilizers are dug up with the top layer of soil. More fertilizer is applied under old bushes than under young ones.
Top dressing is not the only procedure that is performed in the fall. Before the onset of cold weather, plant residues must be removed, the bushes are sprayed to prevent diseases, the aisles are loosened, and the branches are cut. If the bush is young, be sure to mulch for the winter. So you prepare the bushes for the cold period, lush bloom and abundant fruiting.
When to plant gooseberries?
Most often, bushes of this culture with an open root are available for sale. Such seedlings are planted in the fall, since it is problematic to keep them until spring. best period planting - from mid-October to November. The gooseberry root system manages to adapt before the onset of winter.
Spring seedlings are drought sensitive and require constant watering during the first year of life. This is another argument why it is better to plant gooseberries in the fall.
Before direct landing the bush is carefully cultivated soil. Remove weeds and root system, deep digging is performed. The pit is dug deep (about 40 cm) so that the roots of the seedling are freely placed. At the bottom of the pit, compost or manure is poured, mixed with the ground in proportions of 1: 1. If the soil is heavy, then sand is added to the ground.
The distance between the bushes should be at least 1 meter, a slightly smaller distance is maintained in the case of standard varieties, since they do not grow widely. Woody plants are tied up so that they do not suffer from strong wind. In the future, plants require weeding, pruning and, of course, top dressing of gooseberries in autumn and spring.
To shoot every year bountiful harvest from gooseberry beds, it is necessary to correctly perform such a procedure as preparing for winter. The main task of such preparation is to help the shrub survive severe frosts, as well as prepare it for the next fruitful season.
Below we will consider how the autumn preparation of gooseberries is performed and what manipulations are very important for this berry culture.
Gooseberry care in the fall should consist of the following steps:
- weeding gooseberry beds;
- digging near the trunk zone and row spacing;
- processing of each bush and soil with special preparations.
The most common mistake For many gardeners, this is when, after harvesting, this crop is forgotten until spring. Such an inattentive attitude leads to the fact that every year the harvest will become more and more scarce, provided that the culture does not die at all after wintering.
It is important to understand that autumn is very important. Therefore, try to take literally a day and do everything necessary work. And your gooseberry will surely thank you for your care with a generous harvest.
It is advisable to start preparatory work for wintering with the removal of weeds and dry foliage. All collected plant residues and mulch from the garden should be taken out of the area and burned. Then start cutting.
The remains of all cut branches are carefully examined, and if they do not show signs of damage by defects, then they should be sent to compost pit to get natural fertilizer.
The next step is to dig the soil around the bush. This procedure must be carried out carefully. The fact is that small gooseberry roots are often found in top layer soil. Therefore, if you dig deep, there is a big risk that you will damage the root system.
It is also worth noting that it is better to engage in digging at a time when it is planned to introduce top dressing into the soil. Thus, you solve two problems at once - dig up the soil and fertilize the root system in parallel.
Well, the last stage, moistening the bush. Plants are watered only if the season turned out to be dry and the last rains were about a month ago. This procedure is carried out in the following way.
A small ditch is dug along the perimeter of the crown of the shrub, into which about three buckets of water are gradually poured. Then they wait until the water completely goes into the ground, and only then they dig in the previously dug ditch.
Gooseberry care in the fall must necessarily consist of the above procedures. Only in this case can we hope for a good harvest of large berries next year.
We carry out the correct autumn pruning
autumn pruning gooseberry bush performs several important functions at once. It helps to rejuvenate and improve this culture. At the same time, it should be emphasized that such pruning should be carried out in without fail Every year. And it is performed as follows:
- In the first autumn after planting, each pagon is shortened by 30%.
- For the next autumn, a selection is made, for this the strongest young pagons are chosen and only 4 or 5 such branches are left, and the rest are completely excised. At the same time, the remaining branches are also shortened by 30%.
- Subsequent years, pruning is done in a similar way. The only thing that needs to be done regularly is to completely get rid of those pagons that grow inside or create excessive and unnecessary density.
- After seven years, the first serious pruning is performed, in which all old pagons are completely removed.
At the same time, do not forget to shorten all the main pagons regularly to stimulate the growth of new branches that will replace their predecessors in the future.
Fall is the best time for pruning. During this period, all leaves fall, and various defects become clearly visible.
The main thing is not to rush with pruning, do it in several steps and use only sharp and calcined tools. In the case when there is no possibility to ignite, just boil it.
The main thing is not to forget that when starting such a manipulation, the tools must be disinfected, otherwise you risk infecting the bush. Pruning gooseberries in this way for the winter, every gardener will definitely get a strong and well-bearing shrub in the spring.
What you need to know about the autumn transplant
Autumn transplanting or planting of planting material is much better and safer, unlike this spring procedure. The fact is that in the spring it is quite difficult to perform such a manipulation in a timely manner.
This is due to the fact that the ground part of the gooseberry begins to grow much faster than the root system. As a result, an incorrectly determined time leads to the death of the gooseberry.
If the gardener planted planting material in the fall, the seedlings will no longer grow, but will enter a dormant period, which will make it possible for the root system to take root. As a result, in early spring, the root will already be adapted to new growing conditions, which will make it possible to fully nourish the entire ground part of the shrub.
This rule applies to absolutely all bushes, regardless of their age.
When planting or transplanting this berry crop, you should carefully choose the area where the gooseberry will grow in the future. Choose such a place, guided by the following rules:
- the landing area should be sunny and not blown by the winds;
- the soil must be neutral in acid;
- avoid marshy or wet places;
- the ideal set for planting this crop will be the fence area, but do not forget to retreat from it at least a meter;
- the soil for planting should be prepared in advance, for this you will need to make dolomite flour, at strongly hyperacidity and peat if the soil is too heavy.
In addition to the above manipulations, it is also necessary to thoroughly clean the landing site from various weeds and other debris. Well, when everything preparatory work are completed, you can start transplanting shrubs.
- To do this, dig a hole 60 cm wide and 40 cm deep.
- Further, the excavated earth is mixed with rotted humus or bird droppings, and potassium top dressing is introduced into the hole itself.
- Pour a couple of buckets into the finished hole warm water and only then lower the root of the gooseberry bush.
- Then you need to carefully straighten each root and only then bury it with pre-prepared soil with fertilizer.
And the final stage of this manipulation is the mulching of the bush. To do this, you can use humus, which was previously burned or use finely chopped pine bark.
it is not difficult, the main thing is to carry out high-quality autumn and spring processing shrub. Despite the fact that the gooseberry is undemanding in care, the culture will surely thank you for the performance of such simple manipulations with a rich harvest.
Autumn top dressing
If you want your gooseberry beds to overwinter well, do not be too lazy to add fertilizer under each bush. As a rule, in the spring, gooseberries are fertilized with nitrogen supplements. But in the fall, the plant needs potassium and phosphate fertilizers. They are brought in along with digging the soil around the shrub.
In the case when you mulch gooseberry bushes with peat, then, if possible, add wood ash to such a mulch.
Cooking and insulating gooseberries for the winter
When all the preparatory work is completed, proceed to the final stage of preparation for the gooseberry winter. As a rule, almost all varieties of this crop tolerate severe frosts well, provided that the front garden is covered with a snow blanket in time.
But you should not hope for a chance and wait for snow, it will be better if you take care of the safety of the gooseberry bush yourself.
So, what will you need to do to preserve your culture:
- Lay an additional layer of earth on the near-trunk zone, and then add mulch so that it covers a layer of 10 cm.
- Next step: lay the pieces of bark on the piled mulch.
- Then, as soon as the first snow falls on the ground, it is additionally thrown under the shrub with a layer of 5 cm.
At the same time, it should be emphasized that in regions where frosts can be -40 ° C, such a shelter will not save. Therefore, if you live in such areas, you will need to cover the gooseberries thoroughly.
To do this, you need to perform the following manipulation. Each bush is tied and bent to the ground, and earth is poured on top. Then they take burlap and wrap the bush. Next, a layer of spruce branches is placed on top and covered with dry leaves.
When spring comes to the earth, this structure must be dismantled as quickly as possible so that the pagons do not begin to take root in the ground and destructive excess moisture does not accumulate under them.
By performing such a simple manipulation, you will not only protect the shrub from the cold, but also prevent damage to the pagons. After all, without proper shelter, some branches freeze and die.
27.09.2018
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Pruning gooseberries in autumn is the key to a long-term harvest
All summer residents and gardeners should know that pruning gooseberries in the fall is an important agricultural technique, without which it is impossible to get abundant fruiting and healthy growth of the shrub. Be sure to consider the age of the shrub, two or three years old, four or five years old, or may be newly planted. Formation scheme, both for beginners and for experienced gardeners the same, you just need to learn the basic rules ...
Preparing for autumn pruning
Pruning gooseberries in autumn - necessary measure to maintain the health of the plant and its successful fertility. Growing, the light-loving shrub obscures itself, creating conditions for the spread of powdery mildew, its berries become smaller, and crop volumes decrease. Settled diseases spread to neighboring plants. Proper pruning gooseberries are not difficult, and a novice gardener can easily cope with it. 
Pruning gooseberries in the fall is convenient for summer residents and gardeners in that it is carried out after leaf fall. , namely pruning, should be carried out in a short time, which is not always feasible. But we still cut the plant later than the allotted time, from which we greatly injure the shrub.
Preparing for pruning is not very difficult - you need to wear tight protective gloves or mittens, clothes with sleeves, take a sharp good one or a file, garden pitch, marking paint, a stretcher or a wheelbarrow for collecting garbage. That's all the preparatory work! And now we are running into the garden to cut the gooseberries so that next year it will generously bear fruit!
Rules for preventive pruning of gooseberries
Before direct pruning, you need to inspect the gooseberry bush and decide on a work plan, which shoots to remove and which ones to leave. You can use paint and make marks on the branches so as not to make a mistake and remove exactly the unnecessary shoot. The basic rules for pruning gooseberries in the fall include the following steps:
- The first shoots of gooseberries are removed - they are dark, almost black, thicker than the rest, they seem dry, the berries do not grow on them. If the plant is old and old shoots predominate, not all are removed, leaving a third. During processing, such branches are removed to ground level, no hemp is left;
- Branches that are strongly inclined and lying on the ground are completely removed, they bear little fruit and are prone to infections, as they are shaded by the crown. Also cut off and shoots that have grown far from the main bush;
- Remove competitive branches - closely adjacent to each other, intertwined, growing inside the bush;
- Young (green) branches are cut, they are not able to survive the winter. But, do not confuse with mature annual shoots!
- diverse, however, pruning is needed for all varieties. Do not think that if the gooseberry is resistant to frost, it does not need a haircut in the fall. Frost may not beat him, but the harvest will be less!
Pruning gooseberries in autumn of different ages
Shrub processing consists of annual preventive measures, and also has its own characteristics for plants of different ages. To make pruning gooseberries in the fall simple and understandable for beginners, you need to remember the term zero shoots - these are shoots growing from the underground buds of a plant. In the year of birth, they are lighter than others and do not branch. They grow into zero (basal) branches. Pruning gooseberries in the fall of old and young bushes is as follows:
- In the first year after planting, all excess shoots and branches are removed, as described above, leaving 3-5 null ones. The central shoot and side branches are shortened to a third of the length. They are cut off, departing from the kidney 1 cm. This is enough so that it does not die. Also pay attention to the location of the eye, it should be outside. The buds turned inside the bush give shoots directed to the center, which thicken and darken the plant;
- When processing 2-3-year-old gooseberry bushes, the main healthy shoots with one-year growth and 3-5 new zero shoots are left, while all young branches are shortened by half. Extra zero shoots and crossing branches are subject to complete removal;
- Pruning of a 3-4-year-old gooseberry is carried out in the same way as a 2-year-old, but this bush is already bearing fruit, and you can understand which branches do not cope with their task - they, as well as the sick, must be removed;
- A five-year-old gooseberry bush has up to 20-25 main branches of various ages. Therefore, the formation of a gooseberry bush must be carried out annually in order to obtain good yields.
- After 7 years, gooseberries begin to age. From this period, the oldest branches are annually removed, cutting them off without residue to the ground. Instead, one-year-old branches are left. Thus, in the gooseberry there will be branches of different ages, replacing each other in a timely manner. Do not forget about regular preventive pruning. It is important to remember that when removing old branches, stumps should not be left, because. open wood is the entrance gate for diseases.
Formative pruning gooseberry
Pruning gooseberries in autumn also allows you to form the crown of the bush, which makes it possible to facilitate harvesting, brighten the bush, simplify plant care and decorate the site. This work takes several years. There are three main types of forming pruning:
- Classical, when the natural shape of the crown of the shrub does not change, the usual preventive pruning is performed
- Stamp pruning involves growing a gooseberry tree (stem - trunk). To do this, the strongest growing up central shoot is selected, the rest are cut off. Every year, all side branches of the bole are removed until the required height is reached (usually about 1 meter). When pruning, shoots are left growing from the upper part of the trunk, forming a crown, which is looked after like an ordinary bush. The disadvantages of this growing method are short term life (no more than 10 years), due to the aging of the trunk, because it is not possible to update it. Also, the tree does not tolerate frost well and needs to be warmed for the winter.
- The trellis formation of a bush is carried out on a special support (trellis). It consists of two supports (pipes most often) and a wire horizontally stretched between them at three levels (50, 80, 100 cm). For each bush on the trellis, at least one meter of space is left. behind which are not complex, are produced in a standard way, the difference lies in the fixation of the branches to the wire. At the same time, the bush spreads out on a trellis in the form of a fan, every year the regrown branches are tied to the next level of support. This method facilitates harvesting, the gooseberries are well lit and blown with air.
You should not feel sorry for the plant during processing, pruning gooseberries in the fall has a preventive function, protects the bush from diseases and extra debilitating shoots, and helps to survive the winter without loss. To prevent diseases, garden pitch is applied to sections of large branches, the soil within 50 cm from the base of the bush is mulched with humus or peat.