When and how to prune gooseberries after harvest and in the fall. Basic principles of autumn gooseberry care

Did you know that quite recently, about a hundred years ago, gooseberries were much more popular than currants? And the sphere library, which is often referred to as powdery mildew. In those years, the sphere library, having appeared after Colorado potato beetle(it is generally accepted that from the American continent), began to exterminate 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 dank and rainy autumn period.

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 tens of kilograms of both tasty and large berries at the same time, which can be stored for a long period, transported far, and used as fresh, as well as in the revised one. 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 dumpster.

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, only covering the roots with mulch) this culture is not required, then it is quite possible to dig up the buccal zone, placing the shovel along the growth of the roots and not deepening it by more than 5-6 cm. were turned over, but not crushed, but it is also important not to allow the gooseberry root system to be exposed, otherwise, even in your zone, the roots may suffer. Digging will make it possible to bring the wintering stages of pests and diseases to the surface, and they will die, simply freezing in the winter. In addition, digging will enhance air and water exchanges and allow excess moisture to evaporate on warm and hot autumn days, and 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. 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. You can also make wood ash, for each bush it is allowed to make 250-300 g wood ash, 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 are reduced). ), 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 the autumn pruning of a gooseberry six or seven years old, no more than five or six of the strongest and most well-developed lateral shoots should remain in the bush, which should be the strongest, strongest, youngest, carry fresh lateral 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.

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.

The main attention of beginner gardeners when caring for gooseberries after harvest and in the fall should be directed to timely pruning bushes for the winter. This very important agricultural technique contributes to proper formation crowns, maintenance good growth, increasing the yield and quality of berries. In addition, by correctly pruning the “northern grapes”, it is possible to prevent the exposure of internal branches, improve the growth and fruiting of aging shrubs, and lengthen the period of productive age. About why, when and how to prune, as well as about the schemes for pruning by year and the schemes for rejuvenating an old gooseberry bush, we will describe in the material below.

Why prune gooseberries

Like most berry bushes, gooseberries grow quite quickly, begin to shade themselves, get sick more often and its fruiting is deteriorating. Therefore, every year, extra branches must be cut off, as well as form a bush. Already starting from the age of 5-6, it is recommended to carry out rejuvenating pruning, removing the oldest (5-6 year old) branches.

Thus, autumn pruning gooseberry is necessary in order to:

• improve the flow of sunlight and air to the branches located inside the bush;
• reduce the risk of disease and pest damage (powdery mildew);
• increase the volume and quality of the crop;
• to give the shrub the correct shape, that is, to simplify the care of gooseberries, because it is much easier to care for and collect berries from cultivated bushes than to carry out these manipulations in hopeless thorny thickets.

Of course, you can not cut the gooseberries in the fall, but collect them from a neglected plant. bountiful harvest you will hardly succeed.

However! Incorrect and untimely pruning of gooseberries adversely affects the condition of the shrub, it weakens and bears poor fruit. Therefore, so that the gooseberry pruning after harvesting and in the fall is not done in vain, you need to know the optimal timing and basic rules for this important garden manipulation.

When to prune gooseberries in autumn: the best timing

If you need to carry out as quickly as possible, until the vegetation process begins at the bush, then pruning gooseberries after fruiting (harvesting) can be divided into two stages. Dried and diseased branches (sanitary pruning) delete immediately after harvest (still in summer), but rejuvenating and shaping pruning gooseberries have already been taken autumn, and preferably after the leaves fall, but before the onset of frost and stable negative temperatures.

Note! After harvesting (in summer), shortening pruning should not be carried out, otherwise you will provoke the appearance of new growths that will not have time to lignify before frost and simply dry out.

Thus, the approximate timing of pruning gooseberries in the fall in the middle lane (Moscow region) is October-November, after harvesting - from late July to September.

When is the best time to prune - in autumn or spring

Of course, gooseberries can be cut in the spring, but this must be done early enough, even before the buds open, that is, before the sap flow begins. If you do this later, then the plant will simply lose some of the juices in vain for the blooming of those buds that we cut off anyway. In addition, in the spring there are a lot of things to do without it. Therefore, it is much more practical to produce autumn pruning of gooseberries.

Video: gooseberry pruning in autumn

How to prune gooseberries in autumn: basic rules and recommendations

Advice! Pruning an old gooseberry bush is very convenient to carry out with long-handled secateurs (lopper). In principle, you can use an ordinary pruner (for cutting young branches), but working with it, you will definitely prick yourself (the bush is prickly), which means that you should also wear protective gloves(optimally - welder).

What branches and shoots gooseberry need to cut after fruiting (harvesting) and in autumn:

Important! If there are branches that are bent down or located horizontally, then they must be shortened so that the extreme buds on the remaining part (or side shoots) were directed vertically or under good angle up.

• All cut out completely old branches, which over 5 years and older.

• Weak young growth and thin branches you need to shorten to the largest bud, which does not look inside the bush, but out.

Worth knowing! How to distinguish weak shoots from strong ones? Strong shoots have an annual growth of at least 50 cm.

• Strong substitution shoots (null) - those shoots that grow from the ground, you need shorten 1/4 above the kidneys so that they branch better. Rest weak young (null) shoots, you need to cut it out completely so that they do not obscure the crown. There should be 3-4 of them in total.

how properly cut branches and shoots gooseberries in autumn

Thus, a 5-year-old bush should have no more than 18 branches, that is, 2-3 branches each year, including 3-4 strong zero shoots.

Video: how to cut gooseberries

Interesting! Some gardeners do not prune gooseberries according to the rules, because this greatly simplifies the process and makes it less labor and time consuming. At the same time, no special losses or decrease in fruiting are observed at all, but on the contrary, the shrub gives excellent harvests. For more information about this autumn gooseberry pruning, see the video below.

Video: how to cut gooseberries against the rules

Scheme of forming pruning by years

If you planted a shrub seedling and want to form a compact and abundantly fruiting bush, then you should adhere to a certain scheme for the formation of gooseberries, taking into account the age of the bush (pruning by year):

• After planting a seedling- all shoots (if not the only one) are shortened, while leaving 3-4 buds above the soil surface.
• after 1 year- all young shoots are cut into 4-5 buds and 2-3 zero shoots are left. At the same time, it is worth starting to carry out sanitary pruning - remove diseased branches and those branches that do not grow vertically, but are directed to the center of the bush.
• after 2 years(3-year-old seedling) - pruning (pinching) of all zero shoots by 1/4 is carried out, as well as shortening by 1/4 of the growth growing on skeletal branches. This will provoke the growth of a young shrub in width, and not up. Do not forget about sanitary pruning.
• after 3-4 years- fully corresponds to pruning on a 3-year-old seedling. Sanitary pruning.
• for 5 years and beyond- rejuvenating pruning of the bush begins. First, sanitary pruning is carried out, then all old shoots are cut out (rejuvenating pruning) and the forming one is completed - everything is like a 2-year-old (3-year-old seedling).
• And don't forget every year leave 2-3 new zero replacement shoots.

Also exists standard method of forming a gooseberry bush.

Pruning by years should be carried out according to the following scheme (by years), shown in the picture below:

Video: standard gooseberry

How to prune an old and neglected bush (anti-aging pruning)

Note! You need to cut off old branches without fanaticism. Gooseberries bear fruit on young growth, which is formed on old branches (the most prolific 3-5 years of age), and this is its difference from currants.

If you inherited (inherited or bought from the previous owner) an old plot with overly thickened gooseberry bushes that give quite small harvest, then in order to restore fruiting, you need to carry out the correct rejuvenating pruning of the shrub. And it is better to divide it into 2 stages. Naturally, it is better to start with sanitary pruning, and then get rid of all the old (anti-aging pruning) and other extra branches. The bush is cleared, which means that all conditions are created for the active growth of new young shoots.

The scheme of rejuvenation and pruning of the old gooseberry bush:

Video: rejuvenating autumn gooseberry pruning

Interesting! There is quite radical method rejuvenation old gooseberry - cut it to zero.

So what needs to be done:

• In order to rejuvenate the gooseberry, you cut off almost the entire bush at soil level. Although it is still better to leave 3-4 of the youngest and strongest branches (with light bark).
• In the first year after heavy pruning, a lot of shoots will grow. Part will need to be removed, leaving only 4-5 of the strongest and most well-located.
• Next, you will need to enter organic fertilizers in the form of mulch. Or sprinkle mineral on the surface, lightly close them with a rake and pour abundantly.

By the way! Gooseberries will begin to bear fruit already in the third year after such a total pruning. Although at good care maybe even a second year.

What to do before and after the autumn pruning of gooseberries

• cleaning the trunk circle from old mulch and litter so that pests do not winter there;
• loosening;
• watering and fertilizing;
• direct cutting;
• treatment for pests and diseases;
• shelter (new mulching) for the winter.

In order to avoid mistakes when pruning gooseberries in the fall, after harvesting, it is very important, especially for a novice gardener, to adhere to optimal timing, rules and schemes for pruning a bush. Also, don't ignore others. autumn events for the care of the berry for the winter. Only then will you get the desired effect.

The high yield of gooseberries is closely related to competent organization autumn care and preparing for winter. The main task of the gardener - to help the culture survive the frosts and create conditions for good fruiting in the next season.

Basic principles of autumn gooseberry care

Most varieties of gooseberries are planted in the fall. In the same period, pruning, preventive treatment from pests, planting cuttings or layering are carried out.

Autumn gooseberry care begins with cleaning the near-stem circle from weeds, old mulch and leaves.

Many novice gardeners mistakenly believe that after harvesting, no manipulations are needed. However, they are greatly mistaken. Autumn crop care is very important . Indeed, in the case of such “forgetfulness”, the yield of an amber berry will steadily decrease every subsequent year.

Before the start of the first frost, it is necessary to perform the following types works:

• cleaning weeds around the bushes;
• removal of dry foliage and old mulch with its subsequent burning;
• pest control treatment;
• digging the soil directly under the plantings;
• pruning shoots and dry branches;
• top dressing;
• autumn watering;
• mulching the root zone.

Gooseberries under a crust of ice.

In the case of competent implementation of all the above procedures, next year you can safely count on a rich and high-quality harvest.

Digging and loosening

After removing dry foliage and weeds, you should think about digging the soil.

You can loosen the ground under a gooseberry bush to a depth of 5–8 cm.

It is better to carry out this operation together with the feeding stage . Digging the soil should be carried out with caution, especially in the root zone, as there is a high risk of damage to the root system of the plant. In general, weeding and loosening are carried out throughout the spring-summer season. It must be remembered that flowers cannot be planted under a shrub or lawn grass, to use in the destruction of weeds by special means- herbicides.

Digging is necessary not only to fertilize or saturate the soil with oxygen - it good preventive measure pest control for wintering. Often, work with the soil is carried out during the period of the first frost, when sub-zero temperatures guarantee the death of most pests.

top dressing

Top dressing can be carried out both in the process of digging, and separately.

The introduction of dry dressings is more convenient to combine with loosening the surface of the earth.

Before the winter season, this stage is designed to replenish stocks nutrients plants. The best choice there will be potassium and phosphorus complex fertilizers. They are entered according to the scheme 30\20\100 in relation to superphosphate\potassium sulfate\ash . This amount is calculated for 1 bush. Top dressing can be introduced into the soil, both in dry and liquid form.

For top dressing, you can use "braga" from such a compost bath.

In addition, peat significantly enriches the soil, positively affecting the future yield of gooseberries.

Pest control

In autumn, it is also necessary to carry out preventive treatment against diseases and insect pests. Proved effective:

• inkstone;
• 1–3% solution of Bordeaux liquid;
• 5% solution baking soda(to combat powdery mildew);
• oxychloride (prevention of septoria and goblet rust);
• infusion of ash (to combat anthracnose).

To protect against moths and aphids, infusions of onion peel, potato tops or garlic help well.

Mulching

Mulching the soil is necessary not only when rare visits are expected suburban area, and the owners do not have the opportunity to constantly care for the culture.

Mulching a gooseberry bush with plant material.

In addition to the ability to retain moisture and prevent the growth of weeds, mulch material organic origin can increase the nutrition of the root system of the plant. Mature compost or peat - an excellent choice for a knowledgeable gardener.

Autumn mulching brings additional function- protection from the approaching frosts. The most commonly used materials are:

• straw manure;
• peat;
• matured compost;
• sawdust;
• straw;
• crushed pine bark.

The thickness of the "shelter" is usually 10-12 cm.

Watering

Late fall watering milestone, which for some reason many summer residents miss.

Moisture-charging watering for gooseberries is especially necessary if the autumn was dry.

The lack of moisture will affect, first of all, young shoots, and hence the future productivity of the crop.

The root system of the gooseberry is powerful and goes deep underground. In order for the farthest and longest roots to receive water, the berry must be shed well. Water consumption is approximately 28–30 liters per bush.

The time of late autumn watering depends on the region.. In the southern regions, it is held at the end of September, in the northern regions a little earlier, but most importantly, a month before the onset of the first frost.

pruning

Scheme of forming pruning gooseberries.

Pruning in the fall is needed to rejuvenate and improve the shrub. It should be carried out annually according to the following scheme:

• In autumn, after planting, each pagon is cut off by about 30% .
• Sampling for next year 4-5 strongest young branches , the rest are cut off. The remaining branches are also shortened by a third.
• In subsequent years (until reaching the age of seven), pruning is carried out similarly to this method.
• Upon reaching the age of 7, all old pagons are removed.

Experienced gardeners recommend removing branches that are too low, almost near the ground, as well as growing inside the bush. It is necessary to excise infected, diseased and broken shoots. The main epaulettes should be shortened in the first place so that they can stimulate the growth of new branches.

Autumn forming pruning should be done only with disinfected tools.

Preparing for winter

Under the conditions of gooseberry cultivation in the middle lane or in the southern region, the berry does not require additional shelter for the winter. Things are quite different in the northern regions.

In the harsh Siberian winter, without quality shelter, the culture simply has no chance of survival. Temperature in - 40 ° C will lead the shoots to death if they are not covered with reliable mulching material.

How is gooseberry shelter carried out?

In conditions low temperatures middle lane enough to sprinkle on the mulch tree bark and well covered with snow.

Preparations for winter should begin after late autumn watering and the implementation of all measures for the prevention and processing of the berry.

In the spring, the shelter is removed from the bush, and the plant independently assumes its original position within a few days. It is important to remove the covering material as quickly as possible, as if delayed, the pagons may begin to take root.

findings

Gooseberries can be safely called a long-liver of the garden and household plots. Unpretentiousness in care and high productivity attract even novice gardeners. By following the simplest rules of agricultural technology, you can shoot good harvests over 12–15 years.

Video about a simple way to shelter shrubs in winter

» Gooseberry

Gardeners appreciate gooseberries for abundant harvests, easy care, undemanding to soil fertility and warmth, tasty dietary berries.

For its high content of vitamins and minerals, it is called northern grapes. With proper care, the shrub bears fruit up to fifteen, especially favorable conditions- up to thirty years. The yield reaches twenty-five kilograms per plant.

In this article, we will just talk about how to care for gooseberries in August and September, and also learn how to grow bushes in the country.

Care for the prickly berry bush during the season includes:

• pruning and thinning;
• watering;
• weeding;
• protection from pests and diseases;
• top dressing;
• loosening;
• mulching.

Work should begin with the choice of a landing site. Sunny, wind-sheltered areas are preferred. Gooseberries are not picky about soil fertility. Does not tolerate waterlogged lowlands. Choose places where ground water do not come closer than one, but better - one and a half meters to the surface.

Excessively light, heavy, acidified soils will have to be cultivated beforehand. When planting, it is necessary to fertilize, remove dry and damaged roots, shorten the shoots on the seedling. Deepen the root neck about three to five centimeters lower than the bush grew in the nursery. to plant better in autumn before the onset of frost. Autumn plantings take root better compared to spring.

When planting, leave the distance between the bushes at least 1.4 - 2 meters, between the rows - up to 2.5.

Pruning and thinning gooseberries in the country

The first pruning is done immediately after planting the seedling. The shoots are shortened, each retaining two to three buds. A year later, several strong, one-year-olds ready for wintering are formed from them.

Sanitary pruning is done regularly. Remove broken, diseased, damaged creeping, twisted shoots. Formative pruning is carried out in autumn.

And also specimens growing in especially favorable conditions give abundant basal shoots. There is a danger of thickening. In these cases, excess shoots are carefully removed.

To bring the beginning of fruiting closer, to increase the number of berries and to accelerate ripening, pinching annual shoots helps. This will increase the frost resistance of buds and branches.

Watering

Gooseberries do not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil. Therefore, it cannot be planted in the lowlands, where spring water lingers for a long time, or groundwater is high. However, the berry plant needs regular and plentiful watering. In the first year of a plant's life, such a measure provides active growth strong escapes.

In the future, a sufficient amount of moisture contributes to a greater yield of large delicious berries. Under young bushes, ten to twenty liters of water should be poured weekly, under adults - twice as much.

If it is not possible to water the gooseberries every few days, you can apply a different scheme. Plentifully shed after flowering during the growth of berries and shoots, then - when the ovary appears, in the fall, carry out moisture-charging irrigation to create conditions for the growth of the root system and prepare plants for overwintering. Pour at least five buckets of water under the bush each time.

To avoid erosion of the soil and stagnation of fluid at the root collar, a groove is arranged along the perimeter of the crown. Well established drip method: fluid consumption is reduced, efficiency is increased. Mulch helps to significantly reduce the frequency of watering.

Gooseberries tolerate short dry periods well. But prolonged dryness will lead to a decrease in the number of berries, it happens not for one season. Therefore, it is important to maintain soil moisture levels of at least 70 percent.

During fruit ripening, watering should be even and regular. Otherwise, the berries may crack.

Weeding and fertilizing

No weeds important condition in the cultivation of gooseberries. You need to remove all the grass under the bushes and between the rows, preferably by hand, especially carefully - creeping wheatgrass. The task is complicated by the thorniness of most varieties and the fact that the fibrous root, growing in breadth, shallow from the surface of the earth, is easily damaged.

Mulching, among others, helps to solve this problem. Some gardeners use trunk circles from roofing felt or made industrial way from modern materials. Such shelters do not let in light, and the growth of grass under them is inhibited.

It is not recommended to use herbicides on household plots for weed control in berry plantings. There is a risk of the chemical accumulating in the soil under berry bushes with regular treatment for several years.

Protection from pests and diseases

During the growing season, it is necessary to regularly (ideally daily) carefully examine the gooseberries to notice the first signs of pests or diseases. Upon detection, it is required to immediately take measures to suppress the lesion.

Chemical treatments are excluded during the flowering of the plant and the ripening of berries. Prevention of problems should be carried out in a timely manner, in the spring before the buds open, or in the fall after leaf fall.

More often than others harmful insects gooseberries inhabit:

• kidney tick;
• glass case;
• sawfly
• moth.

To combat them, use:

• copper sulfate;
• karbofos solution;
• biological insecticides.

Use folk remedies:

• spray the plants with an infusion of wood ash (one kilogram of ash is poured with three liters of boiling water and insisted for a day);
• until the snow melts and until green kidney cones appear, the bushes are watered once with boiling water from a watering can;
• planted next to shrubs (one and a half to two meters) plants that repel pests: garlic, dill, marigolds, chrysanthemums.

It is useful to add to these preparations and to the ash infusion a small amount of soap solution.

If, despite the measures taken, the pests have not disappeared, you can repeat the treatment after flowering (except for boiling water).

Gooseberry diseases and methods of treatment

Among some gardeners, there is an opinion that diseased bushes must be uprooted and replaced with new ones, picking up modern, disease-resistant varieties.

Sferoteka (powdery mildew). Fungus. Processing should begin immediately after the first signs are detected - white plaque. Apply: Bordeaux mixture, sodium bicarbonate solution (5 g per 1 l of water), ash infusion or soda ash solution (50 g per 10 l of water). To prevent problems in spring and closer to autumn, they are sprayed with Karatan or analogues. Immediately after flowering, twice, with an interval of eight to ten days, they are treated with infusion of cow dung.

Septoria (white spot). Brown patches appear first. Affected leaves must be removed and burned immediately. Treat the bushes with a solution boric acid. For prevention, loosen, introduce copper sulfate into the soil.

Goblet rust. The first symptoms are orange spots on the leaves. For treatment, treat after flowering with Bordeaux liquid. For prevention in the spring, shed the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Anthracnose gooseberry. Brown-brown tubercles on the leaves. Treatment: spray the bush with a solution of copper sulfate, the ground under it with a solution of boric acid, Bordeaux or zinc liquid.

Blackening of gooseberries

What to feed gooseberries?

The berry is responsive to systematic, but not excessive feeding. In early spring apply nitrogen fertilizers in the form of a solution: 50 grams ammonium nitrate or urea at the rate of 20 - 30g per square meter landings (about 60g under a bush).

They practice scattering granules under the bushes in the snow at the very beginning of melting: nutrients, gradually dissolving, are delivered to the roots with melt water.

Potash, phosphorus and organic fertilizers are left for the fall.

loosening

The surface of the earth must be kept loose. Gently loosen under the crown periodically to a depth of three to five cm, if necessary, simultaneously applying fertilizer and removing weeds.

Mulching

Mature compost, humus, dry fallen leaves and grass, rotted peat. Cover the under-bush space with a layer of at least 5 cm. Mulch retains moisture, well structures the soil, stimulates an increase in the amount of organic matter, slows down the growth of weeds.

How to care for gooseberries after harvesting in August and September

In late summer and autumn, the foundation is laid for plant health and next season's harvest. You should start immediately after picking the berries, and before the onset of frost in time:

• make a thorough weeding under the bushes, remove weeds, fallen leaves and other vegetation residues;
• abundantly shed each plant;
• make top dressing;
• dig the ground under the bushes and between the rows,
• treat the shrub with means of protection against diseases and pests;
• cut off old and weakened branches;
• mulch;
• prepare for wintering.

Soil cleaning

Immediately after removing the fruits, the gooseberries are carefully weeded, removing grass, weed roots, accumulated sticks, twigs and other debris from under it. Fallen leaves are immediately burned to avoid wintering pathogens in them.

Creation of a moisture reserve

About a month before the arrival of frosts, it is important to carry out the so-called moisture-charging watering. Each bush will require at least 50 - 60 liters of water, you can pour it in two to three stages. The supply of fluid will allow the gooseberry to endure cold weather, resist diseases, and form fruit and vegetative buds.

Autumn top dressing

At the end of the harvest, gooseberries are fed with superphosphate (up to 50 g) and potassium chloride (up to 30 g). One liter of ash can be added as a potash fertilizer. Phosphate fertilizers affect the increase in productivity. Potassium provide drought resistance, frost resistance, increase immunity to fungal diseases.

In autumn, each bush is “fed” with organic fertilizers:

• humus - one bucket;
• diluted in water chicken manure(1 to 10) or mullein (1 to 5).

On the acidic soils additional lime, chalk or dolomite flour is required.

Reference. Fertilizer rates should be increased if the soil on the site is neutral or slightly alkaline.

Autumn processing of gooseberries

autumn pruning

Every year at the end of autumn (before the first frosts) a shaping and rejuvenating U annual plant leave three to five strong developed shoots. Choose well-located to lay right base bush. The rest are cut flush with the soil surface. The next three to four years also leave some of the most successful growth, the rest are removed. Correctly formed mature plant consists of five to six stems of each age (one-year, two-year, and so on).

The greatest number of fruits, as a rule, ripens on two-four-year-old branches. Anything older than five or six years old does not make sense. It is not difficult to distinguish the "old men"; they are the darkest and largest. They retain four to five of the strongest annual basal shoots, remove about the same number of old frame branches and all diseased ones. Pruning is done as close to the ground as possible. Powerful developed branches on old branches can be preserved by cutting off only the unusable parts.

Gooseberry bushes are thinned out if necessary. Thickened ones are less productive: too little light penetrates inside, there are no ovaries, a fungus settles. On well-lit branches, fruit buds actively form and develop.

The old curtain can be rejuvenated. For this late autumn in the ninth - tenth year of life, all branches are cut off, except for strong zero shoots. The earth is carefully fertilized, loosened. Gooseberries tolerate this procedure well.

Digging open ground

Before the establishment sub-zero temperatures the soil around the gooseberry should be carefully but carefully loosened. Depending on the density of the soil, it is “fluffed up” with a pitchfork or dug with a shovel. Over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe berry, the soil is dug up by 18 - 20 cm, under the crowns - by 5-6 cm. autumn fertilizers. Small clods of earth can not be broken.

Pre-winter digging should not be neglected also because it makes it difficult for pests and pathogens of berry sores to winter in the soil. And growing in open ground gooseberries next year becomes easier.

Prevention of diseases: how to treat?

When there are no more berries left on the bushes, intensive measures can be taken to save diseased plants, treat them with appropriate fungicides and insecticides. If the defeat has taken on irreversible proportions, the bush will have to be sacrificed, dug up and burned. This loss may allow the rest of the copies to be saved.

In autumn, preventive procedures are necessarily carried out to prevent diseases and the spread of pests. To do this, the shrub and the soil under it are carefully treated with Bordeaux liquid or blue vitriol and a solution of the drug Inta-vir.

How to prepare bushes for winter and how to fertilize?

As a rule, adult berry growers tolerate winter well. Young, weakened plants, representatives of heat-loving varieties and gooseberries, "living" in cold climatic zones, need help.

After all autumn work plantings should be mulched: cover the surface of the earth under the bushes and between the rows with a 10-cm layer of natural protective material - rotted manure, mature humus, peat, sawdust, small branches. In winter, under such a litter, heat is retained, organic processes continue. In the northern regions, you can additionally pour dry earth to the base of the bush, cover the embankment with agrospan. With the onset of positive temperatures, it is necessary to remove the entire warming layer so that the soil warms up in time and the bush comes out of dormancy.

In severe winter zones (in the North in Siberia, in the Urals), as well as in gardens with southern varieties and cold winters with little snow, gooseberry branches are gently bent to the ground, fixed with flyers or planks. From above they cover with pine or fir spruce branches, additionally covered with snow. The needles not only retain snow, create an additional "fur coat", but also serve as an antiseptic, repel rodents and pests. A cover of snow will reliably cover and protect from the cold.

For additional snow retention and protection from cold winds, hedges are created and barriers are installed.

Gooseberries are a popular, high-yielding and very responsive culture. It's not that hard to grow it. Factors bountiful harvest- properly selected zoned damage-resistant varieties, their diverse range in the garden, competent year-round care. Timely and correctly carried out work will save the efforts of the gardener and prolong the life of the berry bush.

The garden long-liver - gooseberry - will delight lovers of delicious berries for decades.

Gooseberry - popular berry culture which can be found on almost every garden plot. This shrub usually gives good yields. But, distinguished by its general unpretentiousness in care, it still requires some attention, especially in autumn. It is important to cut gooseberries correctly and produce others in a timely manner. preparations before the onset of the cold period, so that the plant remains healthy and always brings rich harvests.

Autumn care: what is needed?

Many gardeners, especially those who do not yet have sufficient experience in caring for plants, often forget about gooseberries immediately after picking berries, remembering only next spring. And although this culture is quite unpretentious, it, like any plant, requires some attention, because otherwise the bush grows rapidly and begins to bear fruit worse.

Especially important is the care of these berry bushes in the fall. The complex of autumn procedures should become a mandatory event for the gardener, then he will not have problems with the health and yield of gooseberries. In preparing this culture for winter period you need to do the following:

• remove all weeds from the root zone;
• dig the soil under the gooseberry;
• feed the plant
• thinning and trimming the bush;
• if necessary, protect the shrub from freezing in winter.

Do not forget also about the autumn watering of gooseberry bushes about a month before the onset of cold weather. Each plant will need about three buckets of water, which is best poured into the furrows made around the bush, and not under the root. But most often such watering is carried out with prolonged absence rain. In the presence of heavy autumn precipitation, such a procedure is usually not very necessary.

Weeding and digging the soil

The gooseberry root zone must always be kept clean, regularly removing all weeds under the bushes during the season. In the fall, this is also required to be done. It is also necessary, in addition to weeding, to remove fallen leaves and other plant debris from under the berry.

Advice. In order to avoid the spread of diseases, leaves and fallen berries are best taken outside the site and burned.

With the onset of sufficiently cold weather, it is advisable to carefully dig the soil. Pests that have already settled down for wintering in the surface layer of the soil, after turning over the layers of the earth, are at the top and die from the cold. This procedure also helps from the spread various diseases culture. But you only need to act very carefully when digging the soil so as not to accidentally damage root system plants.

Gooseberry nutrition

Digging the soil under the berry bushes can be combined with the introduction of fertilizers under the gooseberries necessary to replenish the plant's supply of nutrients. Autumn top dressing is the last of the season. At this time, phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied. They can be applied both in liquid form and in dry form. If granular fertilizers are used, they must be incorporated into the soil.

Attention! nitrogen fertilizers under the gooseberry in the autumn period do not contribute.

Pruning gooseberry bushes

trim this berry bush needed annually. And it's better to do it in the fall, and not in spring period. Gooseberries wake up early enough in spring, quickly filling their branches with juices. If at this time you are a little late with pruning the bushes, you can simply deprive them of part of the food. Therefore, autumn pruning is preferable. All diseased, old and dried branches are removed. They also remove broken, crooked branches that lie down to the ground and those that grow inward and thicken the bush.

You should not feel sorry for the bush, cutting it off, because young shoots grow quickly enough. But the plant will bear fruit better and suffer less from various diseases and pests.

Pruning this culture is of two types:

• formative - held every year;
• rejuvenating - this procedure is required for old bushes.

Anti-aging pruning is carried out for the first time on gooseberries at the age of 7 years. All old branches are cut off at ground level, and only annual shoots are left. In some cases, not all of the old branches are cut out, but only partially.

shrub pruning

Formative pruning is done annually, but in different ways, depending on the age of the bush. In the first year after planting, the stems are shortened by only a third in autumn. The following year, some of the strongest stems of the bush are left, cutting off their tops by a third. All the rest of the shoots are cut without regret at ground level so that there are no stumps left that can serve as a refuge for crop pests.

Further, pruning of gooseberry bushes is carried out in approximately the same way as in the second year. Do not forget about the removal of branches that thicken the bush and interfere with its ventilation, as well as those that are located too close to the surface of the earth.

In the autumn period, you can also spend, if necessary, and chemical treatment gooseberry bushes from pests and diseases. In regions with harsh winters, this crop may need additional cover to protect it from frost. In a temperate climate, gooseberries winter well only with a mulch layer covering its root zone.

Gooseberries are not too difficult to care for, but they still require some attention, especially in autumn. During this period, you need to cut the bushes annually and properly prepare them for the winter so that they are always healthy and well-bearing.

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