How to prune gooseberries in spring: video, diagrams, rules for forming bushes

Gooseberries are a ubiquitous, unpretentious and fertile crop that requires regular pruning. Within a few years, fast-growing young shoots transform the bush into dense, impenetrable thickets that do not allow light to pass through. Pruning gooseberries in the spring for beginners in pictures will clearly show what and how needs to be removed so that the berry bush annually pleases with a rich harvest and a neat appearance.

Do I need to prune gooseberries in spring?

Gooseberries require regular pruning for a number of reasons:

• the rapid formation of young shoots thickens the bush, which becomes impenetrable to light, as a result of which the gooseberries become smaller and their number decreases;
• the dense interweaving of thorns promotes the development of diseases and the proliferation of pests, which makes harvesting inconvenient;
• the yield also falls due to a lack of nutrition, most of which is taken by new branches;
• the bush loses its shape, its long branches lie on the soil and take root;
• Gooseberries are favored by pests and diseases, which become a threat to other nearby plants.

You can see how to properly prune gooseberries in early spring in this video for beginner gardeners:

Types of pruning

In spring, the following types of pruning can be done on gooseberries:

• sanitary – to improve the health of the bush by removing old, damaged, dry and diseased branches that interfere with normal growth and development;
• formative – for the correct formation of a compact shrub;
• rejuvenating – to stimulate the growth of new shoots.

Sanitary cutting is carried out annually, shaping - at planting and 3 - 4 years after, rejuvenating - once every 5 - 6 years.

When can you prune gooseberries in spring?

The ideal time for forming a gooseberry bush is spring, before the active growing season. The buds wake up very early, so the plant is pruned in early spring before sap flow begins.Gooseberries are one of the earliest fruit crops to enter the active stage of the growing season after winter. Therefore, its pruning is timed to coincide with the complete melting of snow and slight drying of the ground. Depending on the region, this could be early or mid-March. After the buds open, the bush cannot be pruned; this will significantly weaken its growth and development.

How to prune gooseberries correctly in spring

If you follow the deadlines for pruning gooseberries in the spring, which is the most important stage of formation, the bush will delight you with numerous strong shoots the next year. In general, pruning activities are simple and are divided into three main stages:

1. Pruning after planting.
2. Formation of shrubs for next year.
3. Spring revision of a three-year-old or older plant.

During the first 3 years of life, the gooseberry is given shape, then it is cared for as an adult plant, that is, it undergoes annual sanitary cutting and once every 5 years, a rejuvenating haircut.

Tools and materials

To trim gooseberries, you will need sharp pruning shears and loppers, which should be pre-disinfected. To remove thin branches, use a pruner, and thick branches, more than 5 cm in diameter, use a lopper. Tools should have comfortable handles, be durable and light in weight for ease of use. Fresh cuts are treated with garden varnish, which protects plant wounds from pests and infectious diseases. Perform the work wearing gardening gloves.

General rules for pruning gooseberries in spring

The rules for pruning shrubs are as follows:

• cuts are made 1 cm above the bud, which is directed outward: growths from buds directed inward are not suitable for growth;
• lateral, excess shoots are cut off completely;
• old shoots are shortened to the point where they begin to grow;
• thin ends are cut off to a large bud;
• Do not prune in summer and remove annual growths;
• black shoots are completely cut out: this color signals infection with powdery mildew;
• branches that are far from the main part of the bush and very low placed are removed.

The cut should be located just above the bud, aimed at the outer side of the crown. Most often, gooseberries are grown as a multi-stemmed bush with skeletal branches of different ages in the amount of 20 - 25 pieces. Do not touch 3-6 year old shoots, which bear most of the harvest.

How to prune gooseberries in spring: diagrams

Pruning gooseberries in spring by year is clearly presented in the diagram below. However, when working, the following recommendations must be observed:

• to stimulate branching, the shoots of the first year are shortened, leaving several healthy buds, especially for weakened plants;
• weak branches are removed from strong, healthy bushes, since they will not bear fruit anyway;
• in the first year, the gooseberry should have 3 - 5 buds and shoots shortened by a third;
• all growth growing in the wrong direction is removed next spring;
• to form a voluminous crown on a two-year-old seedling, last year’s growths are cut by 1/3;
• leave up to 6 - 8 pieces of strong branches;
• The third year is an important period for growing gooseberries, which enter the fruiting phase. The pruning scheme is repeated: 3-5 strong shoots are left from the root shoots, young branches are shortened by a third of the length.

How to prune gooseberry bushes when planting in spring

Experienced gardeners carry out the first pruning of the plant before planting a young seedling. If it is strong and developed, then all branches are removed and a few with healthy buds are left in the amount of no more than 4. On a weak seedling, annual shoots are shortened, leaving 2 buds on each. This will increase the branching of the bush. Weak branches are not left behind. If the first pruning of the gooseberry in the spring when planting is done correctly, then by autumn the bush will have at least 5 - 6 annual, strong shoots. When in doubt, it is better to leave a branch rather than trim it.

How to do sanitary pruning of gooseberries in spring

A plant that is older than 3 years is no longer formed, but only put in order with the help of sanitary or rejuvenating pruning for old bushes. Thus, annually during spring care the following is removed:

• frozen, dried and diseased branches;
• weak and thin shoots, as well as those that spread along the ground;
• shoots growing inside the bush;
• old, dark-colored branches that are infected with powdery mildew or no longer bear fruit.

How to form a gooseberry bush in spring

The scheme for correct formative pruning of gooseberries in spring is as follows:

• up to 5 healthy buds with several zero shoots are left on the branches of the current year;
• These branches are shortened by a little more than half the length next year;
• the number of new shoots should increase to 8;
• in the third year, the bush forms about 12 branches, of which the current year’s shoots are shortened and the 4 most developed ones are selected from the “zero” ones;
• by the age of five, a young gooseberry has branches of different ages in the amount of 20 - 22 pieces,
• Old branches with darker bark begin to be removed from this moment.

This method of formative pruning ensures regular growth of young shoots and good fruiting.

How to prune old and neglected gooseberries in spring

You can also trim an old gooseberry bush that “accidentally” lingered on the site in early spring. Initially, old, twisted, completely diseased, weak branches are selected. The dried tips on the remaining shoots are removed at the level of the first lateral shoot. It is impossible to get rid of more than a third of the branches in a season at one time. Otherwise, the plant will receive severe stress and will struggle to survive rather than form new growth and a rich harvest. In very advanced cases, rejuvenating spring pruning can be performed for several years. For such pruning of an old gooseberry bush in the spring, all branches are cut off, leaving the five strongest and most powerful.

Spring pruning of standard gooseberries

The formation of a gooseberry bush in early spring in the form of a trunk makes it look like a small tree. The step-by-step trimming procedure looks like this.

1. Select a powerful vertical branch about 1 meter long and cut off the excess shoots, as well as those that have grown on the trunk.
2. The standard is tied to a metal support to prevent it from bending.
3. All side branches are removed during the season.
4. The next year, last year's shoots are shortened to mid-length, leaving 5 strong branches.
5. All branches that grow incorrectly, directed inward or outward, are removed.
6. The young shoots around the trunk are completely cut off.

How to form a gooseberry bush in spring when growing on a trellis

Trellis cultivation of berry crops also requires regular pruning. It is formed this way.

1. From 3 to 5 powerful, strong branches are tied to a pre-stretched wire, having first shortened them a little. All other shoots are removed.
2. Branches from the middle of the bush are shortened to a greater length than the lateral ones. The shape of the trellis shrub should resemble a fan.
3. Zero shoots are completely cut off.
4. From the age of six, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, replacing old shoots with new ones.

A useful video will explain in detail how to properly prune gooseberries in the spring, so as not to harm them and ensure good young growth.

Caring for gooseberries after pruning

Trimming young or neglected gooseberries in the spring is a simple matter, but after this it is important to provide good care for the plant to quickly restore strength and heal wounds. Fresh cuts are covered with garden pitch or a mixture of mullein and clay in a ratio of 1 to 2.After pruning, the plant needs abundant watering and fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. It should be carried out regularly - once a week, periodically changing to apply organic fertilizers. For example, slurry diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10. Shrubs will respond positively to abundant regular watering, especially in dry summers. It is also necessary to mulch the tree trunk circle with peat, humus or fallen leaves.

Learn more about pruning gooseberries in the spring in this video for beginners:

Conclusion

Pruning gooseberries in the spring for beginners in pictures will make it easy to cope with the mandatory agrotechnical technique for caring for the berry crop. Detailed instructions and reliable tools will make it possible to grow a fruit-bearing, productive, neatly shaped shrub. Due to its characteristics, it quickly grows young growth throughout the year, so what is cut off will be replenished in the same season.

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