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How to properly prune gooseberry bushes in the fall. Proper pruning of gooseberries is the basis of a healthy plant. When is the procedure necessary?

Gooseberries are quite common in home gardens and gardens. However, their owners cannot always boast of having a large number of tasty and healthy berries. The reason for the lack of a good harvest lies in improper care of the bush, or even in its complete absence. The bushes turn into completely impenetrable thorny thickets, from which not everyone will dare to collect a tasty delicacy.

Why do gooseberries need pruning?

Pruning is one of the main measures for caring for gooseberries, which guarantees a healthy, well-formed and well-bearing bush.

On an unkempt gooseberry there are few berries and they are small

There are several reasons why this procedure must be carried out:

1. Gooseberries are prone to growth; fresh shoots grow very quickly. The young shoots are actively developing and intertwining with each other. As a result, a cluster of thorny branches, impenetrable to light and air, is formed. In such dense and poorly ventilated thickets, all kinds of fungal diseases and inhabited by various insect pests. The bush becomes potentially dangerous for the entire garden.
2. Shoots affected by diseases or insects, as well as weakened, broken and frail shoots should be removed in a timely manner so that they do not needlessly take away the vital juices from healthy and strong shoots.
3. In a dense tangle of branches, pollination of flowers is difficult, so few ovaries are formed. Ridding the bush of excess branches and ensuring good ventilation of the crown makes the pollination process more efficient and accessible.
4. With a large number of branches, the berries turn out small and sour, since there is not enough food for everyone and the sun does not penetrate inside the bush. An overgrown bush bears fruit very weakly and then, over time, stops bearing fruit altogether.
5. Any shrub that has reached the age of 7–8 years needs to be rejuvenated, because there are already few fruits on old shoots. A full-fledged bush should have approximately an equal number of branches of different ages. This will ensure a stable harvest over a long period of time. Aged and weakly fruiting branches must be removed in a timely manner so that young replacement shoots can replace them. The most productive stems are considered to be about 3–6 years old.
6. Gradually, the shoots lengthen and, under their own weight, fall to the ground, where they begin to take root. The bush becomes too spreading and shapeless. Harvesting from it is extremely difficult, and sometimes even impossible, since some branches simply cannot be reached.

Gooseberry bushes need to be trimmed regularly

Even the most disease-resistant gooseberry variety will not withstand poor handling and may become diseased if the crown is allowed to thicken excessively.

The procedure for pruning gooseberries must be carried out on time, otherwise it will be much more difficult to do later. The spines of this crop are very hard and sharp; simple fabric gloves do not help to avoid punctures and scratches. But if this happens, you can protect your hands with thick suede gloves. welding work or rubber electrical ones.

When to start pruning gooseberry bushes

Almost all shrubs are recommended to be pruned only during the dormant period, that is, in late autumn or very early spring. Gooseberries are no exception. According to the vast majority of gardeners, it is preferable to carry out spring pruning. But there are some difficulties with the fact that this culture awakens a little earlier than others and swollen buds on gooseberry branches can be seen even when the snow cover has not yet completely melted. Not everyone can get to their plots at this time of year and react sensitively to changes in unstable spring weather.

It is best to prune gooseberries in early spring.

The first ten days of March is perfect time for carrying out the pruning procedure in most regions. This period is very short, the gooseberry awakens quickly, literally with the first rays of the warm spring sun, and immediately throws out its leaves. It is extremely important to be in time before the sap begins to flow, before the buds open and young green leaves appear. If time is lost and for some reason it was not possible to carry out this work on time, then it is better to postpone it until the fall. Otherwise, after untimely pruning, the bush will weaken and bear fruit poorly.

In the summer, they try not to prune gooseberries. As a last resort, only damaged or broken branches are removed.

Gooseberry pruning can also be done in late autumn after leaf fall.

In the fall, after the leaves have fallen and until frost, you can calmly deal with the bushes. Plants should not be pruned too early as this may stimulate the development of new shoots. The wood of tender branches will not have time to ripen before winter and will freeze, which will negatively affect the well-being of the entire bush. Pruning carried out in October or early November (in the southern regions) will not allow the gooseberry to grow new shoots and it will go to winter with well-ripened healthy branches. In the spring, immediately after awakening, the bushes will begin to actively develop and increase green mass.

In the spring, you have to make your way to the gooseberry bushes through the still lying snow. The process is made a little easier by the fact that we grow them not far from the path, which thaws earlier. As soon as the spring sun warms up, you need to immediately start pruning the bushes, otherwise you may be late. Gooseberry buds burst instantly. Just yesterday the branches were bare, but today tender green leaves are already fluffing up on them.

Anti-aging pruning of gooseberry plantings

Skeletal branches extending from the rhizome reach peak fruiting between three and six years of age. Then the number of fruits gradually decreases and the ten-year-old shoot practically no longer bears fruit. Therefore, 6–7 after planting, the gooseberries need to be rejuvenated, as the bush gradually begins to age. To prolong its full life, it is necessary to get rid of aged branches and replace them with new ones. It is impossible to immediately cut out all the old shoots, because a plant without branches will die.

Old unkempt bushes turn into impassable thickets

The rejuvenation procedure is carried out in several stages:

1. The bush is mentally divided into three approximately equal parts. In the first year, in late autumn, all branches are removed from 1/3 of the bush. This stimulates increased growth of zero shoots. To make it easier for the plant to survive the execution, gooseberry plantings are generously fertilized with humus. To do this, apply at least 2-3 buckets of organic fertilizer under each bush.
2. The next season (a year later), the new zero shoots that appear are shortened by a quarter of the length. Then cut out the next third of the remaining old branches.
3. After another year, remove the remaining unnecessary old part and trim the fresh branches by ¼.

Rejuvenating pruning removes old branches

If you carry out timely annual pruning of the bush, then rejuvenation will not be necessary. All branches that are older than 10 years must be removed on time. This radical rejuvenating procedure is required only when the bush is neglected. After 30 years, plants are no longer rejuvenated; such bushes are simply uprooted.

Gooseberries can be trimmed in different ways

There is another way of anti-aging pruning, which involves removing absolutely all shoots. At the same time, stumps are left, about 10–15 cm high, from which fresh shoots will come. Sometimes with this method it is recommended to leave 3-5 of the strongest and most developed branches. After the formation of the bush is completed, they are removed.

After radical pruning, the gooseberries need to be fed well

In old bushes, the rhizome grows so much that only stumps remain in the middle, and young shoots grow only around the central part. Our gooseberry bushes stopped bearing fruit properly after about 15 years. They tried to do rejuvenation, but it was too late. The bush produced few fresh shoots and there were very few berries. The outer branches constantly fell towards the ground and the plantings began to take up too much space. I had to cut everything out completely. But there were a few branches left with roots that managed to take root; they were planted separately in another place.

Video: rejuvenating pruning of neglected and old gooseberry bushes in the fall

Sanitary pruning and proper formation of gooseberries: tips for beginners

It is necessary to carry out regularly sanitary pruning shrubs, which consists of removing those affected by a fungal infection or damaged by insect pests, as well as dry, broken, weakened shoots and lying on the ground. Completely frozen branches must be cut out; if they are partially frozen, the bad area is cut off down to living tissue. It is also better to remove intersecting, rubbing against each other and twisted stems so that they do not thicken the bush.

Sanitary pruning can be done at any time

Pruning for sanitary purposes can be done throughout growing season, especially if you need to urgently remove shoots infected with the disease. But usually such manipulations are carried out in conjunction with regular formative pruning of gooseberry bushes.

Experienced gardeners form the crown of the gooseberry from the moment it is planted and do this throughout the life of the plant. This is the only way to achieve a bountiful harvest every year.

Gooseberries need to be pruned annually and throughout the life of the plant.

The technology for annual pruning of shrubs is as follows:

1. The first pruning is carried out even before placing the seedling in the ground. The bush is carefully examined and 3–4 of the strongest and most correctly oriented shoots are selected; they are shortened to 4–5 buds. All the weaker, dried out, diseased, twisted stems, lying on the ground or directed into the bush, are mercilessly removed. They will only interfere with the development of healthy branches and take away from them nutrients. If the seedling is weak, then no more than two buds are left on the shoots.
2. At the beginning of the next season (in the second year of the plant’s life), a second pruning is carried out. Of all the zero branches, of which there should already be several, 5–6 conveniently located and most powerful ones are selected. Weaker stems that have not grown to 20 cm must be removed so that they do not take away vital juices and take away the strength of the bush. Vertical and slightly inclined shoots are shortened by a third or a quarter of the length to stimulate branching. Those looking inside the bush, bent and horizontal branches must be removed.
3. The next year the gooseberries begin to bear fruit. By this time, the bush should consist of 12–14 branches of different ages (from 1 to 3 years). Sanitary pruning is carried out again with the removal of diseased, weak and strongly inclined stems towards the soil. Select 3–4 strong root shoots, and cut out the excess ones. All remaining shoots of the current year are shortened by about a third (12–15 cm).
4. In the fourth year, 3-4 strong shoots from the root are again left and the bush is freed from unnecessary, weak, diseased and twisted branches. The bush already has up to 20 shoots of different ages and is considered mature. Productivity reaches its maximum point.
5. When the gooseberry reaches five years of age, the bush already consists of almost 30 stems. At this time, light rejuvenation begins, during which the oldest branches (from 5 years old) are cut out. They are distinguished by their dark brown, almost black bark. All other pruning operations are carried out according to the same scheme.

Formative pruning of gooseberries is carried out over several years.

Annual removal of poorly fruiting old branches and timely competent pruning will help keep the bush young and ensure a guaranteed abundant harvest.

It is very important to make the correct cut and not damage the fruit bud. The cut is made above the eye (5–6 mm higher) and at an angle of 45–50°. If you cut the shoot higher, the bud will not have enough nutrition and it will dry out. A higher cut is dangerous due to the drying out of the part of the stem located above and the death of the entire branch. Moreover, the bud should be located on the outside of the stem. Otherwise, the sprout will go inside and will still have to be removed.

It is very important to trim branches correctly

Video: how to prune gooseberry bushes in early spring

Non-standard methods of pruning gooseberry bushes

Experienced gardeners use unusual and unusual ways to shape the gooseberry crown.

Trellis

Tall varieties of gooseberries are sometimes grown on a trellis. With this method, all shoots of the bush are evenly distributed in one plane.

With the trellis method, gooseberry shoots are spread out in one plane

Formation sequence gooseberry bush on the trellis it looks like this:

1. Seedlings are planted in rows at a distance of 0.5–0.6 m from each other. Row spacing must be at least 1.5 m.
2. Simultaneously with planting, a supporting trellis is installed. To do this, long vertical supports (poles made of metal or wood) about 1.8–2 m high are placed between the plants. Three rows of steel wire or polyethylene twine are pulled along the poles parallel to the ground with height intervals of about 0.5 m.
3. For each seedling, only 3–4 strong stems are selected, the tops are pinched, then distributed fan-shaped at intervals of 20–25 cm and tied to the lowest line. Everything else is cut out clean. Should grow back by autumn side shoots, which go horizontally.
4. Next spring, the lateral shoots are fixed on the second line of the trellis. Zero shoots that have grown from the ground are removed. Annual pruning consists of shortening the tops of last season's shoots by a third of their length. To avoid thickening the bush, leave no more than 3-4 sprouts each time.
5. The bush is pruned in a similar way for the next 3–4 years.
6. Starting from 5–6 years, the bush is gradually rejuvenated. The old branches are removed one by one, leaving the strongest and strongest young shoots that emerge from the root collar to replace the old ones.

Forming gooseberries on a trellis is a rather labor-intensive process.

The bush, located in a plane, is evenly illuminated by the sun and is well ventilated. Fruiting of gooseberries on a trellis occurs earlier than in classically formed plants. The fruits are much larger and their taste is higher. Access to the plant is easier and caring for even the most thorny varieties is much easier, because each branch is within visibility and accessibility.

Harvesting trellis gooseberries turns from torture into pure pleasure. But for this you will have to work hard from the very beginning.

Video: gooseberry plantations on a trellis

Standard

Gooseberry shaped standard method, visually resembles a low spreading tree. Such an unusual and unusual plant takes up very little space on the site and looks very aesthetically pleasing. This technique with shrubs in the form of miniature trees is often used by landscape designers to decorate personal plots and parks.

Gooseberries on a trunk are formed as follows:

1. Only one shoot growing vertically upwards is taken from a young seedling. It is this that in the future will be the trunk of the gooseberry tree. All other branches are removed.
2. In the spring of next year, the desired size of the trunk is determined and the central branch is shortened. Most often they choose a meter height. Up to this level, all fresh growing shoots on the stem will need to be removed throughout the life of the plant. The stems coming from the root are cut out completely. To make the process easier, some gardeners wrap the trunk with a thick, opaque film or put on a cut rubber (plastic) tube. You can bury the end 10–15 cm into the ground at the very base.
3. The plant will not be able to stand vertically on its own, so it is immediately tied to a support (wooden peg, metal rod, etc.).
4. In subsequent years, pruning is carried out according to the classical method: 4–5 of the most powerful shoots are left, and the shoots of last season are shortened by a third. In addition, do not forget about sanitary pruning and cut out branches directed towards the center of the bush or downwards, as well as broken, diseased and weak ones. The shoots coming from the rhizome are immediately cut out so that they do not take away nutrients from the main trunk.

To form a trunk, leave a single vertical branch

In addition to its attractive appearance, gooseberries on a trunk are more distinguished large berries, since they get enough sunlight and nutrition. Caring for the bush is greatly simplified and the fruits are not difficult to collect.

The lifespan of a standard gooseberry usually does not exceed 10–12 years, even with good care. This is due to the fact that the central branch, which acts as a trunk, is aging and cannot be rejuvenated. Such bushes are not frost-resistant; they have to be additionally insulated for the winter. Only frost-resistant varieties are suitable for forming on a trunk.

Gooseberries on a trunk are a decoration for any garden

Our neighbors have a standard green gooseberry bush growing on their property. It is a decoration in itself. The berries on it are the size of a medium-sized apple, but there are not very many of them. Such trees are grown not for harvest, but simply for beauty. The entire surrounding population goes on an excursion to look at this wonderful creation of human hands.

Video: standard gooseberry

If you just plant a gooseberry bush and don’t take care of it in any way, then good harvest there is no need to count. Proper pruning and formation of the crown of a bush refers to mandatory procedures, which will protect the plant from many diseases and harmful insects, and also guarantee a stable harvest over the next few years. Following the series simple rules, any novice and inexperienced gardener can handle this work.

Pruning gooseberries should be done regularly, as this shrub very quickly produces new shoots, as a result of which it becomes like a prickly hedgehog, large and decaying, from which it is very difficult to collect berries. But a well-groomed bush does not overgrow so much, does not climb into neighboring plantings, and weeds that are difficult to reach do not grow under its spreading paws. In addition, the nutrition of the bush is distributed from the roots throughout the plant. The more shoots there are, the less minerals the berries will get, which means they will be small and tasteless. That is why pruning gooseberries is the focus of our attention today.

What tools will you need?

First of all, take care of reliable gloves; they should protect your hands from numerous thorns that can hurt you. In addition, pruning gooseberries requires the use of special tools. To do this, you can purchase a garden saw or good pruner, special scissors with a long handle, which are usually used for trimming branches, are also suitable. In any case, the tool should be convenient to climb into the center of the bush.

Spring pruning of gooseberries

It is carried out simultaneously with planting. You buy a seedling, plant it in a prepared place and immediately remove the excess. In this case, the shoots should be shortened so that no more than 4 buds remain on each of them. You don’t have to worry about the bush, only at first glance such treatment seems merciless. In fact, it will give amazing results. Pruning gooseberries in the spring allows you to leave all the strength of the plant for rooting. It is in this case that by mid-summer the first fruits begin to form on the branches. In the future, the gardener’s task is to monitor the growing shoots and remove the weakest and thinnest of them. In this case, if the shoot clearly looks weak and has stopped growing before reaching 7 cm, it should be removed to the point where the branch forms strong branches. Then the bush will not waste energy on weak branches.

What time do you need to meet?

Spring pruning is so difficult that you need to guess right time. This procedure should be performed at a time when sap flow has not yet begun, that is, long before the first bud appears on the branches. Otherwise, the plant will become very sick and may die. Therefore, if you missed the allotted time, then gooseberries are pruned in the summer. Gardeners really don't like spring treatment plants, as it’s easy to miss the moment. It will be much easier to start working later, when the harvest period has already begun.

Formation of a bush, or Zero branches

Pruning gooseberries in summer is strictly not recommended. This weakens the bush, and if pruning is not done professionally, it may not survive winter cold. Therefore, in the summer all that remains is to monitor the zero shoots. This is the name given to the branches located lowest, right next to the ground. They need to be cut back by about a quarter and monitored for growth throughout the season. In this case, the bush will be more neat, and it will also produce many new shoots. This is not difficult to do: inspect the branch, select the strongest bud on the outside and cut the branch 10 cm above it. This is how you will direct the twig outward and not inward of the bush.

Autumn processing

Judging by everything that has been said, you still have the main work to do, and indeed, gooseberries are most often pruned in the fall. Right now you can see which branches have borne fruit and which have not, and you can easily distinguish with the naked eye strong and weak branches, broken and dead. They can be carefully removed, and in the spring all that remains is to form a bush. Gooseberries are not pruned in the fall in the first year after planting. However, after that it is performed every year.

Basic Rules

All activities must be completed before the cold weather sets in. The plant should come to its senses, heal its wounds and calmly go to winter. Before the cold weather, the cutting areas should become dry. At the same time, remember right away that in the fall it is allowed to remove all illiquid items, that is, weak and diseased, broken and too fragile branches. It is strictly forbidden to shorten shoots; there is spring pruning for this. The plant may sprout new sprouts, but soon frosts will come, and the young branches will die, and the bush itself will weaken.

Your actions

Pruning gooseberries after harvest seems simple and straightforward until you come to a thorny bush. Now the confidence is gone experienced gardener. There is nothing complicated here, just follow our tips and you will succeed. First of all, carefully inspect the bark. This will allow us to draw a conclusion about the age of the branch. If you see that it is dark, blackened, and the shoot itself looks lifeless, remove it down to a healthy area. Separately, it is worth mentioning about pruning an old bush, in which most of the branches are in this condition. It is impossible to cut everything at once; pruning gooseberries after harvesting cannot exceed 2/3 of the total volume of branches.

Let's sum it up

In summer, pruning gooseberries can end sadly, so it is only done in emergency cases. New shoots may not have time to grow stronger until the end of summer, and therefore will freeze until spring. You need to be able to identify those branches that bear fruit. They should not remove growths that are less than one year old. This is the main potential of the bush. Only in the spring will they need to be inspected and those that have turned black over the winter cut off. The shoot turns black if it did not have time to become covered with dense bark before the cold weather, this once again proves that it is impossible to prune the bushes in the summer. In early July, you should only pinch the apical buds of the branches, thereby blocking the access of nutrients to the very tips. This limits the growth of the bush in width. You cannot completely cut out the entire bush. If all the branches look bad, and the bush is already more than 20 years old, then either leave a third of the total number of branches in the hope of rejuvenating it, or, even better, plant a new bush and uproot this one.

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​In dry weather, watering is necessary.​

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​(if the hole was well filled with fertilizers during planting). Nitrogen fertilizers(preferably urea) is used in the spring (70%, i.e. 15 g, in early May; 30%, i.e. 10 g, after flowering) per 1 m of the bite circle (per bush).

How to prune old gooseberries?

​Usually, pruning of a bush is completed by the fifth year of its life. When the autumn pruning of currants is completed, the “skeleton” of the formed bush should consist of 10-15 main branches. These are both young and old shoots. A healthy bush should have a strong and wide base, thanks to which sunlight falls on all branches. Such a plant becomes covered with buds and then with berries from the middle of the bush. If the currants are not processed, the berries are small and ripen only on the outer shoots, and they may not be present at all in the center of the bush.

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Why prune gooseberries, and how to prune them correctly

By completing the bulk of the work on pruning gooseberries in the autumn months, you will save yourself from most of the hassle in the spring. With the arrival of spring, you will only need to remove frozen branches, trim the weakened tips of the shoots to healthy tissue and remove the root shoots.​

How to prune gooseberries so that the bush forms correctly

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​It’s not for nothing that the small but very pleasant-tasting gooseberry fruits are called northern grapes, because behind the unsightly-looking shell there is hidden a real treasury of various “useful things” - vitamins and microelements. But if you want to get your own gooseberry bush, then be prepared to regularly spend time pruning it. Without it, the bush will quickly turn into an impassable collection of very thorny branches, and its yield will drop to almost zero. Let’s figure it out together about how to properly prune gooseberries in the fall after harvesting and whether it needs to be done at all.​

​Irrigation rate - 1 bucket per bush in

​Three years after landing​ The seedling is planted vertically, the roots in the hole are straightened, and the soil around it is compacted. Be sure to water (1 bucket of water). Mulch with peat, humus, dry soil, rotted sawdust in a layer of 8-10 cm. Bushes are planted in a row every 1.0-1.5 m.

According to the size of the fruits, varieties are distinguished

​The juiciest berries appear on young shoots - this is a well-known fact. Branches are considered old when they reach 10 years of age; the fruits on them become smaller and over time they completely stop producing crops. And thanks to autumn pruning of gooseberries in the spring, the growth of zero shoots will be activated. To recognize an old branch, you need to pay attention to its bark - on young shoots it will be light, on old shoots it will be darker, and their thickness may be the same.​

The optimal time for pruning gooseberries is autumn. The thing is that in the spring the plant wakes up and active sap flow begins in its shoots. The buds rapidly swell and just as quickly they turn into young green leaves. And if you don't guess with the right time spring pruning, then you can seriously harm the plant. In the fall, after the bushes have given you all their berries, their activity gradually decreases, sap flow slows down, and it is at this time that it is recommended to manipulate excess shoots.

What is the time frame for pruning gooseberries?

Autumn pruning of currants occurs in several stages:

​An experienced gardener will never have doubts: do gooseberries need to be pruned? If you leave the bush to its own devices, allowing it to grow as it pleases, as a result of severe thickening, the gooseberry will weaken, wither and stop producing crops, or even die.

​In the future, your main task will be to monitor the growth (this is what the growing ends of branches with light bark are called): if the growth formed over the summer is small (about 7 cm), then the branch is weak and needs to be shortened further to the first branch with good growth. Branches with too thin ends should also be shortened, since fruits will not appear on them, and the apical buds will draw nutrients onto themselves. Before the first strong branching, prune those branches that do not have fruits; remove old, non-fruiting branches to the soil level, without leaving stumps.​

​As mentioned above, gooseberries must be trimmed carefully and regularly. But what time is better to do this: summer, spring or autumn? Of course, the best time for pruning almost all crops is early spring, when the plants have not yet had time to wake up from winter hibernation. Bushes pruned before active sap flow begins restore strength faster and give best harvest. But the problem is that the gooseberries begin to wake up very early, when many gardeners cannot yet get to their plots. Therefore, gooseberries are most often pruned in the fall, before the onset of stable frosts. But in the hot summer it is not recommended to prune gooseberries, as this can greatly “bleed” the bush and even cause its death.​

• ​hole or along grooves. Pre-winter watering is carried out in October at the rate of 2 buckets per bush. During the summer, 3-4 waterings are carried out.
• ​under autumn processing bite circle
• The formation of a gooseberry bush is done by pruning

​small-fruited, medium-fruited, large-fruited. By type ​Recommendation! If all the branches on the bush are old, then there is no need to cut them all off. It is better to do this gradually and remove no more than a third of their number in one season!​

​Important! Gooseberries need to be pruned only after harvesting and after leaf fall, but always before the first frost arrives!​

The shrub grows well in a sunny or slightly shaded place, protected from strong winds, on fertile, humus-rich soil (pH 6.2–6.7). Feeding currants after harvesting is very important if you want the bush to bear fruit for at least 10–15 years.​

orchardo.ru

Pruning currants after harvest

​When pruning, it is important to leave 3-4 shoots, which bear fruit well this season. After a few years, the bush will consist of up to 20 branches of different ages.​

Tool preparation and processing methods

​After the next currant crop has been harvested, the bushes must be processed in a timely manner in order to obtain a good amount of large and juicy berries next year. Pruning currants after harvesting allows the plant to form correctly and not get sick. The enemies of unkempt currants are powdery mildew and insect pests. To reduce the risk of infection, excess and old branches are carefully removed.​

​Shoots growing from the ground (zero) must be cut to a quarter of the length, then the bush will branch better. Before pruning the gooseberry, find the strongest bud located with outside branches. It is above it, 10 mm higher, that you need to make a cut, then the shoot from the bud will not grow deep into the bush, contributing to its thickening, but outward.

Let's take a closer look at how to properly prune gooseberries after harvesting:

Gooseberries are propagated

​add to the soil (per bush) 150 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium sulfate or 200 g wood ash, 8-10 kg of organic matter (rotted manure or compost). This frequency (every 3-4 years) is observed throughout the entire economically useful age of the bush.

​. Pruning is carried out immediately after planting, leaving 3-4 shoots with 4 - 5 buds on the seedling. The formation of a bush of early-fruiting gooseberry varieties takes 2-3 years, for other varieties - 5-6 years. Of the basal shoots that grew during the first growth season, 3-5 of the most developed ones are left, and in the second year their number doubles.​

How to distinguish diseased currant branches from healthy ones?

There are varieties of thorny shoots: strongly thorny, weakly thorny, and thornless.

​At the last stage of gooseberry pruning - at the end of autumn (just before frost), you can cut off excess branches, as well as those that grow in the middle of the bush and prevent normal penetration sun rays.​

Which branches are urgently removed?

​Early autumn is considered an inappropriate time for carrying out this work due to the fact that at this time the weather often indulges in warm days - thaws, during which the bush can produce several more young shoots. And these young growth, remaining on the bush, will not have time to become covered with dense bark and will simply freeze in winter. For the same reason, gooseberries are not pruned in the summer.

​For your information, the largest number of berries appear on last year's shoots.​

Removing leaves and fertilizing currants

​When the plant reaches the age of 7-8 years, the shoots that appeared in the first year of life should be removed. It is also advisable to trim off weak, diseased, broken branches that are growing in the wrong direction. A fully formed bush will consist of 20-25 branches, the age of which ranges from 1 year to 8 years.​

​Proper pruning currants are the key to a wonderful harvest!​

What does a processed currant bush look like?

Processing Features

​First of all, during autumn pruning, all dead and diseased shoots, as well as shoots growing inside the bush, are removed.

1. ​vertical and horizontal layers and green cuttings. The most common method is propagation by horizontal layering. Under mother bush loosen the soil and fertilize it abundantly with organic matter.
2. ​In addition, annually, starting from the second year​

​Adult formed bush​

Spring pruning of currants

Mostly gooseberries are self-fertile

Upon completion of the work, it is advisable to treat sections with a diameter of more than 8 mm with a healing garden varnish. This way, the plants will return to normal faster after the procedure, and the risk of pathogenic bacteria and fungi entering the wound will disappear.​

• ​Thanks timely pruning the bush will get rid of unnecessary branches, and nutrients will be in winter period will not be wasted
• ​A healthy bush produces 5–7.5 kg of berries annually.​
• ​It is not recommended to leave stumps after pruning, as they quickly become a habitat for numerous insects.​
• ​It must be remembered that pruning branches is very stressful for currants, so this process must be approached with special care. You usually have to trim a lot of branches, so the result directly depends on the condition of the tool you have to use. A hacksaw or pruning shears must be well sharpened so that the cuts are neat and small.​
• ​If you still have a lot of questions about how gooseberries are pruned, the video will allow you to better imagine this process.​

Shoots and branches, the ends of which have become a victim of powdery mildew, are cut back to the first healthy bud.

How to properly prune blackcurrant bushes - video

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Currants - mandatory care after harvest

Black currant is a grateful crop

​The healthiest and longest shoots​

• ​after landing, at the end​
• Gooseberries should have 20-25 different ages

​, but it is better to plant 2-3 different varieties.​

Gooseberry is the most productive crop The scheme for autumn pruning of gooseberries is as follows:​The collection of currant berries begins a week after the color changes from green to black. For long-term storage (during transportation and sale), it is better to collect whole clusters rather than individual berries. This species, unlike its red counterpart, is well suited for freezing.​

When is it better to prune currants: in spring or autumn? In addition to autumn pruning, amateur gardeners can also carry out spring treatment of the plant. This procedure should be started after the period of frost ends and the thaw begins. But it is important not to miss the period in which the plant has not yet begun to form buds and is in a “dormant” state.​

Light currants - post-harvest care

When is the best time to prune currants? For this important event, it is better to choose a sunny and dry day at the end of October, at the beginning of November.​

​Like many other garden shrubs, gooseberries should be pruned before sap flow begins and the buds open. Otherwise, pruning the gooseberries will only harm the plant, significantly weakening it. It is worth noting that the awakening of gooseberries after winter occurs very early: as soon as the snow melts and the sun begins to warm up, young leaves are already beginning to appear on the shoots of the bush. Since the period suitable for spring pruning of the bush is too short, for many gardeners, autumn pruning of gooseberries is preferable. At least in the fall you can cut out all the old, unnecessary branches to the ground, and in the spring all that remains is to form the fruit-bearing branches.​

During the first summer after planting, the gooseberry bushes form many root shoots - of these, only 5-6 of the strongest ones should be left during autumn pruning. The remaining root shoots are shortened by half. ​bend into the furrows and pin with hooks​

​September - early October, under each gooseberry bush (when digging), 8-10 kg of organic matter (manure, compost, peat feces), 50 g of ammonium nitrate, 30 g of potassium chloride (or 150 g of ash), 80 g of superphosphate are embedded in the soil.

Autumn propagation by cuttings - increasing plantings

​branches, of which 3-4 branches are from one year to seven years. Branches older than 8 years are cut out. Pruning is carried out annually. Old gooseberry bushes undergo anti-aging pruning (in the first year, half the branches of the bush are cut out, the next year - the remaining old branches).

​According to the timing of ripening, gooseberries are divided into early, mid-early, middle and late varieties. The color of the berries ranges from yellow and green to red and black. The root system is powerful and is located at a depth of 20-60 cm. Individual roots go to a depth of more than two meters.​

​among berry plants. WITH the best varieties they get a harvest of up to 32 kg from one bush. Currently, the gooseberry is experiencing a rebirth, settling in numerous gardens of amateur gardeners.​

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In young one-year-old plants, the shoots are shortened so that the remaining part contains about 4 buds. The speed at which the bush forms will directly depend on how much you prune its branches in the first year of growth. In this case, young branches are cut off by a third, and no more than 4 of the root branches are left, and only those that do not grow in the middle of the bush.

​Before we talk about such a mandatory manipulation as pruning currants after harvesting, find out how they are planted. The bush is planted either in spring or autumn. The seedling is placed in the furrow in such a way as not to damage the roots. A large amount of compost and some manure are laid out at the bottom of the pit. The root collar should be underground at a depth of about 5 cm.​

Pruning rules

When to prune?

​How is this process carried out?​

How to trim?

​to the ground. When vertical shoots 10 cm long grow, they are spudded and watered twice. In autumn, rooted shoots are cut off and planted in a permanent place. Weak shoots are grown for another year.

Summer fertilizers are used to feed gooseberries

Pruning is carried out in early spring

The first berries appear in the 2nd year after planting

Gooseberry is a perennial berry bush

​After abundant watering, the shoots are pruned above one or two buds so that 6–9 branches remain - this is done in order to stimulate the development of new shoots.​

The branches are shortened by one quarter at the edges so that the bush resembles a bowl.

The process is simplified if the bush is young and has not yet bear fruit. In this case, you will only have to cut off unnecessary root shoots. For the harmonious formation of a bush, three or four shoots are enough.

You can begin removing unnecessary branches after harvesting the fruits or after the leaves have fallen. You must have time to complete sanitary pruning before the onset of cold weather. Just do not carry out shortening pruning in early autumn (discussed above), otherwise you will provoke the appearance of new growths that will not have time to become woody before frost and will simply dry out. That is, young shoots will die!

​Starting from the fourth year of the bush’s life, only sanitary pruning is left for the fall.

​Vertical layers​

​solutions of organic matter and mineral fertilizers (before harvesting). The solution is prepared as follows: fill a bucket a quarter full with mullein, bird droppings or slurry and fill it with water to the brim.

​, before the buds open, but it can also be done in the fall - immediately after harvest or in October. Bushes older than 12 years of age are uprooted and replaced with new promising, high-yielding, disease-resistant, winter-hardy varieties.​

​, and full fruiting occurs in the 4-5th year. The harvest, depending on the variety, is from 3 to 12 or more kg per bush. The lifespan of the bush is more than 30 years, economically useful age is 12-20 years.​

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Gooseberry cultivation, soil, planting and pruning

​with high winter hardiness,​ Until the gooseberries become very thick, from time to time it is necessary to remove branches on which fruit ovaries do not form. Such shoots should be cut off almost at soil level and try not to leave stumps.​

Processing currants after harvesting involves, among other things, thinning the shoots. The procedure is performed from November to March, until the kidneys develop. The first three years, sanitary thinning is carried out, during which diseased, very thin shoots creeping along the ground are removed. From the fourth year, rejuvenating thinning is carried out, when thick shoots are cut off to leave room for young and new ones. The crown needs to be thinned, getting rid of unnecessary thickets that interfere with normal lighting and take away the energy of the plant.

If the bush is more than 4 years old, then every year in the fall all dry and diseased shoots are carefully removed, which the plant no longer needs, but only gives them its vital juices and strength. These branches will no longer be of any use - they will no longer bear fruit. And for insects, they become a favorite habitat, which is why the entire currant bush gradually becomes sick.

​How to prune gooseberries in the fall:​ You can try to rejuvenate old, very overgrown gooseberry bushes with radical pruning. At the same time, along with diseased and dead branches, the weakest shoots and all root shoots are cut out. Usually 5-6 skeletal branches are left, but the bush should not shrink by more than two-thirds.

​obtained from the oldest bushes. In the fall everything is cut off

​Prepared solution​​For protection against freezing​

​Gooseberries are taken under

Productivity, precociousness. Gooseberries contain vitamins C, B2, B9, E, PP, carotene, sugars, acids, mineral salts, pectins. Gooseberries are used for canning, filling pies, and gravies. Jams, compotes, juices, marmalade, marmalade are prepared from the berries. The berries are also consumed fresh. In the second year, the branches that formed as a result of growth are again shortened by 1/3, and 8 of the basal ones are left.

​6–7 one-year-old shoots are left, and two-year-old and three-year-old shoots - 4 each.​

​When pruning a young bush for the first time in spring, it is recommended to leave the 10 strongest shoots.​​Before you start processing the plant, you need to carefully examine all the branches. The color of the bark of young and old shoots is very different. Young ones are covered with light greenish bark, while old ones are covered with brown bark with a grayish coating. Branches with weak growth, poorly developed buds, visible signs of damage by various diseases are no longer needed by the plant, and they must be removed to keep the bush in excellent condition. Pruning currants will help the plant stay healthy.​

​inspect the bark of the branches to determine how old they are;​

​Strong thickening of the bush in any case negatively affects the harvest, because gooseberries are a light-loving crop. In addition, an excess of shoots leads to a lack of nutrition for the plant; as a result, the gooseberry weakens, and its tissues are easily affected by diseases. Branches almost reach the ground, leaving 1 - branches. In the spring, the shoots that appear on the cut branches are covered with loose soil, leaving the tops. The following autumn, the shoots are unplanted and well-rooted shoots are separated and planted in a permanent place.

Soil and planting gooseberry seedlings

​dilute again with water: mullein - 4-5 times;​​A seedling planted in autumn is covered with soil to a height of 10 cm and at the end of October the soil around it is mulched.​

​protected from the prevailing winds, illuminated areas of the garden, as well as between rows fruit trees. He is better than others berry crops tolerates soil acidity. Areas with loved ones are unsuitable groundwater. On slopes, plants are placed in the upper or middle part. During deep digging, 20 kg of organomineral composts are added to the area allocated for each plant (1.0-1.5 m2).​ ​They contribute​

​Don't forget to monitor the growth of the ends. If during the season the end of the cut shoot has grown by no more than 7 cm, then it should be removed without regret to the very base.

​In autumn, manure with a high percentage of potassium should be used as fertilizing. So-called litter is poured under the bushes, for example, from crushed oak bark. This is done in order to root system it did not freeze or dry out, since in currants it lies relatively shallow. In subsequent seasons, one third of the old shoots are removed from the bush.

But if the branch still looks strong, and the flower buds on it are healthy and large, it can be left on the bush for several more years. It happens that young, seemingly healthy branches also do not bear fruit from year to year. Such shoots will also have to be removed.

Pruning gooseberries, forming bushes

Almost black branches (the oldest) need to be removed first;​The peculiarity of gooseberries is that every season it produces a huge number of new shoots. Collecting fruits while wading through dense thickets strewn with thorns is not the most pleasant experience. Annual pruning of gooseberries in the fall greatly simplifies the task, allowing you to remove most of the thorny shoots, but this does not mean that thornless varieties do not need pruning.

​Green cuttings​​bird droppings - 10-12 times; slurry - 6-8 times. Fertilizers are applied (a bucket per bush) into circular furrows. In the absence of organic matter, 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate (or 100 g of ash) are added to each fruit-bearing bush.

​Late April - early May​

​Landing pit​​decrease blood pressure, strengthening the walls of blood vessels

Gooseberries, soil and plant care

​Note! It is very easy to recognize a growing horse - it will have more light color compared to the shade of the shoot at its base!​ ​Currant bushes reproduce after harvesting through cuttings. In September-October, annual shoots about 15–20 cm long are pruned. The upper part of the cutting is cut obliquely just above the bud, the lower part is cut flat, just below the bud.

It is advisable to carry out spring pruning annually, and at least once every 2 years. How to prune currants correctly? Without any hesitation, you can cut down the lower branches of the currant bush, which bend down to the ground under the weight of the berries. Such fruits are still not suitable for consumption, because they quickly rot when they come into contact with the ground, and are often covered with dirt.​

​If the bush consists almost entirely of old branches, do not cut them all out at once - no more than a third of the branches are allowed to be removed in one year.​ ​If you want to collect a good harvest of large, tasty berries from the bushes in your garden every year, you will have to learn how Properly prune gooseberries during the season and shape their crown. It won’t take much time, but you will be able to achieve high productivity of the shrubs and protect them from fungal diseases.​

​more difficult for an amateur gardener. They take him to

Feeding in the furrows around the bush is combined with watering. The soil in the bush circles is loosened to a depth of 6-8 cm, leveled with a rake, and weeds are removed. The soil under the bushes is mulched with peat and humus (10 kg per bush). In autumn, the ground around the bushes is dug up with a pitchfork to a depth of 10-12 cm.

Prepare 2-3 weeks before planting. Best time planting - third ten days of September

​vessels, have antitumor properties, increase the body's resistance, and remove heavy metal salts from it.​ ​In the third year, the plant will begin to bear fruit and there will already be about 15 shoots of different ages. Here the pruning scheme will be similar to the first year - this year’s branches are shortened by a third, and no more than 4 root branches are left.​

Next, a furrow is dug and a layer of sand is poured onto the bottom. The shoot is placed so that 1–2 buds are above the surface of the ground. The cuttings are planted at a distance of 15–20 cm. Already next year the shoots will take root and give rise to new bushes. After harvesting, currants require abundant fertilizer, as mentioned above. Usage mineral fertilizing It is recommended to practice in early spring.​

​Many inexperienced gardeners, not knowing the rules for caring for currants, prefer not to prune old shoots at all, believing that the forces of nature themselves will correct everything, and the currants will always bear fruit beautifully. But that's not true. Simple recommendations will help you preserve the plant and receive a large number of tasty and healthy berries every year. Shoots that disrupt the normal growth of the bush also need to be removed. Crooked branches growing in the wrong direction only prevent currants from developing normally. They come into contact with other shoots and during bad times weather conditions They easily throw berries off the bush and tear off the tender bark from young branches. It's like tearing off a piece of skin. Open wounds are tasty for insects, and any infection easily affects the plant.​

​In late autumn, when the gooseberry begins its dormant period, you can thin out the bush by cutting off competing branches, as well as those that grow too low or too far away. Treat large diameter sections with garden varnish. How gooseberries are pruned in the fall, the video in the tab will allow you to better understand.​

​greenhouses with film cover.​

After watering the soil​In the first three years after planting​

- beginning of October. A hole is dug 40 cm deep, 60 cm in diameter, laying out the top and bottom layers of earth into different sides from the pit. Fill the hole with the top layer of fertile soil mixed with organic and mineral fertilizers(2 buckets of humus or compost, 2 buckets of peat, 300 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium salt, 300 g of wood ash, 150 g of dolomite - for acidic soils).​

​The height of the bush is 1.0-1.5 m.​​At 5-7 years of life, the bush should have at least 18 shoots of different ages. This is the peak of gooseberry fruiting. From now on, every autumn it is necessary to remove all old branches to the very roots.

​The powder is scattered evenly around the bush. Apply in April organic fertilizers in the form of compost or manure, which is spread around the bush in a layer about 6 cm thick and finely dug up. This simple care after harvesting will ensure an even larger harvest, which will delight you with currants for the next season.​

How to propagate gooseberries by layering, cuttings

​Before we begin to describe the manipulations with shrubs, we will conduct a short educational program. Thus, black currants belong to the gooseberry family, however, like red currants, better known as “river currants”. Blackcurrant is widely cultivated due to its exceptional taste and dietary qualities. This berry is an excellent source of vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, calcium and potassium. After pruning blackcurrants in the fall, all leaves on the bushes should be torn off. Why do this? The fact is that yellowing, rotting leaves become a good breeding ground for pests.​

​Video about proper pruning of gooseberries​ The first pruning of gooseberry branches should be done before planting. After shortening the shoots, no more than four buds should remain on them. Do not spare the bush - thanks to strong pruning, new side shoots will begin to appear at the base, the gooseberries will form faster and better.​

​Yu. Nikolaev​

Mulch with peat or humus. The first feeding is carried out after flowering. Additionally, in June they conduct foliar feeding, for which 2 g of copper sulfate, 2.5 g are dissolved in 10 liters of water boric acid, 10 g of manganese sulfate, 3 g of zinc sulfate, 3 g of ammonium molybdate and spray 3-5 bushes with this solution.​ ​phosphorus and potash fertilizers do not apply

​Before landing​

A fruiting bush has 20-25 different-aged​Sometimes on bushes you can find basal shoots that have taken root from the tops - this happens in advanced cases, when the cutting has not been carried out for several years and the tops of the branches hung so low that they could go to the root. Such shoots must be removed without fail.

Every year a large number of new shoots appear on the gooseberry bush, which not only complicate the harvesting process, but also interfere with the penetration of light. And as you know, this crop is light-loving and with insufficient sunlight it will bear fruit worse and its resistance to diseases will significantly decrease. For these reasons, pruning gooseberries after harvest is very important. And if you want to get a lot of tasty berries every year, and also strive to protect the plant from diseases, then you will have to regularly thin out the plantings.​

How to propagate currants by cuttings in spring Gooseberry harvest

Every year, a large number of new shoots appear on the gooseberry bush, which not only complicate the harvesting process, but also interfere with the penetration of light. And as you know, this crop is light-loving and with insufficient sunlight it will bear fruit worse and its resistance to diseases will significantly decrease. For these reasons, pruning gooseberries after harvest is very important. And if you want to get a lot of tasty berries every year, and also strive to protect the plant from diseases, then you will have to regularly thin out the plantings.

Autumn pruning of gooseberries will significantly simplify the process of harvesting the future harvest and will not take up much of your time.

Pruning rules

When to prune?

The optimal time for pruning gooseberries is autumn. The thing is that in the spring the plant wakes up and active sap flow begins in its shoots. The buds rapidly swell and just as quickly they turn into young green leaves. And if you don’t guess at the right time for spring pruning, you can seriously harm the plant. In the fall, after the bushes have given you all their berries, their activity gradually decreases, sap flow slows down, and it is at this time that it is recommended to manipulate excess shoots.

Important! Gooseberries need to be pruned only after leaf fall, but always before the first frost arrives!

Early autumn is considered an inappropriate time for carrying out this work due to the fact that at this time the weather often indulges in warm days - thaws, during which the bush can produce several more young shoots. And these young growth, remaining on the bush, will not have time to become covered with dense bark and will simply freeze in winter. For the same reason, gooseberries are not pruned in the summer.

How to trim?

The scheme for autumn pruning of gooseberries is as follows:

1. In young one-year-old plants, the shoots are shortened so that the remaining part contains about 4 buds. The speed at which the bush forms will directly depend on how much you prune its branches in the first year of growth. In this case, young branches are cut off by a third, and no more than 4 of the root branches are left, and only those that do not grow in the middle of the bush.
   
2. Until the gooseberries thicken strongly, from time to time it is necessary to remove branches on which fruit ovaries do not form. Such shoots should be cut off almost at soil level and try not to leave stumps.
3. In the second year, the branches that formed as a result of growth are again shortened by 1/3, and 8 of the basal ones are left.
4. Don't forget to watch the growth of the ends. If during the season the end of the cut shoot has grown no more than 7 cm, then it should be removed without regret to the very base.
   

   On a note! The growing horse is very easy to recognize - it will have a lighter color compared to the shade of the shoot at its base!

5. In the third year, the plant will begin to bear fruit and there will already be about 15 shoots of different ages. Here the pruning scheme will be similar to the first year - this year’s branches are shortened by a third, and no more than 4 root branches are left.
6. At 5-7 years of life, the bush should have at least 18 shoots of different ages. This is the peak of gooseberry fruiting. From now on, every autumn it is necessary to remove all old branches to the very roots.
7. Sometimes on bushes you can find basal shoots that have taken root from the tops - this happens in advanced cases, when the cutting has not been carried out for several years and the tops of the branches hung so low that they could go to the root. Such shoots must be removed without fail.
8. The juiciest berries appear on young shoots - this is a well-known fact. Branches are considered old when they reach 10 years of age; the fruits on them become smaller and over time they completely stop producing crops. And thanks to autumn pruning of gooseberries in the spring, the growth of zero shoots will be activated. To recognize an old branch, you need to pay attention to its bark - on young shoots it will be light, on old shoots it will be darker, and their thickness may be the same.
   
9. At the last stage of gooseberry pruning - at the end of autumn (just before frost), you can cut off excess branches, as well as those that grow in the middle of the bush and prevent the normal penetration of sunlight.

Upon completion of the work, it is advisable to treat sections with a diameter of more than 8 mm with a healing garden varnish. This way, the plants will return to normal faster after the procedure, and the risk of pathogenic bacteria and fungi entering the wound will disappear.

When and how to do it correctly.

Why do gooseberries need pruning?

IN general outline Everyone knows the answer: if you don’t take care of the bushes, they will quickly turn into thickets. Indeed, gooseberries produce many shoots during the season that need to be organized.

There are others causes, which make such manipulation necessary and regular:

• Heavily overgrown bushes become impenetrable to light, which creates all the conditions for the appearance of and.
• When the branches are tightly intertwined, they become smaller.
• The more branches there are, the less nutrients each shoot receives individually. As a result, productivity decreases.

Important! The cuts are made only above the inner bud (it is located on the inside of the branch).

• Branches that are too long as they grow simply lie down on the ground and take root. After a year or two, such a “giant” stops bearing fruit and becomes dangerous for other crops: they settle on the shoots and leaves.

To avoid such troubles, they try to shape the bushes through pruning, thereby ensuring productivity. The timeliness of the procedure and correct technique execution.

When to prune

The most effective is considered to be pruning gooseberries in the spring, before the start of the growing season. By forming still “dormant” branches in the first ten days of March, you will ensure normal growth of the gooseberries and thus “lay in” a good harvest.

But there is one difficulty: sap flow begins very early, literally with the first rays of the spring sun. "Catch" right moment and not everyone manages to get out on time, but at the end of March - beginning of April, young leaves are already visible. So, we'll have to wait until the fall. It is undesirable to make live cuts; it harms the plant.

Did you know? In Russia, gooseberries have been cultivated since the 15th century. And in the 19th century foreign varieties replaced local varieties- these were mainly productive British lines.

In the summer, only individual branches are removed, and only if they are severely damaged or infected.

A more popular option remains pruning at the end of the season, which is carried out after the leaves have fallen. This event can be called formative and sanitary: the necessary branches are “exposed” and excess shoots are removed. The horizontal and oldest ones are removed first (they are almost black in color).

Garden tools for work

You need some simple equipment: a lopper. They are simple, but there are some nuances here too. Eg, pruners Available with single- or double-sided sharpening. The first include the simplest, similar to, devices. One of their blades acts as a stop, while the second acts as a cutting edge.

Everyone knows how difficult it can be to cut a powerful branch with pruning shears. For such purposes, devices with a ratcheting mechanism are used, which regulates the position of the blade and its stroke. Loppers remove thick (3–5 cm) thorny branches. Essentially, these are the same pruners, but with long handles. They are easier to work with - the handle acts as a lever and transfers a lot of force to the blades, preventing your hands from getting tired.

Important! When buying a pruner, look at the thickness of the blade and supporting “lip”. If they are made thin, then the tool is only suitable for cutting thin branches, and it simply cannot handle a large shoot.

Note that these two devices do not replace, but complement each other - the pruning shear is ideal for “close combat”, and the lopper completes the work with large branches that are difficult to reach with thorns.

There is also brush cutters, but there is one drawback: they “take” a maximum of 25 mm, and models with one-sided sharpening - even less. In our case, they are only suitable for young bushes.

The requirements for the tool are as follows:

• high-quality sharpening, there should be no “chagging” on the edge;
• light weight;
• ability to work with great effort;
• comfortable handle; the material from which it is made does not matter, the main thing is that it should have rubber inserts that prevent your hand from slipping;
• narrow ends that do not damage neighboring branches;
• safety and bright color - such a device is easy to find in the bush.

Pruning gooseberry bushes depending on age

The amount of work and its nature are assessed taking into account the age of the bush. For different periods Only “our own” pruning techniques are suitable, which we will now consider.

In the first year

It all starts before landing. On young seedling shorten all shoots. On strong branches leave 3–4 buds from the soil level, on weaker growths 2 will be enough. It happens that branches are damaged due to negligence. They are already hopeless, they are cut out immediately. But this already weakens the bush somewhat. This pruning is aimed at proper nutrition bush and the formation of future skeletal branches.

Over the course of the season, the roots will grow well and sprout new healthy branches. Autumn “intervention” in the first year after planting is kept to a minimum - they inspect whether the branches are healthy and leave 5–6 annual shoots for wintering.

Did you know? 100 g of berries contain only 43 kcal. In addition, there are almost no proteins and fats (0.7 and 0.2 g, respectively)- an excellent and “healthy” product for weight loss.

In the second year

In the spring, up to 5 zero shoots are left; these should be healthy, conveniently located shoots. Weak branches that do not reach 20 cm are cut off completely. This is necessary - small growths only draw nutrients onto themselves, taking them away from more developed ones.

To stimulate branching trim strong branches that grow vertically(to approximately 30 cm from the ground). The same applies to slightly inclined processes. But horizontal branches are removed without regret - no garters will help here.

Important! In autumn, the cuts are treated with garden varnish. Here is one of the recipes for a cold-resistant composition: 60 ml of alcohol and 0.5 kg of tree resin, heated separately, are mixed, adding 2 tbsp. l. linseed oil. It is better to keep the mixture in a closed tin.

With this approach, in the fall, 3 “biennials” and the same number of promising annual shoots will be formed on the bush.

For 3–4 years

This is a time of rapid growth.

In the 3rd year, all weak and horizontal shoots are removed. If there is poor growth and unimportant branching, the remaining ones are “revived”, shortening by 12–15 cm. By the end of the third season, a healthy bush should have 12–18 branches of different ages. This is the main “skeleton” of the bush.

In the 4th year after planting, the gooseberries are considered already formed, and pruning becomes more moderate. It comes down to the complete removal of young shoots, including those launched from the root collar. Closer to winter, the bush takes on a beautiful raised appearance.

5 or more years

“Five-year plan” is the peak of productivity, when there are up to 30 branches of different ages. It is already difficult for the bush to cope with such a load.

Here rejuvenation is important. In spring, the bushes are thinned out, removing all thin branches and leaving only strong root ones. For very “aged” plantings, there is another, more radical method: they leave only the 5 most powerful branches, removing all the rest. With normal care, such bushes will form again.

Do not forget about prevention: if a damaged or diseased branch is discovered in the summer, it will have to be immediately shortened to a healthy place or “demolished” completely (in advanced cases).

As you noticed, the work described above is carried out mainly in the spring. Autumn pruning of gooseberries is no less important. Here are its basic rules:

• Lighten the bushes. , receiving light in abundance, gives large and delicious berries. If you hesitate with thinning, you risk introducing powdery mildew onto the bushes.
• Pruning is done from the base. It is from this place that old shoots (more than 5 years old) are cut off. If the bush looks “plucked”, do not be afraid - in the spring it will grow again.
• In old plantings, young shoots are removed. Too many of them will lead to their “sterility” or the appearance of small berries.
• The green tops are cut off. They are unlikely to survive the winter.

These are standard, “classic” techniques for annual processing. There is no special trick here - only calculation and accuracy.

Pruning a neglected gooseberry bush

Often they abandon processing of outdated bushes. And there are different situations - for example, during 1-2 years of the owner’s absence, relatives do not pay attention to the gooseberries, and they become completely thickened.

“Reanimation” of such plants comes down to the following work:

• In the spring, even before the start of the growing season, all weak, diseased, broken and low-yielding branches are removed. They especially thicken the base of the bush, where the shoots look like brushes. From all this mass we will leave 5-6 strong “annuals”.
• If the rescue began in the fall, they try to remove the oldest branches before frost. They are darker than the others and disappear at the base. This ensures fresh growth for spring.
• Dry branches must be removed.

It will take 2–4 years for neglected gooseberries to come to life, during which time processing is carried out according to the same scheme. But without fanaticism - in total, in 2 such prunings (spring and autumn) you can remove no more than 1/3 of the branches on the bush. This is a kind of “pain threshold” of the plant.

Non-standard ways to form a bush

We already know how standard (aka “classic”) pruning is carried out. But there are other shaping methods that are worth mentioning.

Trellis

For growing vigorous varieties with a large number of shoots, they are prepared. Here The sequence of this process is:

• Seedlings are placed according to the following scheme: 1.5 m row spacing and 60–70 cm between bushes.
• Supports (tubes, thick rods or branches) are placed at intervals between the rows. The wire is pulled in 3 rows. The first line is 50 cm from the ground, the rest are 80 cm and 1 m.

• Strong branches (up to 5 pieces) are tied to the finished lines, maintaining an interval of 20–25 cm.
• Annual pruning comes down to removing 1/3 of the tips of last year's shoots (less often, half). Leave 4-5 seasonal shoots, not allowing them to thicken.
• As they age, the bush is rejuvenated.

Picking berries from such plantings is a pleasure. True, you will have to work at the very start.

Did you know? These bushes used to be called simply kryzhas or bersenias. In some regions such names can still be heard.

Standard

In a nutshell, this is a method of turning a berry plant into a tree. The work is also quite labor-intensive, but it’s worth it: the bushes look more elegant, harvesting is more convenient, and maintenance is easier - you don’t have to deal with thorns every time.

The scheme for such cultivation looks like this:

• The most powerful vertical shoot from the bush is selected, which will be the “trunk”.
• Select a standard of the required height. Usually this is 1 m. It is to this level that all the lower branches on the trunk are cut. Some wrap it with a meter-long piece of film or insert a tube that does not allow light to pass through - this will eliminate the need for trimming at the base.
• The plant is immediately tied to a peg.
• In subsequent years, 4–5 strong “seasonal” branches are left, while cutting last year’s branches by half. Sick, horizontal, broken or old (7 years or more) are removed. The same applies to the shoots that appear at the base.

We already know about the advantages of this method, but it also has disadvantages. The first is the age of such a “tree”: they select one shoot, but it ages, and 12 years for a standard shrub is the limit. Let's add here and possible problems during wintering - only frost-resistant ones are suitable. Well, the labor costs are a little higher: you will have to “adjust” the pegs and stands several times a season.

You saw how to work with gooseberries so that they please the eye and produce large yields. Now pruning does not represent any secret for our readers. Good luck at the dacha!

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