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Autumn is always a busy time of the year. After all, you need to have time to harvest, clean the beds, dig, send for storage or use the fruits grown over the summer and at the same time do not forget to enjoy the last warm days and transplant all the plants that are cramped in old places. The topic of this article is the timing and ways to transplant gooseberries to a new place in the fall.
Why transplant
Often a transplant is needed solely for decorative purposes, for example, if you come up with a spectacular flower bed, and it just fits the place that the gooseberry occupies. Sometimes it happens that even if all the rules of planting and care are followed, the gooseberry does not want to bring a crop in any way, it only takes up space. In this case, transplanting to a new place is exactly what can give a second life to the bush.
The plant tolerates this procedure well, especially if it occurs correctly in the fall, when vegetative processes slow down.
The best time to transplant
There are two opinions about when to transplant gooseberry bushes – in spring or autumn. In fact, both options are good, but in the case of transplanting in the spring, you need to be near the bushes and monitor watering. In addition, the procedure must be carried out before the first kidneys appear.
From the point of view of labor costs and less harm to the plant, autumn is the best time to transplant. After the last leaves fall from the bush, all vegetative processes slow down in order to easily survive the winter. It is best to start preparatory work at the end of September, maximum – mid-October. It is at this time that the root system is most prepared for transplantation, since growth processes stop.
It is advisable to move the gooseberry on a cloudy day so that the plant does not lose a lot of moisture.
Choosing a place and preparing the soil
Choosing the right place for planting gooseberries is often the key to successful growth and fruiting of the plant. Shrubs grow well in sunny, wind-sheltered areas with good soil drainage. If the water stagnates next to the holes, then the dampness that occurs naturally contributes to the development of fungal microflora and frequent diseases of the bush.
A site with light, loamy soil is suitable, it is possible to dilute the loamy soil with clay. Be sure to deoxidize the soil, for this you need to add dolomite flour or lime on the eve of planting.
It is desirable that currants or raspberries do not grow in the chosen place before, as they deplete the soil during growth. In addition, compliance with crop rotation will save the plant, weakened by the “moving”, from diseases common to these crops.
Immediately before transplanting, it is necessary to carefully dig the site, as well as remove all weeds.
Transplant technology
The first step is to properly prepare the gooseberries for transplantation. Cut off old branches so that the bush does not waste resources on them. Only young shoots should remain. It is desirable to shorten them by a third, so that the plant can more easily endure the transplant.
Once the bush is ready, measure 30 centimeters in all directions and dig up the ground to expose the roots of the bush. The found thick roots must be cut, try to leave small roots intact. After that, you need to pull out the bush and transfer it to the film, trying not to break the roots anymore. You can extract it from the ground using a shovel, pitchfork or crowbar.
In a new habitat, it is necessary to dig a hole in width the same as the span of the roots of the bush, it should be at least 50 centimeters deep. Pour 4 buckets of water into the pit, then pour a layer of fertile soil with compost (it is better not to add other fertilizers so as not to damage the root system). The bush should be placed in the center of the hole, carefully covered with earth and tamped down so that it remains stable. Then you need to water the ground again, with at least 3 buckets of water, and mulch with peat or dry earth.
Replanting is only half the battle. In order for the plant to take root, it is important to provide it with good care.
Until the first frost, you need to water the bush every few days, removing the layer of mulch, and then returning it to its place. As a preparation for winter, you can fill the near-trunk circle with sawdust.
Video “Autumn gooseberry transplant”
This video will show you how to transplant gooseberries in the fall.
