Preparing gooseberries for winter in autumn: pruning and care

Proper pruning of gooseberries in the fall can be difficult for beginner gardeners. But it, along with cleaning the near-growth zone, top dressing, digging and watering, is an obligatory stage in preparing the shrub for wintering. Thanks to the implementation of these procedures, you can get a well-developed bush that will productively exist for more than ten years and produce up to 15 kg of berries.

How to care for gooseberries in autumn

Autumn gooseberry care is as important as spring and summer. Following simple recommendations will allow the gardener to help the shrub overwinter. Mandatory procedures for caring for gooseberries in the fall:

1. Cleaning the trunk circle from foliage, branches and debris.
2. Removal of weeds from the bite zone.
3. Digging the soil around the gooseberry.
4. Watering and fertilizing shrubs.
5. Autumn pruning gooseberries.
6. Row spacing processing.
7. Soil mulching.

Do I need to prune gooseberries in the fall

Gooseberries can be cut in the fall, after harvesting, or in the spring, when the snow melts. Autumn pruning is preferred. It solves such important tasks:

1. shoot growth control. Over the summer, new branches form on the bush and, if they are not controlled, they will actively multiply and make the bush impenetrable to light, prone to diseases and pests.
2. Yield care. New shoots consume a lot of nutrients, which leads to a drop in yield and a decrease in the size of the berries.
3. Giving the bush an optimal shape. If you do not cut the shoots, it, lengthening, fits on the soil and takes root. The shape of the gooseberry is lost, the yield is reduced.
4. Formation of a full-fledged shrub. A properly formed gooseberry should have young shoots and strong branches of different ages, which will actively bear fruit in the new season. Old, damaged, dried shoots and weak shoots should be removed.

In the spring, pruning the plant is necessary to remove branches damaged in the winter. Shearing is performed before the start of active vegetation. Gooseberry buds leave their winter dormancy early. The period when you can cut a bush is short. If you do not have time to cut before this time, you can harm the shrub and weaken it.

Types of trimming

After the end of the growing season, the gooseberry must be cut. Types of this agrotechnical event:

1. Preplant pruning. It is carried out before the shrub seedling enters the soil. Its goal is to properly form a young plant. After spring planting, the bush does not take root well, so it is optimal to plant and cut gooseberries in the fall.
2. Rejuvenating pruning. It solves the problem of gradual, within 2 – 3 years, replacement of old shoots with new ones and is relevant for plants over 10 years old. Adult branches are cut to the ground, and a fresh shrub is formed from young shoots. It is better to carry out the event in the fall.
   Attention! To ensure high yields, it is necessary to ensure that there are branches of different ages on the bush: from 1 year to 8 years.
3. Sanitary pruning. It is carried out in spring or autumn in order to remove damaged and diseased processes. Gooseberry shoots of European varieties can freeze in winter, so they must be cut in the spring.
4. Shortening cut. Too thin ends of branches are shortened, because their buds draw off nutrients, which is why they will not bear fruit. Zero shoots growing from the ground are cut to a quarter of the length. This stimulates the formation of new branches.

When to prune gooseberries in autumn

The best time for pruning gooseberries is late autumn, when the dormant period begins. This should take into account:

• unnecessary shoots are removed after harvesting or leaf fall;
• sanitary pruning is performed before cold weather;
• shortening pruning should not be carried out at the beginning of autumn, this provokes the appearance of new shoots that do not become stiff before frost and die.

How to cut gooseberries in autumn: schemes and rules

Pruning and caring for gooseberries in the fall, taking into account the rules of agricultural technology according to proven schemes, will allow you to correctly form its crown and increase productivity.

Preparation of tools and materials

For trimming you will need:

• lopper – in order to remove branches located in the depths of the bush with a diameter of up to 5 cm;
• saw – to remove thick branches;
• secateurs – for trimming small shoots on the surface of the crown;
• chalk or paint – to mark the places of cuts;
• garden pitch – for covering cuts;
• a solution of insecticide and fungicide – for the treatment of branches damaged by insects or diseases;
• wheelbarrow, bag – for cleaning cut branches.

Classic gooseberry pruning in autumn

If the berry is cut according to the rules, mistakes can be avoided that will lead to the death of the gooseberry. Modeling the crown in the form of a bush, classical pruning methods are used, while removing:

• branches growing inside the crown;
• shoots that compete with each other (leave strong and healthy);
• growth that has dried up or turned black;
• low-lying, inclined and rooted shoots;
• diseased and old branches.

Beginner tips for classic fall gooseberry pruning are detailed in the video:

The procedure for classic gooseberry pruning is as follows:

1. Inspect the bush and determine the shoots to be pruned.
2. To avoid mistakes, paint or chalk marks on the branches selected for cutting.
3. Use a pruner, scissors and a saw to prune the plant.
4. Treat the places of cuts with garden pitch.

Running plants that have not been pruned for 1-2 years can be reanimated in the fall with a simple trick. Before the start of frosts, no more than 1/3 of the oldest branches should be cut at the base and 5-6 strong annuals should be left. By repeating this procedure for 2 to 4 years, it is possible to completely restore the gooseberry.

Pruning gooseberries in the fall, depending on the age of the bush

To create a correct, non-shading, non-thickened, well-ventilated crown, shaping pruning is carried out. The table shows recommendations and diagrams on how to properly prune gooseberries in the fall, depending on their age.

In the second or third year, the gooseberry yield is low, but it needs to be well cared for. The period from the fifth to the tenth year after planting is characterized by maximum fruiting, after which the yield decreases. You can increase it again with anti-aging pruning.

For beginner gardeners, useful information on pruning gooseberries in the fall, shown in the pictures in the form of diagrams.

Pruning stem gooseberries in autumn

A standard gooseberry is a bush that has been shaped like a tree. Its berries are larger and sweeter. It bears fruit well and fits perfectly into the landscaping of the garden.

One way to give a standard shape is trimming. It is performed in the following sequence:

1. After planting, the bush is cut off, leaving one large and thick shoot: this will be the trunk of the trunk.
2. A stake, about 1 m high, is driven in next to the gooseberry, a trunk is tied to it.
3. In the autumn of the following year, the lateral processes are removed from the plant at the height of the trunk. Leave 4-6 branches. It is possible to form a trunk, leaving a trunk 0,6 – 1,1 m or a half trunk at a height of less than 0,6 m.
4. During each subsequent haircut, for 4-5 years, 4 shoots are left on each branch and a round crown is modeled, shortening the branches by about 20 cm. Sick and intertwining branches are removed.

After the crown has formed, the side shoots are cut off annually, and the old or frozen ones are replaced with new ones.

Pruning gooseberries in autumn when grown on a trellis

The main advantage of growing gooseberries on a trellis is easy and convenient harvesting, the bush is evenly lit and bears fruit well, has clean berries. In this way, tall varieties with good ability to form shoots are grown.

Gooseberry bushes are planted in parallel rows, the distance between which is at least 1,5 m. Then they are tied to a wire fixed to supports. It is pulled in three levels: 0,5; 0,8; 1 m above the ground. On the first tier, 20-25 strong branches are fixed from each plant at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, shortening them a little. The remaining branches are removed. Then the next year they are tied up without pruning to the second tier. The shoots located in the central part are pruned more strongly, and the horizontal ones are weaker. In autumn, excess shoots and root shoots are removed. Next, pruning is carried out according to the classical scheme. Old plants are given a rejuvenating haircut.

Autumn gooseberry care after pruning

In order for cropping to give results, it is necessary to perform the following restorative procedures:

1. Treat all places of cuts with garden pitch. Instead, you can use activated charcoal or a solution of urea (7 parts water and 1 part urea).
2. Loosen the earth.
3. Feed gooseberries with fertilizer.
4. Water the berry.
5. Examine the bush for pests. If necessary, it should be treated with a disinfectant solution (for example, gooseberries and the ground around it are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid).

Autumn pruning, due to the loss of a large amount of vegetation, is stressful for gooseberries. Therefore, proper care is mandatory for the restoration of the shrub.

Watering and fertilizing schedule

The basic rule of autumn gooseberry feeding is not to use nitrogen fertilizers. Their introduction activates the growth of the ground part and swelling of the kidneys. Potash and phosphorus fertilizers, which are used according to the scheme, will have a positive effect after pruning:

• 10-15 g of potassium sulfate and 15-20 g of superphosphate are brought under a young gooseberry bush;
• for plants older than 5 years – 20 – 25 g of potassium sulfate and 30 – 40 g of superphosphate;
• it is permissible to fertilize with wood ash – up to 300 g per bush.

After top dressing, before wintering, the area around the bush is abundantly moistened. This is necessary so that the soil does not freeze deeply. In well-spilled soil, gooseberry roots, absorbing water, will develop. Thanks to this, the plants do not dry out during frost due to the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the branches.

Loosening and mulching the soil

After pruning the bush, the soil around it should be prepared for winter. To do this, it is dug up and mulched. When loosening, the shovel is placed along the line of root growth, the bayonet is buried in the ground by no more than 5 cm. The clods of earth are turned over, but not broken, and the root system is not allowed to be exposed. To prevent freezing of the roots, the soil of the trunk circle is covered with mulch (straw, peat, humus).

How to prepare gooseberries for the winter

In areas with a temperate climate, special preparation of gooseberries for winter in the fall is not required. But, in order for the shrub to successfully survive the frosts in the northern regions, its root system is mulched. For this you can use:

• dry and healthy fallen leaves;
• spruce branches;
• needles or sawdust;
• humus – it can not be removed and, after spring loosening, it will serve as a fertilizer;
• non-woven covering materials (for example, dense agrospan) are used if a frosty winter with little snow is predicted.

Some European varieties need special protection. The branches of the bush are tied, pressed with boards or bricks to the ground, covered with a cloth and sprinkled with soil. Branches of hybrid varieties can be covered with snow.

Conclusion

Pruning gooseberries in autumn for beginners and professionals in growing this crop is not an easy task, based on the observance of certain rules that depend on its purpose, crop variety and crown shape. Timely completion of all stages of preparation for winter is a guarantee of health and long-term fruiting of the plant.