Gooseberries
Gooseberries are very easy to grow and will thrive in almost any garden soil in full sun or partial shade. The will crop poorly in deep shade. They are very productive and even a few bushes will give a worthwhile crop.
Gooseberries are best grown on a single stem (leg) rather than as a thicket of shoots. Although bushes are the easiest form to grow, adventurous growers can try training them as cordons (single stems), fans or standard bushes (bush on top of a trunk).
The fruit on last year’s shoots and on spurs from old wood (main stem in the case of a cordon).
Although any garden soil will do, it is best to make sure it is free of perennial weeds and that plenty of organic matter such as garden compost has been added. A bucketful every square metre or yard is ideal. Making raised beds can be helpful if the soil is on the wet side.
Let the plants grow and avoid disturbing the roots. Heavy feeding is not needed, but adding a mulch of rotted organic matter in later winter after a moderate dressing of potassium rich general fertiliser will help to ensure good fruits.
Planting is best done from autumn until spring, but container grown ones can be successful if planted at other times if they are carefully watered after planting. Allow 1.5-1.8 metres between bushes. Cordons and fan trained forms can be planted more closely. Plant so the roots are just below the soil.
If shoots from below the leg appear they are best removed. Weeds should be prevented.
Flowering occurs in mid-spring and if heavy frost threatens covering with sacking or fleece may be needed. However gooseberries are in leaf before flowering and the leaves help to keep off frost.
Gooseberries produce their fruit on stems that are at least one season old. However, the plants still need pruning to remove old, unproductive wood and encourage new wood in its place.
Begin by removing any low-lying branches as the fruit often gets muddy close to the ground or they are eaten by slug and rodents. This task is often essential on gooseberries as they have a lax habit. Remove a few of the older branches from the bush. Choose some of the thickest, unproductive branches, especially if they congest the centre of the bush. Cut them out just above a new, vigorous shoot or prune them out at the point of origin.
The final stage of pruning is to shorten last year’s shoots that are growing from the main stems; shorten the new shoots to a bud about 8cm from their base.
Gather fruits in mid summer thinning small green fruits if the crop is heavy for jam-making and the rest, which grow larger after being thinned, when they ripen.
For further information please see: www.rhs.org.uk/growyourown/gooseberry.asp
