The gooseberry is considered the most fruitful berry crop. An adult bush, under favorable conditions, gives up to 25 kg of berries per season. The plant is long-lived. If we plant gooseberries correctly, and then competently carry out all agrotechnical measures, it can grow and actively bear fruit for 15-20 years.
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Landing dates
It is better to plant or transplant gooseberries in the fall, when leaf fall ends. In central Russia, this is the period from late September to mid-October.
The work should be completed a couple of weeks before the onset of frost, so that the earth around the planted cuttings will settle and compact. Such seedlings take root better, in spring they will start growing earlier.
Spring planting is also acceptable, but there is little time for work. you need to do everything before bud break, and they develop very quickly.
Container-grown seedlings can be planted throughout the growing season (early spring to late autumn).
Site selection and soil preparation
When choosing a place for gooseberries, you should take into account which plants in this area were planted earlier. After raspberries or currants, not only depleted soil remains, but also pests common to these crops. Diseases in gooseberries and currants are also common. The causative agents of powdery mildew, white spot, rust or gray mold persist for a long time in fallen leaves.
Gooseberries grow well in slightly acidic or neutral fertile soil. It quickly adapts to sandy, sandy loam or loamy soil types. It is useful to add mineral fertilizers to the land for planting: superphosphate (150-200 g), potassium sulfate (40-50 g) for each bush. If the soil is clayey, you need to mix it with coarse river sand.
The plant can tolerate drought, but stagnant moisture can be detrimental to it. Shrubs should not be planted in wetlands and lowlands where groundwater is shallow (less than 1 m).
The gooseberry loves the sun, but a little shading won't hurt it. You can plant shrubs around the perimeter of the site at a distance of 1.5 m from the fence, as well as in the garden, but no closer than 2 m to the trees.
In the southern regions, the bright sun can burn fruits and leaves if the bushes grow in an open area.
It is advisable to protect the planting from harsh winds and drafts.
The site must be cleared of perennial weeds in advance, since it will be difficult to do deep weeding around thorny bushes.
Planting gooseberries
The plant often suffers from powdery mildew, so it is better to choose varieties that are resistant to parasitic fungi. These include Malachite, Senator, Kolobok, Salute, etc.
Before planting, you can trim the tips of the roots - this stimulates the growth of lateral branches, the root system becomes multi-tiered and powerful. The diseased and dried parts of the roots must be cut to a healthy place.
Then we start landing:
- Digging a hole. It should be 2 times deeper and 2-3 times wider than the root ball.
- We remove the top layer of soil, mix it with humus or rotted manure, add mineral fertilizers.
- If necessary, we lay drainage (broken brick, expanded clay or crushed stone).
- We pour a fertile mixture on the bottom, place a seedling in the hole, straighten the roots and level the bush, deepening the neck by 5-6 cm. With this planting, additional roots develop, and new shoots grow from the buried buds.
- Holding the seedling by the top, we sprinkle the root with earth, gradually tamping the soil.
- We form a hole around the bush, then water abundantly. To preserve moisture and prevent the formation of a soil crust, mulch with straw, dry grass or stale sawdust.
After planting, the shoots must be shortened, leaving 6-7 buds.
The seedling is best placed vertically. With this planting, it is easier to prune and form a bush in the form of a bowl. In addition, the branches, especially the 4-5-year-old ones, which give the highest yield, droop strongly. A shrub with a straight trunk holds branches better.
Gooseberries need to be formed from the first year, when they begin to give many new shoots. When the bush thickens, the fruit branches do not receive nutrients, which immediately affects the yield.
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