Gooseberries: planting and care in open ground in spring, benefits

Spring or autumn: best time to plant

Planting gooseberries is possible both in spring and autumn. Experts recommend giving preference to late planting, because in the spring it is difficult to carry out all the manipulations in a short period of time between the start of soil warming and the start of bud opening.

With awakened buds and dried soil, the young plant takes root worse. In the fall, it’s much easier to get everything done before frost in a month or a month and a half. During this period, the bush will take on young roots, which will allow it to easily survive the winter. In addition, a newly planted plant needs a lot of moisture. It can receive it both in the fall with rain and in the spring after the snow melts.

When to plant in spring in different regions

Different regions have different weather conditions, so the timing of spring planting in each region is different. In southern latitudes, work can begin in March - early April. In the middle zone and Moscow region, there is no point in starting planting before April, since the soil has not yet had time to warm up. In cold regions (Siberia, the Urals), the plant can only be planted at the end of April - early May.

Important! Temperatures critical for flowers are +1…+2°С, therefore, in temperate climates, complete freezing
of flowers and ovaries is almost impossible.

How to plant and grow in the fall

The autumn procedure is not very different from the spring one, but has some nuances.

Optimal timing for autumn planting:

• in Siberia, the Urals, and the Leningrad region - late September or early October;
• in the southern regions of Russia - the first half of October;
• in the Volga region - the second half of October;
• in the middle zone - end of October.

Approximately, planting should be done at least a month before the first frost. The daytime temperature should be +10°C and above, and the night temperature should not be lower than +5°C.

In autumn, it is better to plant stronger and older seedlings, 2 years old, with a well-developed root system (25-30 cm) and several strong shoots (25-30 cm).

The process of preparing planting material and soil, as well as planting, is similar to the spring one. If autumn is dry and warm, monitor the condition of the soil and moisten it regularly, using 5 liters of water per plant. A sufficient amount of water and warmth contribute to the rapid growth of strong and healthy roots, which means successful wintering and further development. If autumn is rainy, watering is not necessary so that the seedlings do not get wet.

Young gooseberries will overwinter well if you mulch the ground with a thick layer (8 cm) and then add more snow. This will protect the plantings even from severe frosts.

Reference. Autumn planting is considered more favorable for gooseberries - the plant takes root better, and in the spring it immediately begins to grow, without wasting time and energy on growing roots. Such bushes begin to bear fruit earlier than those planted in the spring. However, in regions of risky farming, there is a high probability that autumn seedlings will die in winter from severe frost.

Spring planting: optimal timing

Gooseberries are a cold-resistant crop. The roots activate their functions already at +1…+3°С, and flowering occurs at +10°С. Taking this data into account, it is necessary to select the planting date.

According to the lunar calendar

Many gardeners, when calculating planting dates, use the lunar calendar. According to it, in 2022 the following days are considered suitable for planting: April 1–17 and April 21–26. There are no later dates, since it is not advisable to plant fruit and berry crops later than this month.

Those who cannot do this due to the climatic conditions of the region should remember that planting cannot be carried out on a new or full moon. Also, according to the lunar calendar in 2022, the following are considered unfavorable: March 6, 7, 21, April 5 and 19, May 5 and 19, June 3, 4, 17. On other days, having selected the appropriate zodiac sign, you can plant the crop.

Variety selection

It is necessary to choose a variety taking into account the climatic characteristics of your area, therefore, when choosing a variety, pay attention to the following points:

1. Give preference to zoned varieties that are adapted to grow in your region.
2. If you live in the northern regions, then, first of all, you need to pay attention to the frost resistance of the crop.
3. In the northwestern part and in the Moscow region it is also better to plant frost-resistant varieties. They have well-developed roots, which will allow them to better retain snow, which will protect them from frost.

Landing rules

There is nothing special about the rules for planting gooseberries. The technology is similar to planting other berry bushes.

Find out more about spring processing of gooseberries with boiling water.

Selecting a location

Gooseberries are light-loving shrubs, so they can grow for half a century only in an open, well-lit area. If another plant or structure casts a shadow on the gooseberry, then its shoots will be long and thin, and the berries will form only in the upper part and ripen unevenly. The amount of foliage on them is minimal, they often get sick and quickly die out. The fence will protect the plant from the wind and will not cast a shadow on it.

It is best to plant bushes along the fence on the sunny side, retreating a meter or two from it.

The shrub is indifferent to the type of soil. It can grow on any soil, the main thing is to fertilize it in a timely manner. But it is imperative to prepare the area for planting.

The preparation is as follows:

1. Heavy clay soil must be mixed with sand and humus (1 bucket of the substance per square meter of land).
2. Light and depleted soil must be constantly fed with the same amount of organic matter, but with the addition of clay.
3. Peat soil should be enriched annually with organic matter and mineral complexes containing phosphorus and potassium. In addition, you need to add sand.
4. If the soil acidity is below 5.5 pH, then liming is necessary. The procedure is carried out in the fall along with digging up the area. Ideally, liming should be carried out two years before planting gooseberries.

Important! The crop does not take root well in damp, swampy places where water often stands. Such conditions lead to the fact that the root collar of the bush is affected by rot, which causes it to die, so groundwater should not come closer than 1.5 m to the surface.

It is best to prepare the soil a year before planting in the fall. It needs to be dug up, manure or humus, phosphate rock, and potassium salt added. In the spring you need to sow the area with green manure (vech or lupine), and in the fall you need to dig it up and start planting.

Selection and preparation of planting material

Its fruiting and future health depend on how correctly a young plant is planted, so all seedlings must be carefully inspected, discarding sick and damaged ones. It is advisable to give preference to two-year-old bushes; they take root faster in a new place. It is advisable to buy them with an open root system to make it easier to assess the condition of the plant.

It is advisable to buy them with an open root system to make it easier to assess the condition of the plant.

A high-quality seedling with two or three strong shoots 25 cm long and a developed lignified root system of the same length. Axillary buds are not opened. The top of the shoot is healthy and strong. It may have leaves, but usually this part of the shoot, as well as the tops of the side shoots, are bare.

The step-by-step steps for landing are as follows:

1. The seedlings are pruned, leaving 4 buds. This allows young and weak roots to provide a sufficient amount of the above-ground part of the plant.
2. The bush is dipped for five minutes in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Remove all dry and damaged roots, then soak in a growth stimulator according to the instructions of the drug.
3. The planting scheme takes into account the gooseberry variety. If these are low-growing plants, then 100 cm of free space is enough for them. For tall people you need 200 cm.
4. The planting depth is affected by the age and size of the seedling. When planting several plants at once, you can dig a trench. If you plan to plant a one- or two-year-old plant in it, then its depth can be 50 cm. Single cultivation requires a hole 0.4–0.5 m in diameter.
5. Rotted manure (10 kg/bush), wood ash (100 g), double superphosphate (50 g), and potassium sulfur (40 kg) are poured into the pit. Fertilizers are mixed with fertile soil and a hill is formed from the resulting substance.
6. A seedling is placed on it, the roots are carefully straightened and slowly covered with earth. Each layer must be compacted to avoid the formation of air gaps. The permissible depth of the root collar is 3–5 cm.
7. After planting, the young bush is watered abundantly and mulched. After 3-4 days, the procedure is repeated.

The hole needs to be dug in advance, 1.5-2 months before planting.

How to prepare a seedling?

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Gooseberry seedlings

It is not enough to know how to plant gooseberries in the spring; you also need to know how to choose the right seedlings. You can buy a plant or borrow it from someone, but not just any seedling can be taken - only a 1-2 year old gooseberry will quickly take root in a new place. It should have a couple of woody main roots no shorter than 15-20 cm, as well as well-developed lateral roots. The above-ground part of the plant should consist of 1 or more branches 40 cm long. When examining, it is advisable to pay attention to the quality of the branches and roots; they should be healthy, strong, and without damage.

After purchase, all dry branches or rotten roots are removed, if any. It is advisable that they were not already present when purchasing. It is important not to leave the roots for a long time without water or soil; they quickly dry out and become unviable.

Preparation for planting is very simple. Essentially, you need to let the roots “drink” by dipping them in cool, but not icy, water. If desired, you can treat the roots with biostimulants for growth. Any product is suitable for this, for example, “Kornevin”, “Zircon” or “Epin”.

Care

There is nothing complicated in caring for young shrubs. It needs to be watered, fertilized, loosened and pruned in a timely manner.

Find out in more detail when gooseberries begin to bear fruit after planting seedlings.

Watering, fertilizing

The crop needs abundant feeding throughout the season. They are carried out twice. Fertilizers are first applied after the end of the flowering period. They are necessary to stimulate shoot growth and ovary formation. The next feeding of the crop is after harvesting. The beneficial elements that get into the soil will serve as a nutritional base for the formation of new flower buds, and therefore a guarantee of a new harvest.

If the summer is dry, the plant needs to be irrigated regularly. Watering is carried out only when the soil is dry. During irrigation procedures, water should not fall on the foliage. Even a few drops of moisture can lead to the development of diseases. The plant should not be allowed to lack moisture, especially during intensive growth and fruiting.

Read more about the Topaz fungicide for gooseberries.

Loosening, weed removal

In order for the plant to actively develop and bear fruit, the soil around it must be constantly loosened or dug up. It is better to dig up dense soil, but light soil can be slightly fluffed up with a pitchfork. All manipulations must be carried out extremely carefully, since the root system of the bush is located close to the surface and under the crown itself, so you can fluff a layer no thicker than 6–7 cm under the bush and 15 cm between the rows.

All manipulations must be carried out extremely carefully, since the root system of the bush is located close to the surface and under the crown itself, so you can fluff a layer no thicker than 6–7 cm under the bush and 15 cm between the rows.

Gooseberries do not tolerate the proximity of weeds, so they must be removed in a timely manner so that the crop actively bears fruit. The accumulation of weeds provokes stagnation of moisture, which is fraught with the development of diseases in gooseberries.

Read more about how to prune gooseberries correctly.

Pruning, seasonal features

For the health of the bush, for its attractive appearance, and for the formation of large berries, the bush is constantly pruned. In the spring, their perennial skeletal shoots are shortened by half. The root shoots are removed almost completely. From the fourth year of life, thinning pruning is performed. Strong and healthy shoots remain intact. Weak, dry, diseased, injured and growing inside the bush are completely removed.

Young bushes up to three years old are pruned to form a crown.

The bush is formed in the fall, when the foliage has fallen, or in the spring before the buds open. You can carry out summer pruning, shortening the shoots after the ovary appears on them (5-7 leaves are left). This improves the quality of the crop.

Caring for gooseberries after planting

Despite the fact that gooseberries have excellent survival rate, they, along with other crops, need to be provided with proper care after planting.

So what to do next? How to care for it after planting?

Immediately after planting, it is imperative to trim the shoots (the above-ground part of the bush). Of course, if they have not yet been cut by the seller in advance, because, as a rule, they sell or send just such ones.

How to prune gooseberries after spring planting?

If the roots are weak, then leave 2-3 buds (i.e. about 5-10 cm), and mercilessly cut off the rest, if stronger, then 3-4 buds (10-15 cm) are possible.

Important! If this is not done, then the gooseberry will spend a lot of energy growing the green mass (leaves) that form on the tall stem, which will greatly deplete its already weak roots. As a result, the seedling will noticeably lag behind in development: it simply does not form a good root system and a sufficient number of replacement buds (from which shoots should appear next year).

Next, it is very advisable to mulch the gooseberry tree trunk. sawdust are perfect for this .

Why is this (mulching) necessary:

1. After heavy watering, a dry crust often forms. Thanks to mulch, the soil will always be loose and moisture will be retained longer.
2. Weeds will not grow under the mulch.
3. Mulch is an excellent organic fertilizer.

• Of course, we must not forget about watering .

In the first year after planting, watering should be taken especially seriously.

• And in the fall you will need to prepare the bushes for winter .

Advice! How to care for gooseberries in the fall and properly prepare them for winter is described in detail in this article .

In the future, the main measures for caring for gooseberries will include the following:

• Annual autumn pruning of gooseberries after fruiting or in early spring .

The main pruning of gooseberries is carried out, as a rule, after fruiting (in the fall) , and in the spring only corrective, or rather sanitary, pruning is done.

Of course, if you did not have the opportunity to prune the gooseberries in the fall, then it is better to prune in the spring than not to prune at all.

• applying fertilizers (if you have carefully filled the planting hole with everything necessary, then the first fertilizing will need to be done only after 2-3 years);

By the way! You will find more detailed information about when and what to feed gooseberries in the spring this material on feeding currants (since they are similar) .

• treatment against diseases (especially against powdery mildew ) and pests.

Important! After winter, in early spring, you can pour boiling water over gooseberries (similar to currants) .

And then carry out a full spring spraying of the bushes with fungicides and insecticides

(remedies against diseases and pests), which is described in detail
in this article .

• If the gooseberry has grown too much (began to get in the way)
  , or its fruiting has noticeably decreased and it has generally stopped developing, it’s time
  to plant it or replant , first propagating it in one of several ways .

By the way! The website has a detailed article on how to properly replant currants in spring, summer and autumn (the technique is basically the same).

Video: planting and caring for gooseberries

Harvesting, storage

Gooseberry fruits ripen at the same time, but they do not tend to fall off the bush, so harvesting can take a month. But most often they resort to harvesting fruits in several stages. They are collected as they ripen.

You can also dry it, freeze it, and then add it to compotes.

Berries cannot be stored fresh for a long time. They can last only 4 days in the refrigerator. If they are collected unripe, then 10. To preserve the fruits longer, they can be turned into jam, jam. Some craftsmen have learned to make excellent wine from gooseberries, which is not inferior in taste and quality to grape wine.

Did you know? Azerbaijanis call gooseberries “rus alchasyr” (Russian cherry plum).

How to plant gooseberries correctly?

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Planting a gooseberry seedling

In order to understand how to properly plant gooseberries in the spring, you don’t need to watch a lot of videos or learn from other gardeners. The principle of planting is similar to planting currants, raspberries, or even any tree.

2/3 of the prepared soil is poured into the bottom of the hole, then it is watered abundantly to create something like mud. The seedling is placed at an angle of 45 degrees, the roots are straightened so that they do not break. The root collar is buried no more than 2-5 cm. Now the plant, still in the same position at an angle, begins to be sprinkled with earth and compacted so that the sprout does not fall under its own weight.

After this, the gooseberries are watered and the shoots are cut to 20 cm. There should be approximately 4-5 buds on them. Due to the fact that the bush is located at an angle, this will stimulate the root system to grow and form new basal shoots.

Preparing for winter

A frost-resistant crop must be prepared for wintering. The guidelines for action are:

1. After harvesting, treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture (1% solution) or fungicides to protect the bushes from common diseases.
2. Remove all plant debris from the area so that it does not serve as a wintering shelter for pests. The first time this should be done after harvesting, and the second time after the leaves fall. The rubbish must be burned.
3. Dig up the soil to find hidden pests.
4. Water the plant thoroughly and apply fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium.
5. Trim non-viable and old branches.
6. If the region has harsh winters, then the shoots must be tied, bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches. In temperate and mild climates, it is enough to mulch the soil well and sprinkle it with snow. If the winter has little snow, then the bush is covered with agrofibre.

Planting in open ground, seasonal features

Before planting planting material, it is necessary to prepare the area. First, they dig it up, removing all foreign objects and weeds. After this, fertilizers are applied. You can use both organic and mineral substances. Per 1 m², add 10 kg of humus, 1 kg of superphosphate and 2 kg of urea. The substances are left on the surface, and after 2 weeks the ground is dug up again. After digging, it is necessary to level the ground, removing all lumps. For this, it is advisable to use small rakes, as they cope better with uneven soil.

After 2 days, you can begin preparing the seat. The holes should be 50 cm in diameter and 40 cm deep. The dug soil is mixed with 100 g of potassium sulfate to make it more nutritious. If you live in a region with clay soil, then 6 kg of river sand is poured into each hole. This will allow moisture not to linger and pose a threat to deformation of the root system. The distance between seedlings should be 1.5 m, and between rows 4 m. Thanks to this planting scheme, the bushes will not create shadows for each other.

You may be interested in information about when gooseberries begin to bear fruit after planting the seedlings.

Further planting technology consists of the following steps:

1. A seedling is placed vertically inside the hole.
2. The roots are straightened so that there are no tangles.
3. Sprinkle the hole with prepared soil and compact it.
4. Water with 10 liters of warm water.
5. Mulch the tree trunk circle with straw or leaves.

Selecting a location

To plant shrubs, you need to select a high-quality site. All its parameters must correspond to the agrotechnical characteristics of gooseberries. Considering that the root system of the shrub reaches a length of 50 cm, plants cannot be planted in lowlands. In such places, groundwater comes close to the surface of the earth, so the root system will constantly be in conditions of high humidity. As a result, there is a risk of developing permanent diseases and, as a result, death of the gooseberry.

It is best to plant seedlings on plains or hills. The area should be well lit by sunlight.

The duration of illumination should be at least 10 hours per day. Gooseberries are grown near fences or buildings. The distance between the structure and the bush should be 3–4 m. This will protect the plants from drafts and windy weather and prevent the appearance of shadows. Considering that snowdrifts form next to structures, this will create additional protection in winter. Choose places with loamy, super sandy or sandy soils. If your region has only clay soils, be prepared to frequently loosen the top layer.

Important! The optimal acid-base level of soil is 6%. Low and high indicators negatively affect crop yields.

Selection and preparation of planting material

The secret of a high-quality gooseberry harvest lies in a careful approach to the selection of planting material

The main factors to pay attention to include:

1. Age. It should be between 1 and 2 years old.
2. Root system. Length from 25 to 40 cm.

Buy seedlings from nurseries, as they monitor the quality of their products.
A week before planting, the plant is placed in a manganese solution (20 g per 10 liters of water) and kept for 5 hours. After this, the seedling is immersed in the growth stimulator "Epin" (100 g per 5 liters of water) so that it takes root in the soil faster. The further stage of preparing the planting material consists of soaking it in a solution of potassium humate (3 tablespoons per bucket of water). The procedure is carried out the day before the intended planting in open ground.

Reproduction methods

Gooseberries usually reproduce vegetatively . European varieties propagate well by layering, and hybrid varieties by cuttings. Seeds are usually used only by breeders to obtain new varieties, since it takes a long time to wait for berries from such a bush.

1. Layerings. They are the most effective way to propagate the crop. Branches that touch the ground give adventitious roots. Choose two-year-old shoots that have maximum contact with the soil. In the spring, grooves are dug underneath them, into which the branches are laid, secured with pins and covered with earth. As vertical shoots grow, hilling and watering are performed. In autumn, young plants can be planted.

2. Cuttings. This method is more complicated than the previous one and is usually used in nurseries. Not all varieties are propagated by cuttings. The best responders are from the American group. The cuttings are harvested late in the fall. You need to choose a strong and healthy bush and cut cuttings 0.3 m long. All leaves should be torn off from them, and the cut should be treated with paraffin to retain moisture. These preparations should be kept in the refrigerator. With the arrival of spring, they can be planted in shkolki (mini-beds) with nutritious soil. The lower cut is renewed and buried in the ground. There should be 3 buds left above the ground. The soil is irrigated and mulched.

Diseases and pests

The plant can be attacked by the following diseases and pests:

• powdery mildew - a fungal disease that affects both branches, greens and fruits. Appears as brown spots. Dampness, elevated temperatures and dense plantings contribute to its occurrence;

• rust - affects leaf blades, flowers and ovary. Appears as yellow-orange convex spots at high humidity and high temperature;

• anthracnose — covers the leaves with dark brown blurry spots, causing the leaves to dry out. Occurs due to high humidity;

• septoria - also affects leaf blades, covering them with small grayish round spots. Actively develops when there is a lack of copper, manganese, zinc and boron in the soil;

• mosaic - covers the leaves with a bright yellow pattern oriented along the veins. Pests carry the attack. It is impossible to save a plant from a viral disease, you only need to destroy it;

• aphid - a tiny insect that loves to feast on plant sap. Usually the causes of its appearance are ants that feed on aphid secretions. The presence of a pest will be indicated by curled leaves of the plant;

• caterpillar - gooseberries are attacked by caterpillars of various pests. They appear most often in the spring and destroy either the greenery of the plant or the ovary.

If all the rules for caring for the crop are followed, diseases and pests will not attack it. But for preventive purposes, the bush should still be treated. Folk remedies will be sufficient for this. In spring, Bordeaux mixture, zircon, and urea are used. Treatment is carried out before foliage appears.

Did you know? Gooseberries were first described as a plant by the French botanist Jean Ruel in his book “De natura stirpium” in 1536. There was no botanical illustration for the description. It appeared 12 years later in the book “Memorable Comments on the Description of Plants” by Leonart Fuchs.

Gooseberries are a healthy berry. Because of its homely appearance, many people neglect it. In fact, it deserves to take place in your summer cottage and on your table as a delicacy.

Why replant gooseberries?

Transferring a shrub to another location may be required for the following reasons:

• the site is being redeveloped due to construction or planting of other garden crops;
• an unfortunate location was initially chosen for the plant (excessive dampness, lack of lighting, etc.), as a result of which it bears fruit poorly and often gets sick;
• neighboring crops have grown greatly over time and prevent the gooseberries from developing normally, or, conversely, the bush itself oppresses the plants growing nearby, but it is difficult to move them;
• natural aging of the bush, requiring rejuvenation;
• a very long period of growth of a bush in one place, as a result of which the soil is depleted.

Sometimes gooseberry bushes grow too much and interfere with the growth of other crops

We planted two honeysuckle bushes and two gooseberry bushes nearby. One honeysuckle bush turned out to be very tall, although in principle it should not be that way. The gooseberries grew poorly in its shade; there were few berries. I had to drag the already mature gooseberry bush to another place, because it would have been much more of a hassle with its rival due to its size.