Pruning gooseberries

[frias]

I bought 2 gooseberry bushes last year and have grown them on in pots. The red fruitng one had a few fruits this year, the green nothing. Can anyone tell me when to prune please? This is the first time I've grown gooseberries.

[roitelet]

Prune in March. Years 1 - 4 cut back the leaders or one year old growths by half to just above a bud so that strong branches are formed. A few laterals may also need cutting back to an upward pointing bud. After year 4 you will need to decide wether to spur prune for large dessert berries or just to thin out the branches to keep the bush open and airy which will give you smaller berries. The main thing is to keep the bush open to make picking easier.

If you want to increase your stock take cuttings just before leaf fall in the autumn about 14 ins long and insert them in a slit trench in a sunny position. Remove all but the top three buds and they will root easily ready for planting out the next autumn.

Hope this helps.

[The Large One]

Can i ask a question on pruning gooseberries

we inherited 10 bushes on our allotment in March
left them as didn't exactly know what we were doing with them then they leaved and fruited, and fruited really well, over 70lb

they look rather lets say knackered now and most of the leaves have fallen leaving rather spindley silver/grey stems but the each bush is about 4 feet high

how should i proceed to prune ??

Tia

[roitelet]

I would cut out any thin and crossing branches in March to open the bush also shorten the remaining branches a bit. You could also cut back the laterals to a couple of buds to form fruiting spurs.

Someone else may have other ideas.

[The Large One]

Thanks very much, that gives me a good place to start

[frias]

Prune in March. Years 1 - 4 cut back the leaders or one year old growths by half to just above a bud so that strong branches are formed. A few laterals may also need cutting back to an upward pointing bud. After year 4 you will need to decide wether to spur prune for large dessert berries or just to thin out the branches to keep the bush open and airy which will give you smaller berries. The main thing is to keep the bush open to make picking easier.

If you want to increase your stock take cuttings just before leaf fall in the autumn about 14 ins long and insert them in a slit trench in a sunny position. Remove all but the top three buds and they will root easily ready for planting out the next autumn.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. I was hoping to prune now as they are nasty prickly little bushes! I love gooseberries however so will wait.

[sljh]

Prune in March. Years 1 - 4 cut back the leaders or one year old growths by half to just above a bud so that strong branches are formed. A few laterals may also need cutting back to an upward pointing bud. After year 4 you will need to decide wether to spur prune for large dessert berries or just to thin out the branches to keep the bush open and airy which will give you smaller berries. The main thing is to keep the bush open to make picking easier.
.

As I am totally ignorant of all forms of pruning, would you be so kind as to explain this like you were talking to a five year old? Leaders and laterals are confounding - all the branches look the same to me! I was particularly taken with the comment about 'spur pruning'... I rather like the idea of large dessert berries.

Thanks