How to cut gooseberries in the fall to have a good harvest?

After summer residents harvest all their crops, they are interested in the question of whether to cut off the gooseberry bush. Definitely necessary. Gooseberries are called northern grapes. This plant should be pruned both after picking berries and in the fall to prepare for wintering.

Pruning is an essential element of agricultural engineering. Thanks to her, the plant does not deform the crown, it is constantly growing, therefore, increases productivity.

If you do not periodically cut the gooseberries, the internal branches will quickly become bare, the bush will cease to grow, and the old specimens will not yield any crop at all. In this article, the process of cutting the plant will be described in detail, the rules will be described and the rejuvenation schemes of the long-planted gooseberry will be described.

Gooseberry grows very quickly in breadth and high, just like any berry bush. Consequently, the internal parts of the shrub constantly remain in the shade. Due to the lack of sunlight, the plant begins to languish and ache. That is why you need to remove all unnecessary branches, giving the bush a more regular shape. After 5 years after planting, experienced gardeners recommend removing the old branches — a rejuvenation procedure for the shrub.

It is necessary to elaborate on what pruning is needed for.

• Branches located in the depths of the bush, will begin to receive more sunlight. Oxygen will flow freely.
• The risk of fungal diseases is reduced. The plant is rarely affected by pests.
• The shrub begins to produce more yield. The size of the berries increases.
• Gooseberry will look neat. For such a bush is easier to care for. It will be much harder for you to harvest in the barbed crown of a plant.

Be sure to carry out pruning after picking berries, otherwise the next year to wait for a good harvest is not necessary.

In order not to regret the wasted forces, it is necessary to know in what period and by what rules to carry out this process.

Removal of unwanted branches in the spring should be done early, until the vegetative process began. The earlier you perform this manipulation, the better. And pruning in the fall, after you have harvested, is divided into 2 stages.

First, they carry out sanitary pruning: diseased and dried branches are harvested in the summer, immediately after the harvest has been harvested. Then comes the stage of rejuvenation: in the deep autumn, when all the leaves have fallen, you can begin to cut off the crown and give it a neat look. The procedure must be carried out before the subzero temperature is stable outside.

The approximate time of removal of gooseberry branches in the autumn period is the end of October - the beginning of November. A period of sanitary haircuts - from the beginning of August to the first of September.

Of course, unnecessary branches can be removed in the spring. You only have to do this before the first buds begin to appear, before the juice in the stem has yet begun to move.

If you are a little late with pruning, then a large amount of juice will be spent on bud break, which will still be removed. And in the spring all gardeners have enough work, so everyone pruned in the fall.

Secateurs - special scissors with a long scabbard and handles. Old bushes with a strong crown, it is desirable to cut only them. There is also a small pruner, but the gooseberry is a thorny plant, so take care of the gloves beforehand, welding suits perfectly.

Weak branches are cut off immediately after the harvest is gathered, and the following specimens are removed in the fall.

• Sick branches infected with fungal diseases. As well as dried or broken.
• The entire lower part of the crown. On the ground should not be a single branch.Such branches do not benefit because they are constantly in the shade, with almost no sunlight. Therefore, they will not bear fruit, and those that lie on the ground are always affected by various fungal diseases.
• On this plant there will always be branches that grow inside the shrub. They are also cut off, as they will begin to be confused with the rest, hindering their growth.
• Branches older than five years are also deleted.
• If your shrub is too weak, find the largest bud on it that looks out and cut off anything that is above it.
• Shoots that grow directly from the soil are called zero. In this case, only the branches above the kidney are cut. So you provide the plant a thicker crown.
• Thin branches that grow straight out of the ground, should be cut at the root, so that they do not interfere with the development of strong. You can leave 2-3 pieces.

Let us dwell on some recommendations that will help to carry out the procedure better.

• After you cut off unwanted shoots under the root, do not leave any stumps. The less hemp you leave, the more accurate your gooseberry will look.
• All branches-competitors also need to cut close to the place where the main branch forks.
• On weak shoots there is always a strong bud. Do not make an incision until you find it. You need to cut off everything that is half a centimeter above this bud.
• Learn to see the difference between a young shoot and old branches. Young branches are always light shade and bend easily. And the old ones are dark chestnut branches, with very coarse bark, less elastic. The younger the branch, the thinner and lighter it is.
• If the bush is more than five years old, no more than 18 branches, 3 strong zero shoots, and a pair of weak zero branches should be left on it.

Sometimes there are cases when gardeners do not work according to these rules, since it is rather difficult to follow them, however, they do not notice any losses during harvesting, and sometimes, on the contrary, the gooseberries start to produce even more fruits. Experts can not yet give an explanation for this phenomenon.

If you have recently planted a gooseberry seedling, and you want it to grow and consistently bring a rich harvest, then you need to follow a special pattern. Below will be considered a scheme of pruning the branches from the moment of planting the gooseberry sprout to the age of five.

First you need to remove the escape. If he is not alone, then all is still cut off. Shorten the plant so that only three buds are left above the ground.

After a year you will have a small bush consisting of young shoots. All shoots should be cut, leaving only 4 buds. In the ground, leave only 3 strong zero escape.

All strong zero shoots pinch a quarter. The remaining branches are also cut into part. If you cut the side branches each time, your plant will have to grow upwards. Remember that you need to carry out sanitary pruning every time.

In the third and fourth year, we repeat all the actions that you performed on the two-year bush.

You can begin to completely rejuvenate gooseberries. First of all, make sanitary pruning, then all branches that have not been removed throughout the life of the plant are removed. Then give shape to your bush, repeating the manipulations made in the third year.

Then every year add a pair of zero shoots so that your plant can grow.

Experienced gardeners have resorted to an alternative method. It is called the standard way.

It happens that after purchasing a new plot, garden or vegetable garden, it already has gooseberry bushes. Very often they grow untidy, all branches are intertwined. Such a plant practically does not bear fruit. You will have to work hard on it if you want the bush to consistently produce a good harvest.

Start with rejuvenating the shrub. The process itself is divided into two parts.

The first stage is sanitary pruning. Cut off at the base of all the longest branches. Do not be afraid to remove too much, the better you clean the neglected bush, the more light will fall on the new shoots.

The procedure for the second stage is as follows.

• Shorten the entire shrub to ground level. Leave three strong branches to grow. Choose those with a light bark.
• A year after the manipulation, a lot of young shoots will appear. Again, remove them at the base, leaving only 5 well-formed.
• Be sure to take care of adding fertilizer to the soil. Sprinkle them around the shrub, level with a rake and water well. It is not necessary to dig up the soil.

After you have cut the gooseberries in the fall, The following manipulations should be carried out:

• all cut branches around the trunk need to be removed, otherwise insects will be generated in the soil;
• soil can be loosened;
• water the soil well and apply organic fertilizer;
• treat the plant with medicines so that no harmful insects start up during the winter;
• the soil can be mulched - cover with a film to keep warm for the winter.

Following these simple rules, you can get a plant that will bear fruit abundantly and regularly.

Consider a few tips that gardeners give to beginners.

• Not everyone can distinguish weak shoots from strong ones. Keep in mind that strong sprouts in 1 year grow at least half a meter.
• The first time should be made a total pruning under the root. If you take good care of the bush, you will see the fruits in the second - third year.
• If your plant is more than four years old, do not cut all the branches in a row. Remember that the fruits are formed on the old branches. This gooseberry is different from currants.
• If the bush is too started - immediately cut it to zero, leaving only a couple of shoots.
• If you find a branch that is strongly bent down or grows in a horizontal position, shorten it so that it is again directed upwards at an angle of at least 75 degrees.

On how to properly trim the bushes and treat them from diseases, see the next video.