Topic: Apple and gooseberry pruning

[davholla]

I was going to do this today but I was not sure what was new growth and what wasn't.

For the apples I guess it is the bit that is greener but for gooseberries how do I know?

[davholla]

Apologies for restarting a new topic.
However I want to prune them both soon.  Any ideas?

[saddad]

You are leaving it a bit late... might be starting to bud by now.
Gooseberries... new wood usually develops on the end of the old, if they are not regularly pruned which makes them straggly, unless going for a specific form like a fan just cut out what you don't want.
Apples I'd leave now and Summer prune in @August for shape and forming fruiting spurs, then after leaf fall for anything major..
 :-\

[davholla]

You are leaving it a bit late... might be starting to bud by now.
Gooseberries... new wood usually develops on the end of the old, if they are not regularly pruned which makes them straggly, unless going for a specific form like a fan just cut out what you don't want.
Apples I'd leave now and Summer prune in @August for shape and forming fruiting spurs, then after leaf fall for anything major..
 :-\

I know I have a 2.5 year old son, so am always busy!

What do you mean by what that I don't want?

[saddad]

Is it an established bush? Often the branches grow inwards and make it difficult to pick the fruit... so just cut them off to leave a more manageable shape..  :-\

[Stevens706]

Also cut / shorten any branches that are close to the ground (for gooseberries) or rubbing against another (both).

[saddad]

You can leave the odd trailing branch on a gooseberry to propagate a new bush... they root fairly easily..  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Take a low-hanging, thin branch which is nice and bendy. Weigh it down with a brick part-way along, and by autumn it'll have rooted.

The main thing is to cut away the thinner branches so that you've got space to reach in and pick fruit everywhere. Otherwise you'll scratch yourself to bits trying to get at it.