Topic: Gooseberry Bushes

[bethel]

Can some nice person help a newbie allotment holder with his Gooseberry Bushes?

I have just acquired my first allotment and need to know whether to cut the old wood back or do i leave it for new growth?

Thanks

[Painter]

Hi Bethel and welcome to a great site,
 there are a number of ways to prune a gooseberry bush, make sure the bush is open in the centre to prevent overcrowding and assist in ripening fruit, cut out older branches and then prune all new sideshoots to a bud  pointing upwards or outwards about 3" from their base. remove any old, unproductive branches as you go through the season. Enjoy your new Allotment

[bethel]

Many thanks for your reply

i have no new growth showing does this mean they could be dead

[thistle]

They could be dead but there's not a lot happening with my gooseberries either at the moment.  Yours too are probably waiting for a bit of spring weather before they start moving. 

Prune now whilst they're still dormant.  I just thin out the middle to make picking easier, get rid of any branches that cross over another, and take a couple of inches off all over.

[bethel]

Many Thanks again

[Mrs Ava]

My establishing goosegog bushes are all green and looking sexy.....well as sexy as a prickly fruit bush can look on the allotment, but my new standard red fruiting goosegog is still looking rather dormant.  (Not saying the d$#d word in case it hears me and is offended!)

[bethel]

No I am sure they do look sexy, More Sexy when your picking them to make a lovely Gooseberry Fool

[Multiveg]

One of the 3 goosegogs has just started to come out in leaf (as has a blackcurrant (well i think it is a black one))

[kenkew]

I can only boast buds. Did a lot of pruning on G'gogs and currents last year. Planted quite a few cuttings which also are in bud....can't beat free fruit, eh,eh.

[Mrs Ava]

ooooooooo and be warned....you know what you find under gooseberry bushes!  :o

[diver]

one of the guys on our allotments has just given me some blackberry bushes (7), some gooseberry(5), and some raspberry and at the moment I have no space. I have just got a second bit of allotment..the person next to me decided they only wanted half a plot...so I am busy digging out all the couch grass....what I need to know is can I just heel all these bushes in, continue digging ,and in a month or so, when I have finished digging it over, can I then organise them in rows under a fruit cage....I only have a very small plot myself and haven't got any fruit bushes, so I am anxious to do everything right ,but I can't do it all at once...what shall I do

[Merry Tiller]

I they're bare rooted you should realy get them in before the end of March, if not sooner

[kenkew]

If you really can't get 'em in as MT suggests, at least put them in pots or soiled filled sacking. If the roots dry out you've lost 'em.

[quinny]

I put my goosegog bush in last year - the buds are appearing but it's a bit slow up here in Scotland 'cause our weather is naff.  Anyone know when i should expect fruit if they only went in last year?  How much room do they need also?

Cheers ;D