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If you think they are setting fruit but not getting them to grow on, consider netting them - the birds eat the fruit.
Davholla your gooseberry plants really need a good prune. Luckily your pics show exactly what needs doing to get them into shape.Both these fruits are very easy to prune and are both pruned in exactly the same way. In pic no 3 I can see a plant that consists of tangled brown branches toward the middle with about 15 long whippy white/light grey shoots growing outwards.Step one is to prune all the long whippy light grey stems back to about an inch of the dark brown wood. Don't worry next year the plant will grow more long whippy shoots that will be cut back to an inch the following year.Pruning like this encourages fruit buds to form/ Step two. Cut away some of the older brown branches to open up the centre. You will have cut away about 60%/70% of the bush but you will get more fruit.You can leave two or three of the long whippy shoots if you want a bigger plant. You cut only one third from these extension shoots that will become new branches after a while.In the first photo your gooseberry seems to be growing against a wall. You can save space here by training it's branches against the wall rather than growing out away from it. Gooseberries will grow in semi-shade quite happily.Do the same with your white currants - cut all the white/grey new shots back to inch stubs and open out the middle. Do this every year and bountiful crops are guaranteed.
Always happy to help with pruning advice. I like pruning and the pruning of my grapevines and soft fruit begins in about a month.
Can't wait! Few people realize that correct pruning is the single most important task you can do to ensure consistent crops of high quality fruit.
I always prune to "open" out the plant, it looks like some of the branches are crossing each other which is best avoided. Have they been short of light? it does appear a bit that they are growing towards the light.
From the unpruned/after pruning photos you are on the right track. You have pruned the grey/white new growths, the spikey shoots, back to short stubs. The buds left on the older brown wood is where the fruit buds are and where the gooseberries will form.To make it easier to pick the fruit you could remove some of the more congested branches in the middle of the bush but if you are not confident doing so leave them for this year and take note of any awkward branches at picking time making a mental note for their removal next winter.As long as each year you prune all the new grey/white/spikey shoots to stubs bountiful gooseberry harvests are guaranteed as you are constantly pruning for fruit rather than unproductive growth by doing so.
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Topic: Gooseberry pruning. Neccessary? (Read 7016 times)
