Topic: Gooseberry bush pruning

[gwynleg]

HI - I have harvested over 7kg of gooseberries from one bush (and have the scars to prove it). The bush is becoming very overgrown though and I would ideally like to cut it well back soon. The RHS seems to suggest that pruning should be in winter for older plants.
Does any one have any advice on whether I will kill it or prevent a good harvest next year if I prune well now?
Thanks

[Bill Door]

Hi Gwynleg.  I have looked at the BBC site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growinggooseberries1.shtml) and found this

"Fruits form on old wood and around the base of last year's growth. Therefore prune back the previous year's growth to two buds.
Prune out any shoots that are growing into the centre of the bush, and cut back leaders by one-third.
Summer pruning isn't essential, but if possible prune sideshoots back to five leaves in June. This will allow the sun to reach into the centre of the bush and help ripen the fruit. "

So provide you don't hack the poor thing to death you wont do too much damage if you

1) cut out some old stems from the middle.

2) trim back the new growth back to the five leaves.

It might affect your fruit production next year but you will be able to do this in several stages and bring the bush back to manageable proportions over three or four years.

Best wishes

Bill
P.S. plenty of TCP for the scratches!

[ed dibbles]

I agree if you do what the BBC site suggests and thin out the new growth leaving the main branches then in winter prune the new growth back to stubs (spurs) you will have bumper crops every year.

If your gooseberry is really overgrown you can cut out any main branches are crossing or otherwise badly shaped, in winter when you can see what you are doing, to bring it into line as well as leaving better placed young shoots to become main branches if necessary.

Red and white currant pruning is exactly the same. In winter prune all last years new growth to inch long stubs and remove shoots close to the ground. You are guaranteed annual heavy crops as you are pruning for maximum yield.

[gwynleg]

Thank you for this advice Ed and Bill. I will resist chopping it all and just do as you suggest.

P.s: TCP - won't that sting more?!

[Bill Door]

"P.s: TCP - won't that sting more?!"

Yes but you forget about the scratching for a few minutes.

Bill

[johhnyco15]

i have  a standard and trim back every year in summer any unruly growth and i get well over 15kg or 33.07lb now we have left the eu anyway they get the size of pigeon eggs and the rest of the time i leave it hopethis helps this pic was taken last month after first thinning and yesterday i pruned it

[gwynleg]

Wow! What do you do with 15kg of gooseberries?

[johhnyco15]

Wow! What do you do with 15kg of gooseberries?

give most away there is only so much fooling around without crumbling you can do  very jammy  lol

[Garden Manager]

I have one rather old bush that used to be prolific but in the last couple of summers has produced little in the way of fruit. In the past i have always been a bit wary of winter pruning gooseberries as i always felt it reduced the cropping for a season afterwards. I went for the policy of pruing when absolutely nessesary.

However having not pruned this particular bush for a few years and with the coressponding reduction in fruiting i decided to take action and give summer pruning a try. I summer prune my espalier apples  every year and that seems to be paying off so i thought it might encourage the gooseberry to start fuiting again, based on the same principle that summer pruning encourages fruiting spurs to form. I have now done this and if nothing else the plant looks better and the increased air and light might also discourage sawfly attacks which occur nearly every year.

What to do with gluts? If you get sick of Gooseberry fools and jam, you could try Chutney or pickle made from gooseberries. I am sure there are recipies to be found online. We use an old (private) family recipie.

[sparrow]

Gooseberry ice cream is pretty lush too - Hugh furry-wotsit has a good recipe.

I had 7kgs of fruit this year - it's the first time I've had a huge harvest like that as the bushes are ancient and used to be in Mum's garden They do like their new home. I do a light prune in summer so I can sidle past without being scratched and go in with the secateurs in winter to remove the crossing branches.

[Garden Manager]

Hugh furry-wotsit

 

Love it!

[strawberry1]

I was inspired by someone to form standards, after stooping to pick and then making 40 jars of bottled gooseberries. I started last year, after picking two very heavily laden bushes. Scalped them and now they stand a good 4 feet tall and tied to a strong metal permanent stake. They all have is a shoot at the top, I religiously pull off the offshoots at the bottom and up the stem. They, two plus a newer 4 plants, all look fabulously healthy now and are surviving strong winds. Already much easier to weed. I am looking forward to sitting under a canopy of berries