Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: Tiny Clanger on September 25, 2018, 14:30:30
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Do gooseberries need pruning? I can do the blackcurrants, but not sure when or how to deal with gooseberries. :blob7:
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An extract from my website:
Week 44 or alternatively circa week 10 the following year;
Prune out dead or diseased stems, and any shoots that are growing into the centre of the bush to form a goblet shape and keep the centre of the bush open.
This will form a balanced branch structure and make harvesting easier; it will also improve air circulation through the bush thus reducing the risk of mildew.
Cut back shoots of two-year old gooseberries by about a half, pruning them back to a suitable bud.
Cut back to an inside (upper) bud if the variety has a drooping habit, or to an outside (lower) bud for erect growers.
Slightly older bushes can be treated similarly, but here the laterals (side shoots) may also need shorting back to about 75mm (3”).
Established bushes may benefit from having weak shoots and a proportion of older branches pruned out to avoid congestion.
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Thank you Tee Gee, you are a star. The bushes are not old, but I want to keep them tidy and productive. :sunny:
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Tee Gee has not only given you good instructions on how to prune gooseberries, but also the same task for redcurrants and whitecurrants. The same method works for all three.
He's good isn't he?