Goosberries, how to prune?

[cacran]

I have just discovered some gooseberry bushes at the end of my lottie. Didn't know they were mine. They are just a couple of twiggy, spikey bushes at present.do I need to prune them or anything?

[cacran]

[Tee Gee]

As with most fruit one should try and prune the bush/s to a goblet shape to allow light & air into the centre of the bush.

This is particularly so with gooseberries as they are prone to mildew attacks.

There are a few cultural notes here; http://tinyurl.com/25emzb

[laurieuk]

Gooseberries fruit on buds formed the previous year and on spurs, so you need to cut back new growth made last year to a few buds.Aim to leave the centre open. They are very good grown as cordons provided they are not a variety that tends to be pendula in growth.It is mainly the older varieties that suffer from mildew and if you keep plenty of air around it should not be a problem.If there are any strong young growths about 12 inches long you still have time to put some in as cuttings and make a fresh start.

[cacran]

Mine look very congested and hard to tackle. Perhaps they have been left without pruning for a long time. I will have to get some sturdy gloves and tackle the job. thanks for your advice.

[caroline7758]

I also have some at the back of my plot which have been neglected for several years. I'm afraid i've been brutal with mine and just chopped away to bring it into some kind of shape. Since my family are not keen on gooseberries it's not too important if it has a year off to recover!

[cacran]

Might do the same as you Caroline. I don't mind waiting a while for it to recover so long I I get them managable.