Pruning gooseberries. Is it needed? What can go wrong

[davholla]

I have some gooseberry bushes which I think I should prune.
A) Does it need doing ?
B) Assuming I follow what is in the books can I go very badly wrong
C) Has anyone ever got the cuttings to root?  I have never done so far.

[davholla]

[Robert_Brenchley]

Put cuttings in around September, and keep them shaded for the first year so as not to stress them while they establish a root system.

[davholla]

Put cuttings in around September, and keep them shaded for the first year so as not to stress them while they establish a root system.

Thanks for that. Put can I not re-use the pruning from pruning them now?

[Robert_Brenchley]

They need the time to root. No harm in trying though.

[artichoke]

Most of my gooseberries are rooted prunings. Some take, some don't.

The only pruning I do is to follow advice to keep the centre open and remove crossing branches and weak drooping ones (having said that, some of them root at the tips, and you have  a new plant).

As far as I know, the main point is to make the fruit easier to pick without scratching yourself to bits because all the twigs and branches and thorns are too tightly packed together.

[jennym]

The only thing I would add to the advice already given is that in late summer, by snipping a little, an inch or so on very young plants, from the ends of new growth on the main branches, you can encourage more fruiting points to form along the branches.

[goodlife]

what can go wrong?...well you could loose most of the this years fruit, but only if you cut too much out. That is about worst that could happen. Even if you were to cut all branches down it would still re-grow.
And don't forget get to feed your bush after pruning!