When and how to plant gooseberries in spring, summer: step-by-step instructions, timing, diagram, especially fruiting

Planting gooseberries in the open ground in spring with the implementation of the rules of agricultural technology of this crop will allow you to get a plentiful and high-quality harvest of berries. The preparation of the planting material, the choice of a suitable place and the observance of the planting dates lay the foundation for the health of the shrub. Regular plant care and disease prevention is a guarantee of long-term fruiting.

Features of growing and fruiting gooseberries

Gooseberry is an unpretentious, high-yielding berry shrub that is widespread in domestic gardening. "Northern grapes", as this plant is also called, is winter-hardy, some of its varieties can bloom even with slight frosts. Hybrids that are resistant to pests, powdery mildew, spherotek, and black spot have been selected.

Gooseberry is a crop that tolerates drought well. The dry regime is more preferable than heavy rains, close occurrence of groundwater and floods in spring. To obtain high yields, the plant needs to provide a sufficient amount of light. In a shaded place, the shrub is overgrown with long branches, on the tops of which berries are formed. Shoots located in the shade are poorly leafy, prone to freezing and disease. For active growth and development, a loose and nutritious soil, without weeds, is needed, which begins to be prepared a year before planting in the spring. There are no special requirements for its composition. It can be clay, sandy or peaty.

What year after planting gooseberries bear fruit

Gooseberries begin to bear fruit in the third year after planting. The first harvests are not plentiful. With the age of the crop, the quality of the berries improves, the yield increases.

When the gooseberry ripens

Gooseberry fruiting time depends on the region of its growth:

• in the south, the fruits ripen by early July;
• in the Middle Polos and the Moscow region, the berries ripen in the middle of summer;
• in Siberia and the Urals, the culture begins to bear fruit by the end of July - beginning of August.

The ripening time depends on the variety. Early, middle, and late varieties of gooseberries have been bred. Ripening of fruits on the bush can be simultaneous or extended.

How many gooseberries bear fruit

Gooseberries begin to ripen 2 - 2.5 months after flowering.They can stay on the bush for a long time, about three weeks, and do not crumble even after overripe.

For about 30 years or more, with proper care, gooseberries give good yields. High fruiting is maintained until the age of 15 years. From one bush, you can get up to 15 - 20 kg of berries per season.

When is it better to plant gooseberries: in spring or summer

Planting gooseberries in spring is more preferable than in summer. Due to the optimal air temperature and abundant soil moisture after the snow melts, the seedlings take root well, the bush is actively developing.

Why you can't plant gooseberries in summer

In summer, it is impossible to plant gooseberries with seedlings with an open root system. Hot weather is not conducive to the rapid development of the bush. It does not take root well and usually disappears several months after planting.

In the summer, propagation of the culture by cuttings can be successful. Cuttings cut from the bush are dropped into fertile soil and watered abundantly. By winter, such a plant has time to take root well.

Dates of planting gooseberry seedlings in spring

In the spring, the choice of the date for planting gooseberries affects the receipt of a successful result. This culture comes out of winter sleep very early. If you plant a bush with swollen buds in the ground, then it will hurt and, most likely, die. Thus, in spring, the plant is planted, taking into account the characteristics of the climate of the territory, choosing the time after the thawing of the earth and the disappearance of the snow cover.

When to plant gooseberries in different regions

In spring, the timing of planting in the ground is determined by the climatic characteristics of the area:

1. The regions of the Middle Strip and the Moscow region are located in a zone with a temperate continental climate. Here, the optimal time for planting gooseberries in spring, in April.
2. The climate of Siberia and the Urals is continental, characterized by harsh conditions. In these regions, gooseberries are planted in late April - early May.
3. In the southern regions, the climate varies from subtropical to temperate continental. Spring comes early here, and you can plant the plant in open ground already in March - early April.

The timing of planting gooseberries is determined by the possibility of acquiring a seedling and the preferences of the gardener.

How to plant gooseberries in spring

In order for the gooseberry to bear fruit abundantly, it should be planted in spring, following the step-by-step instructions: choose the right place for placement, prepare the soil and planting material, and correctly plant the seedlings.

Where is the best place to plant gooseberries on the site

For the placement of gooseberries, preference is given to well-lit areas, avoiding the close location of buildings and structures that can shade the bush. Trees and shrubs growing nearby interfere with plant development by absorbing nutrients.

It is better to plant gooseberries on a flat, flat place, protected from winds, especially cold northern and western ones. Groundwater should run no closer than 1.5 m to the ground surface. If the roots of the plant are constantly damp, they will begin to rot, which will lead to its death.

For gooseberries, territories with loamy non-acidic soils with good drainage characteristics are preferred. Limestone solution can be used to reduce soil acidity. Sandy and swampy soils are not suitable for growing a plant.

Next to what you can plant gooseberries

Gooseberries can be planted next to:

• with other species of this plant - they self-pollinate well, are less susceptible to disease and pests;
• with red currants - they bloom and bear fruit at the same time, do not have common pests, do not compete for nutrients;
• with herbs (basil, mint, lemon balm) - this smell repels insects;
• with tomatoes, which serve to protect the crop from parasites, they are often planted between the rows of gooseberries.

Next to what you can not plant gooseberries

Planting gooseberries next to some crops leads to a decrease in its yield, diseases, and in some cases death. This shrub must not be planted nearby:

• with trees and shrubs that create shade and compete with the plant for food;
• black currant, which has common diseases and parasites with gooseberries;
• raspberries and strawberries, which draw nutrients and attract moths, weevils, aphids;
• fennel and hyssop, which release substances into the soil that negatively affect the development of garden plants.

How to prepare the soil for planting gooseberries

On the territory chosen for the placement of gooseberries, the soil is carefully prepared in the fall. It is dug over the entire area of ​​the site, weeds are removed and its roots are selected. In the spring, the surface of the soil is leveled with a rake, breaking up clods. During digging, 18 - 20 kg of organic-mineral compost is applied to the areas allocated for shrubs.

Selection and preparation of planting material

You can plant gooseberries in spring with seedlings. The survival rate and health of the plant depends on their quality. Choose a two-year planting material that must meet the criteria:

• so that its ground part consists of 2 - 3 branches up to 40 cm long;
• rhizome - represented by at least three lignified skeletal processes 15 cm long, with a yellowish bark and well-developed lobe components.

In addition to seedlings, cuttings are used as planting material. They are prepared in autumn, and transplanted to a permanent place in early spring, before the start of the growing season. Cutting is carried out according to one of the schemes:

• In September, a young one-year-old branch is chosen, blended from the root. Peel it of leaves and cut it into pieces 20 cm long. The upper cut is made over the kidney. The cuttings are immersed for 15 minutes in water at a temperature of 45 degrees to prevent kidney mites. Then the cutting is planted at an angle of 45⁰ into the ground, leaving two buds above the surface;
• Cut off small green shoots, up to 10 cm long, with a lignified heel from last year's branch and planted according to the scheme described for the first case.

In the spring, before planting, to ensure good survival, the seedling is prepared:

1. Inspect gooseberries for fungal diseases and mold.
2. Dry or damaged parts of shoots and roots are removed.
3. Shoots are cut to 4 buds. This will allow the developing root system to provide the terrestrial part with nutrients in sufficient quantities.
4. The seedlings are immersed for 3 - 5 minutes in a transparent pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) for disinfection.
5. To stimulate root formation, the roots of the seedling are immersed in a stimulant or rooting agent for 2 - 3 minutes. For this purpose, you can use a clay mash, which in consistency resembles thick sour cream.

How to preserve gooseberry seedlings before planting

In the spring, gooseberry seedlings with an open (ACS) and closed (OCS) root system go on sale.The general rules for their storage are that the planting material should not be brought into a warm room, because this can stimulate the growth of the plant. But there are differences:

• Seedlings with ZKS, that is, grown in a container, should be well watered and stored in a cool room or outdoors, in a shaded place;
  
• If the root system of the seedling is open, then it is wrapped in cloth or paper, moistened and kept in the shade. In the spring, before planting, you can dig in the seedlings, sprinkling the roots with earth and watering well.
  

Advice! In the spring, in order to protect the seedlings from late frost when stored outdoors, they are wrapped in non-woven covering material.

The advantage of container grown specimens is that they can be planted during the entire growing season (spring and summer) and have almost 100% cropping capacity. If the plant is purchased with ACS, then it is better to plant it in the ground as soon as possible. The advantage of such planting material is that it is possible to fully examine the plant and assess its condition.

At what distance to plant gooseberries

The distance at which the plants are placed from each other is important in order to plant the gooseberries correctly in the spring. It is a light-loving, spreading shrub, and its yield depends on the light.

The density of the gooseberry distribution is determined by the variety, soil fertility, illumination, the method of forming the shrub, and the expected service life. Of paramount importance for proper planting in spring is the layout:

1. In the usual sparse layout, plants are planted in rows with an interval of 1.4 - 1.5 m. The row spacing should be 2 - 2.5 m. Shrubs in a row begin to close up on the 5th - 6th year and form a continuous strip.
2. The combined method consists in the fact that the bushes are planted first tightly (the distance in the row is 0.75 m, and between them is 1 m), and then the rows are gradually thinned out. In the spring of the 3rd - 4th year, the bushes are removed from them after one and transplanted to a new place. Then the distance between the gooseberries in the row will remain 1.5 m. Then again, after 1 - 2 years, the thickening of the plantation is reduced by removing the shrubs growing through the row. By the 7th year, they gradually switch to the usual planting scheme.
   Comment! If a shrub is planted according to a combined scheme, then high yields are collected from a young berry plant located in a small area.

3. When planting two specimens to increase yield, they are placed in one large hole at a distance of 0.2 m from each other. But this method is not justified. In the early years, the productivity of the bushes is high, then they thicken, their roots intertwine, and they age quickly. It is difficult to plant them without damage.
4. When placed in aisles in a young garden, gooseberries are planted, stepping back from the trees at least 1.5 - 2 m. If their crowns begin to close, in the spring the plant is transplanted or removed.

If a decision is made to grow gooseberries on a trellis, they are planted according to a compacted scheme: the interval between shrubs in a row will be 0.5 - 0.7 m, and between rows - 3 m.

When placing the berry, take into account the minimum permissible distance to objects of landscape design and communications:

• before the fence - 1 m;
• to garden paths - 0.5 m;
• to the walls of buildings - 1.5 m;
• to underground cables - 0.7 m.

How to plant gooseberries in spring

Competent planting of gooseberries in the spring consists of the following mandatory steps.

Preparation of top dressing.

For each planting pit, a fertilizer mixture is preliminarily prepared:

• humus - 1.5 - 2 buckets;
• peat - 2 buckets;
• supersphosphate - 300 g;
• potassium salt - 30 - 40 g;
• wood ash - 300 g;
• ground limestone -150 g.

Hole preparation

Holes or trenches are prepared at least 2 weeks before planting gooseberries: so that the soil naturally subsides. Dig holes measuring 0.5x0.5x0.5 m. In this case, you can focus on the bayonet of the shovel: depth - 1.5 bayonets, diameter - 2 bayonets.

With the earth extracted from the holes, proceed as follows:

• the upper fertile soil is mixed with a previously prepared top dressing and laid on the bottom of the pit in the form of a slide;
• the soil of the lower layer of the hole is distributed in the aisles, and instead of it, the upper layer of earth, previously removed from the surface between the rows, is used to fill the hole.

Gooseberries are planted in the prepared holes.

Planting seedlings

In the spring, after preparatory preparation and inspection, you can plant gooseberries, according to this step-by-step guide:

• Step 1. Place the seedling on the top of the hill at the bottom of the nest so that the root collar is 5-7 cm below ground level. Spread the roots down;
• Step 2. Fill in the prepared soil, removed from the top layer of the hole and mixed with top dressing, into the planting nest. The gooseberry seedling must be shaken periodically for uniform and dense laying of the soil;
• Step 3. To remove air residues and compact the soil, after filling the hole, before reaching 10 - 12 cm to the edge, pour plenty of water over the gooseberries from the watering can in the amount of 2/3 of the bucket. Fill up all the soil and spill with the remaining water (1/3 of the bucket);
• Step 4. Mulch the trunk circle. You can use peat or compost as mulch, laying it in a layer of 3-4 cm;
• Step 5. When planting in spring, the branches of the seedling should be shortened, leaving 3 - 4 buds each. This balances the volume of the crown and root system, facilitating the nutrition of the young plant.

The described gooseberry planting scheme is shown in the figure.

You can achieve good survival rate by planting gooseberries using the simplified method presented in the video:

Planting gooseberries in the spring when grown on a trellis is slightly different from the traditional scheme. A trellis with a height of at least 2 m is pre-installed. For supports, wooden or metal beams are used, between which a wire is pulled in parallel in three tiers. Then, next to the trellis, with an interval of 0.5 m, gooseberry bushes are planted in holes or trenches. The sizes of the nests are the same as for the traditional planting. After that, they proceed to the formation of shrubs.

How to grow gooseberries in the country or in a personal plot

Growing gooseberries on a personal plot is accompanied by compulsory care procedures. To obtain a high-quality harvest, you should follow the schedule of irrigation and fertilization, loosen and mulch the soil, properly cut the shrub in spring and autumn.

What to do if frost begins after planting the gooseberry

Gooseberries, especially young and fragile ones, are sensitive to recurrent frosts. To protect plants planted in spring, they are wrapped in burlap, paper or film. It is optimal to use a non-woven covering material for protection.

Smoke is a well-known, but not an easy way to protect against late frosts. Smoke is difficult to keep on site. This procedure is accompanied by a constant unpleasant smell of a fire.

Watering and feeding schedule

The first watering of gooseberries is carried out on the 3rd - 4th day after planting in the spring. The seedling is then watered once a week until rooting. Further, regular soil moisture is required at a set time:

• in mae - when new branches grow;
• in July - when ripe berries;
• in October - to provide moisture for the winter.

Fertilizers are applied for the first time in spring, during planting. Then, starting at the age of three, 4 times a year, the gooseberries are fed: before bud break, before flowering, before fruit formation, after harvesting. The basis of feeding is rotted manure (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20). In spring and autumn, a complex fertilizer is used, which includes superphosphate, saltpeter, potassium chloride.

Loosening and mulching of the soil

Around the young plant, the soil is regularly loosened to saturate it with air, and weeds are removed. The trunks are mulched using compost or peat after each watering and heavy rainfall.

Trimming and installing supports

For the correct formation of the gooseberry crown and the prevention of diseases, a shaping, sanitary and rejuvenating haircut is carried out regularly, in autumn and spring. Sick and unproductive branches are removed. For the first time, the bush is immediately cut off the planting field, leaving no more than 4 to 6 buds on the processes. The root system of the seedling will not be able to provide the vital activity of a larger volume of the ground part.

Around the shrubs of tall varieties of gooseberries, in the spring of the 2nd - 3rd year, supports are installed, to which, as necessary, branches are tied. Supports can be stake, trellis or frame.

How to grow gooseberries on a trellis

In the spring, you can plant gooseberries for growing on a trellis. This is a rational way to ensure early and even berry formation and easy harvesting.

The trellis is installed from north to south for good coverage of the shrubs. The wire is pulled on it in three tiers (50; 80; 100 cm above the ground). With this growing method, gooseberries are formed as follows:

1. On the bushes, of all the shoots that have grown in the first year, 3 - 4 of the most developed are preserved. In the spring, they are fixed on the first tier, with an interval of 20 - 30 cm.
2. In the second year, the left shoots, without shortening, are tied to the wire of the second tier. The central branches are removed.
3. In the third year, two additional root branches are left on the gooseberry to rejuvenate the bush. And the side shoots are tied to the third tier.
4. In autumn or spring, on the 4th - 5th year, the old branches are cut out, in their place, two young annual shoots are left. This is how the bush is rejuvenated throughout its entire life cycle.
5. Shoots that grow from the root collar are constantly removed.

The thorns of the shrub thus formed do not complicate the harvest. All berries are on the same plane. They are large and ripen quickly.

Pests and diseases

Pest and disease control is an essential component of competent gooseberry care. This culture is susceptible to viral and fungal diseases, and is affected by insects. Therefore, young and adult shrubs need preventive treatment with solutions:

• baking soda;
• karbofos;
• iron sulfate.

Conclusion

Planting gooseberries in the open ground in spring and timely implementation of crop care procedures give results in the form of a harvest of large berries with high taste characteristics. It is planted taking into account the varietal characteristics and the chosen layout. Growing and planting shrubs on a trellis has its own differences.

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