Planting gooseberries in the fall: tips for beginners

When to plant

All seedlings, be they trees or shrubs, have their own optimum planting time. Crops prone to frosting (peaches, cherries, apricots) are best planted in spring. Saplings that grow early, and the gooseberry and its close relative, the currant, are just such crops, it is preferable to plant it in the fall.

The buds on the gooseberry begin to swell at the first warming, and in the second half of April, it turns green with might and main with blossoming leaves. Therefore, a high-quality spring planting can be carried out only for a short period of time, until the buds are too full. The earth at this time has not yet dried out and it is not very pleasant to dig it. If you are late with planting, the plants will take a very long time and it will be difficult to take root.

In the fall, planting gooseberries can be done according to all the rules, since there is enough time to properly prepare the pits, choose planting material and process its roots with high quality. After all, gooseberries are planted quite late, three weeks before the onset of stable cold weather. In Siberia, this time begins at the beginning of September, and in the southern regions, gooseberries can be planted from the end of October. The time remaining before frost will be enough for the plants to take root and get stronger.

Video "Correct planting of a gooseberry bush"

From the video you will learn how to plant gooseberries correctly.

Landing in the ground

Before planting a gooseberry, you need to think carefully about whether it will interfere, when it grows and how comfortable it will be to care for. They can compact the planting of trees or place it next to the fence, provided that the shading is not complete. Still, the gooseberry fruit is best in an open, well-ventilated area. The occurrence of groundwater must be deep, at least 1.5 meters from the soil surface.

Excess moisture leads to root rot and fungal infections. The site should be cleared of weeds, primarily wheatgrass, which will be very difficult to deal with with further care. The soil should be rich in organic matter and have a neutral and slightly acidic reaction. Good predecessors are potatoes, beets, legumes. You can't plant it after raspberries. Planting gooseberries after and even next to currants can lead to damage to diseases and pests common to them.

First you need to choose the right seedlings. Preference is given to one- or two-year-olds, they take root more easily than older plants. A well-developed root system of two or three skeletal roots should be at least 15 cm.The main shoot is one, and the height of the aboveground part is at least 40 cm.

The planting material should not have mechanical damage and visible signs of disease and pests. Plants dug out before the natural fall of the leaves have immature shoots and most often freeze, in addition, the main loss of moisture occurs through the leaves and such a specimen will most likely be overdried.

In this case, the seedling is freed from leaves before planting and soaked for a day in a nutrient solution (3-4 tablespoons of sodium humate per 5 liters of water). A normal, undried plant does not need soaking, but before planting it must be dipped in a chatterbox prepared according to this recipe:

• 5 liters of water;
• 1 kg of clay;
• 1 kg of black soil;
• 1-2 packs of Kornevin root growth stimulator;
• six-gram sachet of "Aktara" - a systemic insecticide that will protect at first the bushes from beetle, sawfly, moth and shoot aphids.

How to plant

For planting in the fall, pits are prepared in advance, the minimum size is 40x40x40, while the upper fertile layer is separated, and the lower, more meager layer is laid next to it. A bucket of humus, 50 g of double superphosphate, 40 g of potassium sulfate or 200 g of wood ash are added to the fertile part of the soil, part of this mixture is poured into a slide at the bottom of the pit.

After preliminary pruning and dipping in a chatterbox, the roots of the plant are evenly spread over the entire area and sprinkled with the rest of the mixture. In this case, the root collar should be deepened by 2-3 cm, for the formation of basal shoots and an additional root system. This technique speeds up the formation of the bush. After watering, the soil will settle and you need to fill it up using the remaining less fertile soil. The gooseberry root system occupies a rather large area, so it is planted next to it no closer than 1.5 m away. In addition, this will simplify the care of an unusually prickly pet.

Transfer to a new location

Sometimes it becomes necessary to transplant an already mature bush growing in an inconvenient place. This should be done before bud break in spring or late fall. And in the fall it will be much more convenient to do it. First, the bush is thoroughly cut, leaving 7 young strong shoots, which must be immediately shortened by one third. It is dug in along the perimeter of the crown, simultaneously chopping off the roots. Using a crowbar and a shovel, the bush is removed from the ground and placed on a piece of polyethylene.

A hole is dug in a pre-selected area, commensurate with the root system of the settler. The excavated soil is enriched with fertilizers, as described above. This food is designed for 3 years, in which the owner will be relieved of additional care for the transplanted shrub. 2-3 buckets of water are poured into the pit and the gooseberries are placed, first falling asleep with a nutrient mixture, and then with the remaining soil.

Pruning

Immediately after planting, the shoots are shortened, leaving 4-5 buds. Annual pruning has 2 goals - hygiene and shaping. Gooseberries are extremely branching, forming many young shoots to the detriment of fruiting. Caring for a neglected bush is very difficult. Sanitary formative pruning is best done in the fall after leaf fall. First of all, damaged and diseased branches are completely removed. In the first year, the shoots of the current year are shortened by a third, and of the basal ones, only 3-4 of the most powerful ones are left, growing in the right direction. In the second year, fresh shoots are shortened again, basal ones are removed except for the 6-8 most developed ones. By the time of fruiting, in the third year, there are already from 12 to 15 branches of different ages. Young again shorten and leave 3-4 basal. Starting from 5-7 years old branches are removed, they are distinguished by the dark color of the bark. By shortening the branches, the cut is made above the bud located on the inside.

You can also rejuvenate an old thickened bush in the fall by removing two-thirds of the branches or trimming them all, leaving 15-centimeter stumps so that young shoots can grow.

Care

Caring for planted shrubs during the summer requires a little - timely watering and shallow loosening. Another thing is caring for gooseberries in the fall, when the foundation for the future harvest is being laid. First, remove all weeds under and next to the bush. Sanitary-forming pruning is carried out. Then the entire area around the gooseberry is cleaned of leaves and plant debris.

The soil in the near-trunk circle is loosened, and in the aisle they are dug so that the approaching frost will destroy the insects hibernating in it, simultaneously introducing 30 g of phosphorus and 20 g of potash fertilizers under each bush.

Preparing for winter

In September, you need to charge the plant with moisture to enhance root growth and successful wintering. To do this, next to the bush, along the perimeter of the crown, they dig a groove and let water through it.

In the fall, it is necessary to treat the branches and the near-trunk circle of the earth with fungicides from various fungal infections. Before the very frosts, the ground under the plant is mulched with a 10-centimeter layer of peat or humus. On this, the autumn care can be completed. In winter, you can cover bushes growing in an open place with snow, this will protect them from freezing.

Video "Preparing gooseberries in spring"

From the video you will learn what work to carry out in the spring in order to get a good harvest of gooseberries.