Gooseberry bushes

[krazy_krok]

Hi all,

My gooseberry bushes arrived 2day 3 each of invicta, hinnonmaki red and yellow. They are bare rooted wrapped in polythene. I've not got the ground dug yet but the area has been covered with weed membrane for about 6 months so is fairly weed free on the top. I have some manure about 18 months old.

Should I dig in some manure or just mulch with it?
Will it still be ok to prepare the planting holes with all the wet weather we've had?
Would I be better potting them into pots and putting them in a cold green house?
Should I soak the roots in a bucket of water for 24 hours prior to planting?

Thanx in advance for all your advice,

Kk

[snuffer]

As long as the ground isn't water logged I'd have thought it would be OK to plant now. I would use the manure as a mulch, don't want to much nitrogen encouraging leafy growth before spring. Add a little bone-meal to the soil in the planting holes to encourage root growth.

If we hadn't had so much rain recently I would have said give the roots a soak but if your planting them straight away and as everywhere is so wet I, myself, wouldn't bother.

If you can't plant them until later it would be a good idea to just heel them in until you have time or conditions allow you to plant them into their final positions.

[Nicos]

Gooseberries don't like being transplanted- so if you can get them in now, they'd be happier.
However- I did pot up some babies into pots too big for them to bring them out to France- and when I put them in over here, the roots had no idea they'd been transplanted!!

[northepaul]

I am thinking of getting a gooseberry bush but not sure which one!!
There are so many to choose from
Any recommendations?

[solway cropper]

Northpaul, A lot depends on what you want from the plant. I like to pick them early on when there is little other fruit around. Invicta is quite an early one and should give you green fruit for pies from early June in your part of the world. Some have incredibly prickly spines making it impossible to pick the fruit without getting scratched to death but there are near spineless ones. Have a look through the suppliers catalogues or just google 'gooseberries'. They are pretty easy to grow once you've decided and can be easily propagated if you decide you like them.

[Snadger]

I have four different types who's names I should know......but I don't!
I have a red,yellow,green and pear shaped one.
My favourite is the yellow one, which is a huge cropper of large berries. This is the only one I will be layering to increase my stock and possibly have a go at growing half standards!

[northepaul]

Thanks, I was thinking of Whinhams Industry as it says it doesnt mind a heavier soil and is bush forming.
Anyone have this one?
Invicta would probably be one of my choices, although the garden centre has
HINNONMAKI Green??

Also sorry to sound dumb, but they are self fertile arn't they?

[southlondongardener]

I would recommend "HINNONMAKI Green" as it is easy to keep (mildew resistant and good taste).

Don't plant invicta if you want to eat raw gooseberries as it has to be cooked to be edible.

Whinham's Industry I planted last year so I can not say yet if is good or not. It needs treating against mildew - I will post details later.

Leveller has the best taste - but needs treating against mildew.

[ginger ninger]

Watch out for Gooseberry saw fly, my goosegogs were stripped of most of there leaves this year, nude gooseberry bush's ...not very fetching.

[northepaul]

Ooh thanks for the tips, re mildew and sawfly, I will keep vigilant. I bought a Honnamaki yellow in the end. The apparent scent of apricots swung me