reviving My neglected gooseberry bush

[Superh]

Its been neglected for a good 5 years. Just in a 30cm x 30cm pot. Weeds growing form the top soil. We only get about a handful of gooseberry's from it every year...

What would be the best way to encourage it to grow bigger, and produce a bigger crop? I was thinking of giving it a slightly bigger pot, and adding some fertilizer, but I'm not sure what kind of fertilizer to use.

Also, it seems like it only has very old branches, but i do not know if it is because my dad has been cutting new growth(unlikely) or if it is dropping off!!

Thanks!

[FB.]

I suspect that the reason why it has never been much good (and what you'll need to address to bring it back into health and cropping):

Pot too small.

Soil depleted of nutrients having never been changed, mulched or fertilised.

Not watered regularly enough; potted plants can't spread their roots to find water like those in the ground can and pots in full sun get very hot and dry.

.

So, some remedies would be:

While it remains dormant during winter, take it out of the pot, shake it to get most of the earth off the roots ("bare root").

Prune back straggly branches.

Cut out dead branches.

Use two parts compost and one part ordinary garden soil to fill a new, larger pot at least 1ft across and deep.

Then periodic maintenance:

Mulch with an inch of pure compost or manure. Grass cuttings are good too.

Water about twice a week in summer with at least 500ml each time.

.

[Superh]

Thanks for your advice. seems sound to me! I'm interested in doing this asap, would the bare rooting be a good idea now? even if the bush has started growing some small leaves?

It's not going to harm the plant, doing that?

[rustylady]

YES, or you will lose a whole year.

[Superh]

YES, or you will lose a whole year.

Yes as in a should bare root it now even in early stages of growing? or Yes it will harm the plant and it wont crop for a year?

[FB.]

Thanks for your advice. seems sound to me! I'm interested in doing this asap, would the bare rooting be a good idea now? even if the bush has started growing some small leaves?

It's not going to harm the plant, doing that?

Do it within the next few weeks. Sooner is better.

The bare rooting will get rid of most of the spent (and possibly diseased) soil. Since the plant is dormant, there are no demands on the roots to supply leaves with water or nutrients.
If you bare-root it while it has leaves, it will not be happy as microscopic water and nutrient-absorbing roots will be broken off and even though the structural roots remain, the structural roots are like a twig without leaves.

[Superh]

Here is a picture of the said gooseberry bush. We have had very good weather down here for the last 2 weeks so it's already got buds.





I can still get away with bare root transplanting this ?

Thank you for your patience!

[FB.]

Yes, it'll be OK to transplant it if you don't leave it much beyond next weekend.

I can see the pot is simply full of garden soil and stones. The pot is also a little small - especially given the infertile garden soil.

I would go for a pot twice as big in each direction if possible.
I'd probably only prune off any dead bits as it's now coming back to life; leave the pruning of any stems with green shoots appearing.

Generally speaking, although they will remain alive in mediocre conditions, soft fruits are very hungry plants which also require adequate soil moisture if they are to give good crops.

As an example - slightly on a tangent:

The soil in my area is utterly awful. In order to deal with this, I apply a few inches of compost or manure each year; almost any time that I think I can pile it on without smothering the plants I want to keep.
The effect is interesting, in that I have an old whitebeam tree, which is covered with ivy.
The whitebeam and the ivy pick up leached nutrients and I am not jokinh when I say that both the tree and the ivy produce by far the finest berries in the village; very big, juicy and colourful. The wood pigeons, blackbirds and various other birds flock to my tree in winter time to gorge themselves on the extra-high-quality berries. Other trees and ivy nearby are left untouched until all mine have been devoured.
So it goes to show the improvement in quality and quantity that balanced nutrition and a good mulching can achieve.

[rustylady]

You really need a much bigger pot, or could the bush go straight into the soil.

[Superh]

Yes, it'll be OK to transplant it if you don't leave it much beyond next weekend.

I can see the pot is simply full of garden soil and stones. The pot is also a little small - especially given the infertile garden soil.

I would go for a pot twice as big in each direction if possible.
I'd probably only prune off any dead bits as it's now coming back to life; leave the pruning of any stems with green shoots appearing.

Generally speaking, although they will remain alive in mediocre conditions, soft fruits are very hungry plants which also require adequate soil moisture if they are to give good crops.

As an example - slightly on a tangent:

The soil in my area is utterly awful. In order to deal with this, I apply a few inches of compost or manure each year; almost any time that I think I can pile it on without smothering the plants I want to keep.
The effect is interesting, in that I have an old whitebeam tree, which is covered with ivy.
The whitebeam and the ivy pick up leached nutrients and I am not jokinh when I say that both the tree and the ivy produce by far the finest berries in the village; very big, juicy and colourful. The wood pigeons, blackbirds and various other birds flock to my tree in winter time to gorge themselves on the extra-high-quality berries. Other trees and ivy nearby are left untouched until all mine have been devoured.
So it goes to show the improvement in quality and quantity that balanced nutrition and a good mulching can achieve.

Thanks! Did this all today. I have a good feeling that it will do well now!

I got a nice big pot, a little under a foot each way. One thing bothers me though, and that is the drainage holes. I only poked 4 small ones, the size of my thumb nail. Do you think i should poke some more?

Thanks for all your advice.

[FB.]

Thanks! Did this all today. I have a good feeling that it will do well now!

I only poked 4 small ones, the size of my thumb nail. Do you think i should poke some more?

Thanks for all your advice.

I think that your drainage will be plenty.

I don't grow much in pots any more because the pots drain too easily, we get very little rainfall and lots of warmth and breezy which is very drying. Even after yesterday's "once-in-six-months" type of heavy rain, all the roads and paths had been blown dry by midnight yesterday.
Consequently, for me (and I suspect for many others who "struggle" with pots), pots dry out far too quickly - unless you live in an unusually wet area on the Western side of the UK. Plants don't like feast-and-famine when it comes to water.

[Superh]

I think that your drainage will be plenty.

I don't grow much in pots any more because the pots drain too easily, we get very little rainfall and lots of warmth and breezy which is very drying. Even after yesterday's "once-in-six-months" type of heavy rain, all the roads and paths had been blown dry by midnight yesterday.
Consequently, for me (and I suspect for many others who "struggle" with pots), pots dry out far too quickly - unless you live in an unusually wet area on the Western side of the UK. Plants don't like feast-and-famine when it comes to water.

Woah. i can see the struggle. Luckily round here I've never noticed it to be that drying, especially in my own garden. You would think it's built on some sort of sponge at a glance.

Good info though, will come in handy. This is my first year of growing anything, as you can most probably tell