Gooseberry help

[Falkirk Bairn]

Looking for advice with my gooseberry plant (Invicta).

Last year the stems were growing out flat across the soil so I used some canes to train them upright. I have a about a dozen straight stems (all tied to canes).

When and how do I prune it?
Should I remove the canes and see if the branches will stand upright on their own?

ta.

[Darwin.]

I can't answer your question I'm afraid but mine were the same last year, I must tie them up this year.

[Feral007]

Oh, that's a worry, mine arent very big but they are standing up - I hope they are gooseberries afterall, or I'll be very disappointed!

[boundtothesoil]

Last year the stems were growing out flat across the soil so I used some canes to train them upright. I have a about a dozen straight stems (all tied to canes).
When and how do I prune it?
ta.

Sounds like quite an odd shaped gooseberry 'bush' to me. I have a few Invicta bushes and the variety is pretty vigorous and able to take a lot of abuse in terms of cutting back - it can make a lot of new growth every year. I remove any branches that have decided to grow along, or close to, the surface of the soil, as the gooseberries hanging from them usually touch the soil and become infected with rots of one kind or another or are partially eaten.

I don't know how long your 12 stems are or how old the bush is, but I'm guessing (?) that they may be too spindly to grow upwards, and that the plant could do with some back to basics, fundamental reshaping into more of a sturdy goblet shape, consisting of 7 or 8 main stems (each 12 inches length max), hopefully emerging from the single short 'trunk' and oriented at least partially upwards. If they aren't then I'd be tempted to almost start from scratch and cut them right back (leaving maybe only 4-6 stems each 6 inches in length), each to an upward facing bud -so that the new growth this year is more vertical in direction. Even more drastic would be to leave just one 9 inch stem growing vertically and let the new growth from this form the basis of an entirely new framework of branches for the bush, developing this over the next three years. Personally, I believe that gooseberry bush branches should be able to support themselves, without the use of canes, unless you are trying to train them into fan-shaped structures

Prune in the winter. It's not too late if you do it this or next week, but Invicta starts to green up pretty early in the spring.

Invicta cuttings take very well, so you can stick any 6-9 inch straight-length prunings several inches into the soil and some of them will most likely root over the next 2-3 months, giving you new bushes which can be transplanted next winter and then trained to perfection.

[veggiechicken]

Often the branches that run along the soil will root. I cut them off and turn them into new plants. I even encourage this by pinning the side shoot down to the soil.

[Falkirk Bairn]

Not the best photo's, sorry. Took these pics this morning after I took the support canes away. roots have now been covered up (chickens had had a good scratch about).

[boundtothesoil]

Not the best photo's.

Looks like not a bad bush in the making, just a bit spindly - hence the branches going horizontal. I could live with this specimen quite easily.

Looking closer at it, on balance, I'd still sacrifice much of the current year's crop in the name of forming a stronger 'goblet' branch structure (by cutting back all the horizontal branches to just 6 - 8 inches length immediately above an upward facing bud). This should mean that much of this year's new growth will come from these buds and help orientate the young branch system upwards. Next winter you might even remove a couple of these branches right back to the trunk, if you think it is looking a bit too crowded. You're looking to thicken-up and raise the load-bearing branches over the next two to three years.

As far as the quite healthy looking vertical shoot, sticking up from the middle of the bush, is concerned, I'd cut this back to about 6-9 inches length to encourage new shoots to grow from the buds below the cut, and potentially give you the basis for an alternative branch-framework for the bush, should you decide next winter that cutting back the horizontal shoots hasn't really done the trick.

If it were mine, I wouldn't be frightened of cutting off any new shoots during this summer that aren't growing in the right directions - this will direct the bush's energy into the shoots that are growing where you want them.

I'd also put some compost/mulch/leaf mould or whatever around the base of the bush to protect the roots, not least from late frosts, drying out (ha ha!) etc.

[Falkirk Bairn]

thanks for advice.

glad it's not too late to prune it back, don't mind sacrificing most of this years crop (or the next few) if it's going to benefit me in later years.

i have covered the roots with topsoil and will be putting a mulch over it this weekend, unfortunately my chooks decided to have a scrath about the bush when i let them out of their run while i done some repairs.

thanks once again

[spanish_gardener]

Hope you do not mind the interruption... I inherited two unidentified plants in my second plot. After look at your pics, I believe they are gooseberry plants. What do you think? I am sorry for the picture, but it was taken with my mobile phone. Cheers!

[veggiechicken]

Does it have vicious thorns? If so, it probably is a gooseberry

[Hazel at the Hill]

I go for gooseberry too, SG, if it's covered in evil thorns, if not - and looking at the shape if it - I'd say it could be a currant bush.

[spanish_gardener]

Thank you so much! I have never seen a Gooseberry, let alone eaten one. I will take a closer look tomorrow morning.

[rustylady]

Here you go Spanish Gardener, some information for you Grow your own gooseberries / RHS Gardening

[spanish_gardener]

Here you go Spanish Gardener, some information for you Grow your own gooseberries / RHS Gardening

The gooseberry fruit look soooooo delicious! I do not even know if the plants are in good conditions and if they will give fruits, but I can not stop looking gooseberry recipes.

[spanish_gardener]

I took a few pictures today. I am a bit confused again because it looks a bit pink-ish compared to other people's gooseberries.