The gooseberry is a light-loving shrub that grows well and bears fruit only when there is enough light. It does not tolerate either shading or thickening, so regular pruning is necessary for it, as well as air. And how to do it correctly, we will look at this article in detail.
Table of contents
- Purpose of trimming
- The classical scheme of pruning and the formation of gooseberry bush
- Unusual methods for trimming and shaping
- Pruning and rejuvenation of gooseberry in the spring, timing
- Clipping the bushes in the summer
- Proper pruning of shoots in the fall and preparation for winter
- Bushes care after pruning, tips for beginner gardeners
Purpose of trimming
Pruning is the main shrub care event., as a result of which we get a well-formed and abundantly fruiting healthy plant. It helps to control the growth of young shoots, to form old ones, to remove excess ones. Condensed plants produce small yields of small berries, and even those due to their thorniness will be very difficult and traumatic to harvest.
Depending on the purpose, pruning is divided into:
- formativewhich results in a well-formed compact bush;
- sanitaryconducted for the improvement of the shrub when the diseased, broken, dry branches that hinder the normal development and growth are removed from the plant;
- rejuvenatingperformed to stimulate the growth of new shoots.
The timely cutting of the gooseberry will help protect it from most diseases associated with plant thickening and extend the period of its full fruiting.
Pre-planting
Before planting shrubs to a permanent place broken and dry shoots are removed from the plant, the rest are shortened, leaving four buds on strong shoots, and if the shoot is weak, then two. Thin shoots are removed completely. Such a strong pruning pledge of good development of the bush. Gooseberries will quickly take root and recover, as it has the ability to quickly grow shoots.
Rejuvenating
The gooseberry bush is in the dawn of its strength until the age of 8, after which the fruiting is reduced, if not completely. To extend the full life of the shrub requires its rejuvenation. From 8-10 years of age they begin to make strong pruning annually, which consists in cutting in the late part of the third part of the shoots of the whole bush for three years. This will trigger the growth of zero (growing from the ground) shoots. Growing for the year zero shoots need to cut about 1 примерно4 of their length.
Gooseberry bushes older than 20 years to rejuvenate does not make sense.
The classical scheme of pruning and the formation of gooseberry bush
This is the formation of the most ordinary bush. In the first year of life on the shoots of the current year leave 4-5 buds and choose 3-4 strong zero escape. Shoots growing horizontally, inside the bush, the sick and the weak are removed without regret. The following year, new shoots that grow up are shortened by 1/3 part, and zero is already left in the amount of the previous year up to 8. In the third year of life a bush will have to 12 branches between the ages of one and three. Pruning is carried out according to the same principle: the branches of the current year are shortened, from the zero ones they choose up to 4 best. The bush is already entering fruiting. By the age of five, the period of full fruiting, the bush should consist of 20 powerful branches of different age. And from this point on every year the old branches are completely removed. They differ from other shoots in darker bark color. A further pruning principle is the same.
With this technology pruning bush will always be young and abundantly fruiting.
Unusual methods for trimming and shaping
By cutting in a certain way you can form standard bush shape or grow it on a trellis.
Standard
it growing shrubs in the form of trees. This bush looks very nice and takes up less space on the plot, harvesting is simplified.
To form a trunk, the strongest vertically growing shoot is chosen; all the rest are removed.. All side shoots are also removed to the height of the selected trunk, usually a meter height is taken. Re-growing lateral shoots on the stem should be constantly removed, to facilitate the care of the stem it is advisable to put a tube (metal or plastic) on it and bury part of the tube in the ground. This will serve as a kind of support for the trunk, in the winter it will be easier to warm it, in order to avoid freezing. Near the bush must install a peg and produce a garter trunk to him in several places.
Further formation takes place according to the classical scheme: up to 5 strong shoots are left annually; shoots of the last year are shortened by about half. Escape - the sequel does not shorten. Removed as shoots growing down and growing inside the bush. All shoots that grow from the soil at the base of the trunk are removed.As an option - the soil under the bush zamulchirovat crushed bark and beautiful and the growth will not break through it.
The disadvantages of this form of trimming the bush is a low frost resistance, the life of the plant is only 10-12 years, since the stem is aging and it cannot be rejuvenated. But you can arrange the rotation of the standard bushes on the site. To do this, each year to form new plants and then the replacement will be retiring constantly.
Shpalernaya
This is a bush growing on a trellis. Mandatory installation in the rows of supports and the tension between them of three rows of wire at a height from the ground 50, 80, 100 cm. Bushes in rows are planted at a distance of 70-100 cm, the distance between the rows is 1.5 m.
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- Growing gooseberry on a trellis
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- Gooseberry shpaler pruning
The bush should consist of 3-4 branches. They are placed in a fan and tied to the lower wire trellis, their further growth lead vertically. When performing pruning achieve horizontal growth of growing shoots3-5 of the strongest are tied to the trellis, slightly shortened, the rest are removed. The following year, these branches tie up, not cutting to the second wire.The central shoots are shortened more strongly, and the horizontal ones are weaker so that they do not lag behind in growth. Zero shoots, thickening bush removed. Starting from the sixth year of life, begin rejuvenating pruning bush. Cut out the old branches, replacing them in advance left young.
With this method of growing bushes are very well ventilated and illuminated.. Harvesting is a pleasure.
Pruning and rejuvenation of gooseberry in the spring, timing
Gooseberry spring wakes up very early and if the decision on spring pruning is made, you should not be late with the deadlines. As soon as you can enter the garden and warmly - proceed. Remove the dry and blackened shoots (branches, recovering from powdery mildew).
If this is the second year of a bush's life, then weak shoots are removed, leave 3-4 strongest zero escape. And they do this for the first five years. To the beginning of full fruiting (from the fifth year of life) bush must have up to 25 strong shoots.
Clipping the bushes in the summer
To increase the yield of gooseberry is recommended to make light pruning in the summer. She is consists in shortening young green shoots. No more than seven leaves are left on the shoot, and the top is cut off.
In August, also weakly developing zero shoots are removed, on the development of which food is taken from the plant.
Novice gardeners note:
Proper pruning of shoots in the fall and preparation for winter
If the main pruning was not done in the spring, then in the fall it’s time to do it and renew the bush. It should be carried out at the end of October and not earlier, so that during the autumn thaws the side shoots do not go to growth. They will not have time to turn wood into wood and in winter they will freeze out.
Removed old, broken, sick, weak young and growing deep into the bush branches. Zero shoots shortened to the fourth part of its length.
If the end of the branch is thin, it means that the branch is weak, there will be no harvest on it and so that the apical kidney does not pull on food, it must also be shortened to the largest kid looking out.
As a result of pruning should be well clarified bush.
Bushes care after pruning, tips for beginner gardeners
The care of the bushes after circumcision is obligatory fertilizing organic ormineral fertilizers, as the amount of nutrients in the soil depends on it.
Fertilization in spring helps the plant to gain strength before flowering and fruiting, after harvesting, plant fruit buds for next year's crop and prepare for winter. Autumn feeding (necessarily phosphorus-potassium) helps the shrubs survive the cold and prepare for fruiting.
Not extraordinary will be foliar dressing during the vegetation period, which can be both independent and combined with spraying against pests and diseases.
We must not forget about regular watering. Gooseberry drought-resistant, but watering will be grateful, especially in hot summer. To feed the earth with moisture is necessary after the autumn pruning.
A sufficient amount in the soil nutrition and moisture helps the gooseberry easier to transfer and recover faster after pruning. After all, no matter how useful it is for the plant, but it is stressful.
When doing pruning, remember the following:
- if the annual growth is small, the shoot is weak and the branch should be cut to the side branch with a good growth;
- the thin end of the shoot suggests that the branch is weak and should be shortened to the largest kidney looking outwards;
- shortening a quarter of the length of zero shoots contributes to good branching of the bush;
- in order to avoid bush thickening, branches should always be cut above the bud on the outside of the shoot;
- cutting branches can not leave hemp, which immediately occupy pests and diseases.
Planting gooseberries on the plot,pay attention to him, not only during the harvest, but throughout the season and he will thank you for it with a delicious and healthy berry.