Gooseberry Shrub

Usually semi-translucent and green to burgundy in color, Gooseberries are in the Family of Grossulariaceae from the genus Ribes. Wild gooseberry is a 0.5-2 m tall perennial shrub. It grows upright or spreading, and has grey to brownish branches. The nodes where the leaves are attached are armed with 1-3 chestnut-brown spikes, the internodes sometimes bear bristles. The leaves are alternate, hairy, and 2-6 cm wide with toothed margins. Its Flower colors are pink, yellow, greenish-white. Gooseberries are self-fruitful, so they will not require a pollinator plant. The two main species of gooseberries are European gooseberries and American gooseberries and there are several cultivars of each. Some varieties don’t have thorns but many do.

Introduction

Description

Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:

Options – a) Gooseberry clippings from a nursery can be purchased year round, will likely come potted, and can be planted anytime between autumn and spring. Potted gooseberry plants will often be simpler to plant as they should already have small root systems established. b) Get bare-root gooseberry clippings from an older gooseberry bush. If you are getting your clippings from a wild bush, or your clippings are unpotted, be sure your clippings are from a 2-3 year old bush with 3-5 main branches and a head of at least 4-6 inches. You will need to keep your bare-root clippings cool and moist if not planted immediately, and they will need to be soaked in water for about 4 hours before planting. Wrap the root in a moist paper towel, place the root in a cup or glass, and set in the fridge until you are ready to plant. Gooseberries thrive in cooler climates and will often not produce fruit until a frost has passed. Plant your gooseberries early in spring, or as soon as the ground is workable, as gooseberry clippings can survive temperatures as low as 55 degrees. The earlier you plant your gooseberries, the better and more established the plants will be. Although gooseberries will grow in warmer climates, their distinct tartness is better in cooler areas. Hardiness zones are 3 to 7.

Optimal Soil Conditions:

Gooseberries are great for garden spaces with a lot of shade. Berries grown in shade will produce fruit that tastes more tart and tasty than fruit grown in the sun. Creating a nutrient rich plot is key during preparation as you will not be adding fertilizer during the planting period. If your original soil is sandy, you many need to apply generous amounts of compost. Most berry varieties will wilt with hot afternoon sun. Gooseberries can grow in a wide range of soils but well-drained sandy loam rich in organic matter is best. Sandy soil that gets hot and dry from the summer sun and heavy clay soil with poor drainage are not suitable. Some experts believe there is a distinctive flavor change in berries grown in sun versus shade. Best soil pH is Neutral to Acidic (5.5 to 6.5). In humid weather, gooseberries are especially prone to disease. This makes good air circulation all the more important, so space your plants 3 to 5 feet apart and prune them annually.

Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:

Preparing your plot in advance of planting will include choosing a well ventilated site with adequate moisture and making sure your soil is loose to optimize growth. Take a shovel and loosen the soil to a depth equivalent to the height of the root ball, which is the mass of roots under the stem, and over a wide area to prevent compaction and improve drainage. If you have bare root clippings they will not have a root ball. Instead, loosen the soil around a depth of 3 inches. If your plot becomes waterlogged over the winter, simply loosen the soil again and plant your clippings on a slight mound, approximately 3-4 inches high. Plant gooseberries in holes deeper and wider than their root systems. Gooseberry plants should have a 1 in. margin in depth and a margin approximately 3 times the diameter in width when planted. This will encourage growth and allow plenty of room for the initial roots to take hold. Once planted, gently pack the soil to firm the ground around the roots. Plant each clipping equally spaced apart. Spacing your plants apart will ensure that they have enough room and light to grow and will encourage their root systems to grow wide. Clippings should be spaced approximately 12-15 inches apart and replanted bushes approximately 4-5 feet apart. If your clippings are having difficulty staying vertical try attaching them to a bamboo cane with horizontal wires.

Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:

Ideal companions are: Tomatoes, Beans, Peas, Marigold, Tansy, Fuchsias, Chives, Beans & Legumes. It’s important to not plant gooseberries near white pine.

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

After planting, prune all clippings down to 4-6 buds above ground. This will encourage new vibrant and initial growth and the development of vigorous new stems, or canes, that will be able to last years. Prune your plant each year in late winter or early spring to encourage new growth and healthy development. The goal of pruning is to have three to four strong canes of each age on the plant and let an equal number of new canes grow every summer. Gooseberries don’t grow very fast. To get fully grown, it takes several weeks. Trellising or staking helps keep the canes from flopping over, which happens especially when they are loaded with berries.

Moisture Requirements & Solutions:

Dry and windy conditions are especially likely to cause water shortage in your soil. Even if your soil feels damp the roots of your gooseberry plant may be dry. Set up an irrigation system or set a daily routine of watering your plant to ensure it is receiving the moisture it needs in order to produce the best fruit possible. Keep in mind that even wet and rainy summers rarely give enough moisture to plants. You will almost always need to set-up alternate means of watering.

Weeding Needs & Solutions:

Scatter 2-4 inches of organic mulch like pine needles or compost immediately after your clippings are planted. Mulch cools the soil, conserves water, and suppresses weeds, which is preferable in shaded plots and essential in sunny plots. If you do not have a compost at home you can purchase mulch at your local plant nursery. Renew your mulch each year after planting.

Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:

Gooseberries are also high nitrogen feeders so adding composted manure is beneficial. Gooseberries benefit from a regular source of potassium so cut up banana peels soaked in water and then strained to feed the liquid to plants can take care of that.

Pests, Diseases & Solutions:

Insect and disease infestations are rare and uncommon. If they do present themselves, it is unlikely that they will ruin your entire crop. However, they are important to look for in order to keep your gooseberry bush as healthy as possible and to not affect its future fruitings. Powdery mildew can present itself during hotter months, and is therefore less common in cooler climates. However, you can prevent powdery mildew by making sure your gooseberry bush is planted in a well ventilated area with plenty of light, which will inhibit the distribution of powdery mildew spores. The best way to prevent insect infestations and diseases is to keep a healthy plant by selecting good planting soil, adequate amounts of water, plenty of light, and consistently removing dead leaves and branches. Gooseberries can be affected by anthracnose, currant worm, and gooseberry fruit worm. Your first line of defense is choosing disease and pest resistant varieties and then providing good air circulation. For anthracnose, destroy any pruned branches that are infected and use a liquid copper spray or sulfur powder starting in the early spring to prevent it. You can also use neem oil in the spring to destroy the bugs that spread the disease.

When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:

It takes one to three years for the plants to produce berries. Knowing when to harvest Gooseberries depends on their taste and on your intended use for them. If you plan on cooking with Gooseberries try picking them while they a bit unripe and tart. If you’d like to eat them raw keep tasting until the fruit becomes sweeter. All varieties ripen between late June and mid-July.

How to Harvest:

Wear gloves, long sleeves, and pants when harvesting, to protect yourself against scratches.

Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:

Gooseberries can be eaten ripe right off the bush. They’re a delicious snack, but make sure you don’t leave them on the bush too long when they’re soft. You can freeze gooseberries as well, which is handy, because you can only make so many pies, jams, or crumbles with berries at one time.You can remove around half the crop at this time, leaving all the under-ripe berries to be finished. They are ideal for dishes requiring a crisp acidity to complement either sweet or savory dishes.

Optimal Preserving Procedures:

Seed Saving:

To propagate, you can do tip layering easily. Bury the tip of a cane in the soil and secure it with a rock. Once it has grown some strong roots, which can take up to one year, you can sever it from the mother plant and transplant it in a new location.

Harvest and Storage

Notes

Consult your local plant nursery for special gooseberry clippings, like strains that are disease resistant or strains that are known for larger yields. A cultivar is a plant that has been grown from a stem cutting, grafting, or tissue cultures to ensure it retains the characteristics of the plant parent. Growing a plant from one of these plant’s seeds may not produce the same plant as the parent. “Variety” can often be found growing and reproducing naturally in the plant kingdom. Plants grown from its seeds will often come out true to type. Popular cultivars of the American gooseberry are ‘Hinnonmaki Red’ with dark red fruit, ‘Hinnonmaki Yellow’ with green fruit, and ‘Pixwell’ with berries that turn deep purple when ripe. ‘Captivator’, a hybrid between European and American gooseberries, is almost thornless with red fruit. A popular variety of the European gooseberry is ‘Invicta’ with very large, greenish yellow berries. If birds are eating your gooseberries, they’re probably hungry. Consider installing a bird feeder near your berries so they have easy access to another food source when they come looking for a snack. If you see them using it, remember to keep it stocked with fresh seed so the birds stay happy and your berries stay safe. You may need to net gooseberries if the birds become too interested. Gooseberries are banned in several states due to white pine blister rust. The gooseberry is a secondary host to the disease which can kill white pine trees. Several other states require a permit to grow these ribes. Check with your local cooperative extension office to find out if gooseberries or currant canes are allowed to be grown in your area.

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