Since the gooseberry bushes are very photophilic, they require regular pruning. A feature of this shrub is its active branching, which over the summer season makes of a cleared bush fluffy.
Terms of pruning gooseberries in autumn
In the spring, as soon as the sun warms and the snow begins to drift, active sap movement begins in the branches of gooseberry . It can not be seen by the eye, and therefore it is easy to miss the time when it is necessary to carry out pruning. That's why experienced gardeners cut their bushes in the fall period, in order to plan other works in the spring and execute them without haste.
The timing of autumn pruning of gooseberries varies depending on the area of growth, but in any case end in late October. If you cut the bushes in late summer or early autumn, when the streets are still warm days, it activates the increase, which will freeze in winter and weaken the bush.
Rules of pruning gooseberry bushes in autumn
Sanitary pruning of this shrub has its own characteristics. To begin with, it is necessary to cut out all the blackened shoots directly above the ground - there will be no sense from them, but they can interfere with the access of light. But you do not need to cut, then, more than a third of the bush - otherwise it may become too weak and freeze in winter.
After this, it is necessary to start the young growth, which was formed during the summer. If the growth sprigs have a weak appearance, they are too thin and have no signs of lignification, then they will not survive the winter, and in the spring they will become a hindrance to the sun's rays.
Sections, especially if they have a large diameter, must necessarily be treated with a garden hive, otherwise infection can enter the markets. Before you do the pruning of gooseberries in autumn, you should make sure that all the tools that are used for pruning plants are perfectly clean. After all, if before that they were used to clear other plants, the spread of existing plant diseases can occur.
As soon as unnecessary skeletal branches and young shoots are cut, one should proceed to those shoots that grow in the middle of the bush, and there are a lot of them by the beginning of autumn. They interfere with the penetration of sunlight and take away nutrients from berries. If you do not remove them, the berry finishes and ceases to have a presentation. A large loss of nutrients affects the taste of gooseberries.
After cutting, all garbage is burned to prevent the causative agents of the diseases that are present on the old branches from entering the soil.