Gooseberries have been grown in our country for a long time. In Russia, already in the 11th century, monks bred cultivars of this berry in the monastery gardens. Thus, gooseberries were domesticated much earlier than the popular currants and raspberries. Now the fruits of this berry are appreciated for their rich composition of vitamins, medicinal properties and delicious gooseberry jam... Although the plant is unpretentious, grows on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, you need to approach its planting with all responsibility. Planted in compliance with all the rules, the gooseberry is capable of producing a yield of up to 10 kg per year for 40 years. Let's take a closer look at the rules for planting gooseberries in the fall.
Landing dates
Gooseberries are planted in both spring and fall. In the spring, planting should be done as early as possible, preferably in the first half of April.... It is important that the plant has not yet moved away from the winter dormant state. If the buds begin to bloom, then the chances that the seedling will take root will be reduced. But even a shrub planted on time will have a worse survival rate in the spring than with an autumn planting. In what month to plant gooseberries, you ask? Experienced gardeners recommend planting gooseberries at the end of August - September - beginning of October, depending on the region - Moscow region, the Urals, the middle zone of Russia.
The best time for autumn planting is the last week of September and the first weeks of October.... However, you need to focus on the weather. The main thing is that the first frost occurs no earlier than two weeks later, and the young roots do not freeze. And it is better to choose a day that is not sunny and without wind, so that the roots of the seedling do not dry out in the open air.
With the right choice of planting time in the fall, the plant takes root in almost 100% of cases. Other advantages of autumn planting include:
- Before the onset of cold weather, there is time to the roots of the seedling managed to get stronger and grow.
- Hardened plant in spring will begin to develop at a rapid pace.
- Before winter starts the soil around the shrub will settle well and compact.
- A plant that has taken root in the fall, in the spring will begin the growing season with full force, which will provide a greater increase in young shoots by next fall.
Planting gooseberries in the fall, although it gives great guarantees, it is very important not to be late with its dates.
The given times are average. You need to proceed from the climate of your region. For the southern regions, the dates may shift to October-November, and for the northern regions, the beginning of September is also suitable.
If you have decided on the correct date, a significant moment for a successful planting is the preparation of a plant seedling.
How to choose and prepare a seedling
When buying a seedling, be sure to pay attention to the following indicators:
- Sapling age... It should not exceed two years, an adult plant will take root more slowly and adapt to new conditions longer.
- A sufficiently large number of roots... Among them there should be three or more skeletal ones, the length of which exceeds 15 cm. And there are many more fibrous roots.
- Shoots of the aerial part of the plant in length should reach 30-40 cm.
After purchasing a seedling, it is prepared for planting. This requires:
- Remove leaves from a seedling.
- Make a crop dry roots.
- Dip the seedling into the clay mashprepared in advance. To prepare the solution, mix 1 kg of clay and black soil, 2 packs of Kornevin, and pour 3 liters of water.
Seat selection
It is equally important to choose the right place for future planting. Where to plant this fruit bush? Do not plant gooseberries between trees, this will create a deficiency of sunlight.... Neighborhood with currants is also detrimental to the plant, because they are prone to the same diseases and pests. It is good if, before planting gooseberries, legumes, beets or potatoes were grown on this land.
The soil should be loose, the shrub will not grow well in too heavy and waterlogged soil. If the groundwater is high on the garden plot, then it is better to plant the gooseberry on the highest place, or create an artificial elevation for it from the ground.
The correct placement of the bushes is also important when planting several plants at once. The gooseberry grows quite well. The eight-year-old bush reaches 2.5 meters in diameter.
There are several schemes for planting gooseberries.:
- Sparse fit... In this case, the bushes are planted in rows at a distance of 1.5 meters from each other, and a space of 2 meters wide is left between the rows. After 4-5 years, the plants will grow so much that they will be one continuous strip.
- Planting between rows of young fruit trees... In such conditions, the gooseberry will grow well until the crowns above it begin to close. After that, the bushes should be transplanted to a brighter place.
- Combined scheme... Plants are planted in rows at a distance of 75 cm from each other, keeping a distance between the rows of 1 m.When, after a few years, the bushes begin to close, they need to be thinned out after one, replanting some of the plants to a new place. After another couple of years, the thinning must be repeated. This scheme contributes to obtaining a larger yield of berries and significantly saves space on the site.
For an accelerated receipt of a bountiful harvest, gardeners sometimes plant two seedlings at once in one large hole, leaving a distance of 20 cm between them... In the early years, the harvest will indeed be good, however, the bushes will soon begin to thicken and age strongly. Moreover, their roots will be so intertwined that it will be almost impossible to plant the plants.
When you prepare the seedlings and choose a good place for the gooseberries, you can start planting the plant directly.
Gooseberry planting technology in spring and autumn
Planting a plant includes the following steps:
- On the selected site you need dig up the ground no more than a shovel bayonet... This breaks up all lumps and removes weeds.
- Dig a hole, its size should slightly exceed the root system of the seedling, on average it is 50x50x50 cm... This should be done a little in advance - a couple of weeks before planting. The top fertile soil must be folded on one side, and the rest on the other.
- Fertilize the pit... 2/3 of it must be filled with fertile soil mixed with compost (1.5 buckets), superphosphate (300 g), peat (1.5 buckets), ash (3 glasses), ground limestone (1 glass). Top it up with more fertile soil and pour all this with 0.5 liters of water.
- Before boarding the hole should be left to stand in this form for a couple of weeksso that the soil settles sufficiently.
- During direct landing, place the seedling in the hole, tilting it slightly... In this case, the root collar should be located in the very center of the fossa, and the roots should straighten out to the sides. To avoid voids, the space between the roots must be covered with earth. Gooseberries are usually deepened 5 cm lower than in the previous place of growth of the seedling (it is easy to trace the marks on the bark). Thus, conditions will be created for the growth of additional roots and shoots from the buried buds of the plant.
- The land around the seedling needs trample and water abundantly.
- Add mulch to the hole from peat or leaves with a layer of 10 cm.
After planting in the fall, young plants do not require special care, they can not be touched until spring. Mulch and snowfall will help the seedling overwinter. If you are afraid that there will be little snow in winter, then you can additionally insulate the gooseberry with covering materials.
After planting in spring, for survival and growth, prune the plant. In this case, cut the aerial part by 10 cm, and leave 2-3 buds on each shoot. For autumn planting, such pruning is not recommended. If you do decide to do it, then be sure to coat all the cuts with garden pitch.
How to properly transplant an adult bush
When choosing a planting scheme with further thinning of the rows, it is important to know the rules for transplanting gooseberries. Plants should also be transplanted in the fall so that the plants can more easily take root in a new place. To safely remove the bush from the ground, dig in it on each side at a distance of 30 cm from the base... Thick roots can be chopped off, this will not harm the plant. Then, with the help of a shovel, the bush is removed from the soil, together with an earthen clod, it is laid on polyethylene and moved to a new planting site. The very technology of planting an adult plant does not differ from planting seedlings.
A non-capricious plant like gooseberry does not require constant care for it. It's enough to give him time onceafter planting according to all the rules, and for many years the plant will provide you with a tasty and healthy harvest.