How to transplant gooseberries correctly

Ripe gooseberries are delicious both fresh and in the form of sweet jams and marmalades. They are low in calories and packed with essential nutrients. It is not difficult to grow this shrub on your own, while one bush will provide you with a harvest of useful fruits for up to 15 years.

If, when planting, an unsuccessful place was initially chosen, or you decided to redevelop the garden, it becomes necessary to move the bush to a new place. Read about how and when you can transplant gooseberries to another place in our article.

When a transplant is needed

It is not always easy for a gardener, especially a beginner, to correctly plan the location of the beds, shrubs and trees on the site. If, when planting any culture, an unsuccessful place was chosen, then it is either uprooted or transferred to a new place.

The reasons why there is a need for a gooseberry transplant often lie in the poor choice of location. Gooseberries grow well and bear fruit in an open, sunny area, protected from the cold wind.

Important... In a damp place, where groundwater lies close, and in an area with heavy clay soil, the bush begins to ache, and the berries grow small and unsweetened.

If movement was required in order to free up space on the site, then it is convenient to place bushes along the fence, at a distance of a meter from it, or near young trees, leaving a free distance of at least 2 m.

A transplant is required if several bushes planted nearby have grown and interfere with each other. In this case, the plant will lack light and nutrients. If the bushes are spreading, the optimal distance between them is 2 m.

In addition, moving to a new location contributes to the rejuvenation of the bush. If the plant was originally planted in a well-lit place, but the berries are still small, it is moved to a new place for renewal.

Transplant timing

If you are thinking about moving any shrubs, then the best time for this is autumn or early spring, when the plants are dormant.

In autumn

When determining specific dates, the climatic conditions of the region are taken into account. Autumn is considered the most favorable time to move the bush. The time is chosen so that the plant completes fruiting, but the cold has not yet come.

Attention... If you transplant gooseberries in the summer, before fruiting is complete, the plant will not take root well. And if you delay the transplant, then the bush will not have time to take root in a new place before the arrival of winter.

The optimal time is late September - early October. By this time, the bush has time to get rid of foliage and berries, and vegetative processes slow down. At this time, the root system is most prepared for transplantation. A cool, cloudy day is chosen to move, then the plant will not lose much moisture and will take root well.

In the spring

The shrub is unpretentious and leaves the winter cold early. The buds bloom in April and the plant begins to prepare for flowering and fruiting. Therefore, the spring transplant is carried out until the beginning of April, before the kidneys swell.

Advice... Before replanting the gooseberries in a new place in the spring, make sure that the buds have not yet begun to swell. Otherwise, the bush will not take root well in a new place.

If the buds have already begun to swell, then it is not recommended to injure the root system, it is better to postpone the transplant until autumn.

Moving instructions

Moving gooseberry bushes begins with the selection and preparation of a new site where the plant will feel comfortable.

Choosing a new location

When choosing a new site, the following factors are taken into account:

1. Illumination. Adequate sun exposure guarantees the sweetness of the fruit and the health of the plant
2. Windproof... Gooseberry loves places protected from cold winds, so it grows well along fences and walls of outbuildings.
3. Soil composition... Gooseberries bear fruit best on loamy soil. If the soil is heavy, then sand is added before planting, if it is acidic, then lime is added.
4. Humidity. The plant is not planted in wetlands with excessive moisture. Excess water leads to the development of fungal diseases (for example, powdery mildew), decay of the root system. Productivity decreases and the berries become small and sour.
5. Predecessors and neighbors. Gooseberries are planted after potatoes, legumes, peas. It is undesirable to plant a bush where raspberries or currants used to grow, since these plants are affected by pests alone. For the same reason, you should not choose a place next to currants or raspberries.

Transplant algorithm

To transfer the bushes, you will need: ammonium sulfate and superphosphate fertilizer to enrich the soil, as well as tools (shovel, knife, pruner).

The transplant algorithm includes the following steps:

1. The new site is dug up with the addition of 100 g of ammonium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate fertilizer for every 50 square meters of land. The fertilizer is mixed with the topsoil using a shovel.
2. In the prepared soil, planting holes are dug a little deeper than the root ball and twice as wide as it. If you are planting several bushes, then place the holes at a distance of 1.5 - 2 m from each other.
3. They dig into the ground around the base of the bush. The thick roots are cut with a sharp shovel. If the plant is large, scrap is used to extract it. They pry an earthen lump with a rhizome and loosen the bush until it separates from the ground.
4. The roots of the dug bush are examined. All dead and damaged roots are cut off with a clean knife or pruner. The branches of the bush are cut by a third.
5. The bush is set in the hole. The top of the root ball should be 3-4 cm below the soil surface.
6. The well is half filled with soil and properly watered with warm, settled water. Then they fill the hole up to the top and water it again to moisten the soil and let it settle.
7. The soil surface around the bush is mulched with a layer of 5 cm in order to retain moisture and prevent weed growth.

Rejuvenation of an adult bush

An autumn gooseberry transplant is an effective way to rejuvenate an old bush. In this case, before transferring to a new area, all thick and dry branches are removed from the bush. The remaining 6-7 young shoots are shortened by a third.

Then carefully examine the root system. Dried and damaged roots are cut off, leaving fibrous and well-developed roots. The old bush is transplanted in the same way as the young.

Transplant of young shoots

It is also good to plant young gooseberry shoots in autumn. To obtain such shoots in the spring, annual shoots are pressed to the ground and buried. In autumn, the shoot is separated from the bush and planted separately.

Before planting a young plant with poorly developed roots, they are treated with a clay mash with the addition of stimulants. To prepare the solution, mix 3 liters of water, 1 kg of black soil, 1 kg of clay, 6 g of the drug "Aktara" and 1-2 sachets of "Kornevin".

Read also:

An unpretentious gooseberry variety "Yarovaya".

Sweet, frost-resistant, English Yellow gooseberry variety.

Sweet and juicy gooseberry variety Yubilyar.

Post-transplant care

After transferring to a new place, the bush needs additional care. It consists of regular watering, fertilizing and weeding.

After transplanting, make sure that the soil around the bush is constantly moist.If the ground is dry, then watering is carried out, having previously moved the mulch to the side. In this case, waterlogging should be avoided, it is enough to keep the soil moist.

If the new planting site was fertilized before transplanting, then no additional fertilization is required. If not, then after planting, the soil is fertilized with compost and organic fertilizers for active plant growth in spring and good fruiting.

The transplanted gooseberry is freed from weeds by weeding the soil near the roots. This will provide the plant with optimal conditions for growth and development (sufficient amount of sunlight and nutrients).

There is no need to cover the bushes with gooseberries for the winter. The plant is not whimsical and tolerates cold well. In the spring, the transplanted shrub is treated for pests.

Read also:

How can you process gooseberries from white bloom on berries?

Powdery mildew on gooseberries: signs, causes.

Gooseberry diseases and pests and methods of dealing with them.

Conclusion

Autumn is the best time to move the gooseberry bush to a new place. The summer season is over, fruiting is complete, which means that after transplanting, the plant will direct all its forces to rooting and take root better. A properly organized gooseberry transplant in the fall helps him rejuvenate and increase fruiting.

In the process of transplanting, special attention is paid to choosing a new place (well lit and not damp), preparing the soil and caring for the plant after moving.