All about planting a gooseberry with a closed and open root system

Proper planting of gooseberries is an important step in the successful cultivation of a crop. In order for the bushes to take root, grow strong and healthy and in the future give a bountiful harvest, it is important to know when to plant gooseberries, at what distance to place the bushes from each other and which planting method to choose for a particular variety and region. Read about this in our article.

How to plant a gooseberry with a closed and open root system

Important activities when planting gooseberries are the choice of variety and location and preparatory work. The timing is influenced by various factors - from the variety to the climate in the region.

Planting dates for gooseberries

When to plant gooseberries depends on the variety, the climate in the region and the state of the planting material. It is best to do this in the fall, from late September to mid-October. The daytime temperature should not be lower than + 10 ... + 15 ° C, and the earth should remain warm from the summer. Then the root system will grow many small roots and strengthen well. Roughly planting is carried out no later than a month before the first frost. If a premature cold snap occurs, it is better to postpone it until spring, otherwise the seedlings will not have time to take root and freeze out.

Spring planting is performed early, when the snow melts, before the buds swell. In the south - in March, in the northern regions, planting may take until the end of April.

Reference. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted at any time throughout the growing season, even in summer.

The dates of the autumn planting of gooseberries in different regions differ slightly:

• in the Urals and Siberia - at the end of the calendar summer and early September;
• in the middle lane and Moscow suburbs - from late September to mid-October;
• in the south, planting can continue until early November.

Selection of varieties and seedlings

Saplings are available for sale at the age of 1, 2 and 3 years. Each should have several healthy shoots about 30 cm long, evenly distributed on the trunk:

• 1-year-olds - 3-5 pcs.;
• 2-year-olds - 5-7 pcs.;
• for 3-year-olds - 6-8 pcs. first and second order.

The root system must consist of at least 3 skeletal roots 20-25 cm long. Mechanical damage to the aboveground or underground part is unacceptable.

Saplings are available with closed and open root systems. In the first case, all the roots of the planting material are inside a clod of earth, so they are not damaged during transplantation. This is a great advantage, since such plants have a stronger aboveground part, they take root better after planting and begin to bear fruit earlier.

However, there is also a drawback - in the coma of the earth, the state of the roots is not visible. And if any disease begins to develop there, it will only show up over time. It should be borne in mind that seedlings with a closed root system are more expensive.

An open root system is bare roots that can be examined carefully. They immediately show traces of damage by bacteria or pests, you can see the general condition, the degree of root development and the presence of small roots. Such seedlings are cheaper, but they also have disadvantages.

Since the root system is bare, it cannot be kept outside the soil for long. It is advisable to plant such seedlings on the day of purchase. As a last resort, dig in a temporary place or dip the roots in a mud mug and wrap in plastic to prevent dehydration and drying out.

The gooseberry variety is chosen depending on the region:

1. In the central and northwestern regions, medium-late and late varieties are planted: Grushenka, Green rain, Gingerbread man, Affectionate, Gentle, Russian yellow, Seedling of a spring, Bitsevsky.
2. In the central black earth - mid-ripening: Aristocrat, Stargazer, Sailor, Orpheus, Prune seedling, Sunny bunny.
3. In the south, varieties of different ripening periods grow. The main criterion for them is resistance to heat and drought: Krasnodarets, Fires of Krasnodar, Kubanets, in Memory of Komarov.
4. In the Volga regions, Siberia and the Far East, winter-hardy gooseberries take root: Vanguard (Anniversary), Beryl, Kooperator, Kovcheg (Ural Besshipny), Krasny Vostok, Samurai, Besshipny Chelyabinsk, Black Drop, SP GF-58.

Planting site selection and soil preparation

The choice of a place for a gooseberry depends on the characteristics of the plant:

1. Powerful root system... The roots grow in breadth, thanks to which the gooseberry tolerates drought, but requires a lot of space. Bushes get sick from stagnant water, so they are not planted in lowlands and places with a close occurrence of groundwater.
2. Photophilous culture. The gooseberry loves abundant sunlight, but tolerates slight shading well.
3. The soil requires neutral or slightly acidic. It should be nutritious and, at the same time, loose, since air exchange is important for the roots.

Gooseberries need a well-lit, ventilated place in an area with nutritious and loose soil higher from groundwater. Heavy, clayey soil will have to work to make it suitable for gooseberries. Mulching, the use of EM preparations and green manure will help with this. These techniques enrich the soil and make it looser and lighter. If the soil is acidic, it is deoxidized with dolomite flour or lime.

Reference. Plants growing on the site will help determine the acidity of the soil. Sorrel, horsetail, moss grow on acidic soil.

Gooseberries are not planted after raspberries, currants and other varieties of gooseberries, since these crops are subject to the same diseases and pests. Can be planted after peas, potatoes, beets.

Before planting, all weeds, especially perennial ones, are removed from the site. Those who sit firmly in the ground do not pull out, but dig to remove them by the roots. This will provide the bushes with better nutrition, since the weeds take up many useful substances, and will facilitate further care - because of the sharp thorns, the ground around the gooseberry is not so easy to weed.

Then the site is dug up and holes are marked. The distance between the gooseberry bushes when planting is made at least 1.5 m - the bushes are spreading and should not interfere with each other.

Landing technology

For the gooseberry, a hole is dug 2 times wider and deeper than the volume of the seedling roots. At the same time, the upper fertile layer is carefully separated, mixed with well-rotted manure in a 1: 1 ratio and a matchbox of potassium sulfate and double superphosphate is added. A handful of wood ash (about 300 g) can be poured into the bottom of the dug hole. It will serve as a potash fertilizer. Potassium increases the sugar content in fruits, but its lack reduces the yield and decorative qualities of the shrub. For the first 1-2 years, the bush will have enough of these fertilizers. If there is a lot of clay in the soil, add a bucket of coarse river sand.

Attention! When applying manure, it is important not to oversaturate the soil with nitrogen. Too oily soil and excess organic matter impair the immunity of young plants, they become brittle and vulnerable to powdery mildew.

Before planting, the roots of the seedling are dipped for 30 minutes in a biostimulant solution, for example, HB-101 (2 drops per 1 liter of water). If there is no suitable remedy, at least water can be used.

Gooseberries are planted vertically, deepening the root collar by 6-10 cm (depending on the size of the shoots). The roots are straightened and, gently holding the crown, sprinkle with prepared soil mixture.At the same time, the bush is shaken a little so that the earth fills the voids between the roots. Then the soil in the near-trunk circle is compacted, watered and mulched so that a crust does not form. The land is kept moist, watering as needed. This is especially true in dry and warm autumn. With natural precipitation, watering is not needed.

When planting in spring, the soil is prepared in the fall, digging and fertilizing. After planting, aerial shoots are cut to 15-20 cm, leaving 3-4 buds. You don't need to do this in autumn.

How to plant gooseberries

Gooseberries are propagated in several ways: by dividing the bush, layering, cuttings and seeds. We will describe each and consider what their advantages and disadvantages are.

By dividing the bush

This method is used when they want to move the bush to a new place or it has grown a lot. The age of the plant does not matter, but it should have healthy young shoots. If the bush has been growing in one place for 5 or more years, division is even shown to it - the procedure increases productivity and helps to increase the size of berries, rejuvenates the root system and renews the soil.

In autumn, when the leaves fall, or in early spring, the bush is dug up and, together with the rhizome, is divided into parts (at least 3-4). Immediately after that, they are planted in a new place.

Reference. When dividing the bush in the fall, there is a greater chance that the gooseberry will begin to bear fruit the next year.

Rooting care is similar to that described above.

The advantages of the method are the simplicity and survival of the planting material. The disadvantage is the laboriousness of the process, especially when a large bush is being divided.

Layers

This is an even easier and more effective way to propagate gooseberries. Its great advantage is not only that even an inexperienced gardener will cope with it, but also that the planting material is separated from the mother bush after root formation. The cuttings will take root and get stronger, being inseparable from the main plant. It is also convenient that a lot of young seedlings are obtained at the same time.

Shoots are used green or combined, that is, green with a part of a lignified 2-year-old shoot. Gooseberries are propagated by horizontal, arcuate and vertical layers.

Reproduction is carried out by horizontal layers in the spring before bud break (in March - April) or in the fall (in October):

1. Choose 5-7 healthy young shoots.
2. Under them, grooves are dug with a depth of 10 cm.
3. Shoots are lowered to grooves and pinned to the ground with wire or wooden hooks.
4. Sprinkle with earth, water and mulch.
5. The earth is kept moderately moist, making sure that the layers do not rot.
6. When they take root, young vertical shoots will appear from them. They are sprinkled with humus. After 10-15 days, they will rise above the ground again, and they are huddled again.
7. After the leaves fall off, the layers are separated from the mother bush, cut into pieces, so that each one has roots and shoots, and planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction by arcuate layering is used in the spring. The technique is similar to the previous one, only the layering is bent in an arc and pinned to the ground in one place. The end of the stem is taken out of the ground and cut to improve branching. The rooted shoots are separated from the mother bush in the fall. From one you can pin several layers, while each will give only one new shoot, but it will be more powerful and stronger than with the horizontal method. This method is usually used to obtain seedlings from young bushes.

Old gooseberry bushes are propagated by vertical layers, which are subsequently removed. At the same time, it will not be possible to get the harvest this year. In the spring, all branches are cut from the bush. After a while, young shoots will grow 20-25 cm. Half of them are sprinkled with humus. During the summer, the soil is filled up and watered well. So that it does not wash out, a groove for irrigation is formed around. By the fall, roots are formed on the sprinkled shoots. Then they are carefully dug up and seated in a permanent place.

Cuttings

Cuttings are used throughout the growing season. Green cuttings root in summer (early July), combined and lignified - in spring and autumn (mid September).

Important! The older the cutting, the worse it takes root.

With sharp disinfected scissors, healthy, strong shoots are cut from the bush. Each should have at least 2 buds and 2 leaves above them. The upper cut is made horizontal, the lower cut at an angle of 45 °. After cutting, the cuttings are placed in a growth stimulator for several hours. The subsequent technology varies:

1. Green cuttings are placed in a greenhouse or greenhouse at a distance of 5 cm from each other, deepening by 3 cm. The temperature is maintained no higher than + 30 ... + 35 ° C. Cuttings are provided with regular watering. After rooting, they are seated in a permanent place. When planted, 3 buds are left on the surface.
2. Cuttings from woody shoots 15-20 cm long are tied into a bunch and placed vertically in a container filled with a mixture of sand and peat. For a month, the container is placed in a cool room. The soil is periodically moistened. At the ends of the cuttings, an influx is gradually formed. After a month, they are separated, sprinkled with sawdust and left until spring. Then they are planted in the ground at an angle, leaving 2-3 buds above the ground. By the fall, the cuttings will take root, they are planted in a permanent place.
3. Combined cuttings are cut with a part of the lignified shoot (3-5 cm) and placed in water. You can add a little growth stimulant. When the roots are formed, the cuttings are planted in a permanent place. By the fall, they will take root well.

Cutting is no less popular than propagation by layering. It also provides a lot of planting material and a guarantee of success.

Seed propagation

This is the most difficult and unpopular way.... Only experienced gardeners undertake it. The seeds can produce a plant that does not have varietal characteristics of the mother. Hybrids are not suitable for this at all. Seedlings grow for a long time, so it will not be possible to quickly get a harvest.

Seeds are taken from ripe berries, washed thoroughly in warm water to get rid of the pulp, and dried on a clean, dry cloth. A soil mixture from fertile soil, river sand and humus is poured into containers. Seeds are spread on the surface at a distance of 5 cm from each other, lightly sprinkled with earth and watered with a spray bottle. The container is covered with foil and placed in a cool place with a temperature of + 3 ... + 5 ° C.

In the spring, the seedlings are moved to the site. Each must have at least 2 leaves.

Conclusion

Proper planting is the key to further successful cultivation and obtaining a rich harvest. Knowing how to plant gooseberries correctly in spring, summer and autumn, applying useful tips in practice, taking into account the characteristics and survival rate of varieties in different regions, even an inexperienced gardener will cope with all stages of growing and propagating a crop.