Gooseberries are hardy and easy to care for and are therefore the ideal fruit in your own garden. An abundant harvest can be expected every year, especially in the local climatic regions. Since there are many different varieties of the tasty gooseberries from red to yellow to green fruits, it is a good idea to cultivate at least one shrub of each variety. When is the right time to plant and the exact instructions for this are explained in more detail in the following article.
Table of Contents
Ideal time
Even if autumn is generally considered to be the best time to plant gooseberries, the shrubs and small trees that are delivered in containers can be planted in the ground at any time of the year. Bare balls or bare roots, on the other hand, should generally only be used in autumn. The ideal time looks like this:
- in October or November
- straight balls and bare roots
- frost-free day
- alternatively in spring after the frost
- this is especially true for container goods
Autumn is better so that the bushes and trees can grow properly. In this way, you can already produce flowers in the next spring for the tasty fruits in summer. If the berries are only planted in spring, this is usually at the expense of the harvest in the same year.
Right location
Before the gooseberries are grown in your own garden, the right location must be chosen. Because the right place will later determine the outcome of the harvest. So that this is particularly rich, the ideal place for the gooseberries is as follows:
- partially shaded to sunny
- Midday sun should be avoided
- protected but still airy
- warm
- protected by larger fruit trees
Prepare earth
For healthy and rapid growth and a bountiful harvest, the gooseberry bushes also need the right substrate. If the garden soil at the selected location is not optimal for the plant, it must be prepared as follows:
- nutrient-rich and humus-rich
- Fold in the compost
- kalkhaltig
- permeable and airy
- Mix in peat with heavy earth
- fresh and moist
- use clay for moisture
- nevertheless avoid waterlogging
- to do this, create drainage when planting
If the soil is too dry, the bushes will not thrive. A layer of mulch over the soil after planting helps not only in winter against frost, but also against the substrate drying out all year round.
Preparation for planting
It is ideal if the soil in the chosen location has been prepared with compost several weeks in advance. In this way, the nutrients in the soil can be distributed properly and the gooseberries can also be absorbed directly on the day of planting. On the day itself, the soil is dug two more spades deep and carefully raked. The preparation for the later planting should look like this:
- Holes twice the size of the root ball
- at least three feet of space between holes
- create a drainage on the perforated bottom
- use stones or potsherds for this
- Distribute in the planting holes
plant
Container goods are the most common form in which the gooseberry bushes and saplings are sold. But the plants are also available in bales and bare roots. The gooseberries are first carefully removed from the pot. Bales and container goods are then placed in a water bath until no more air bubbles appear. In the case of bare-root goods, dipping can be dispensed with because there is no soil around the roots of these plants. Then proceed with the planting as follows:
- Place bushes in the planting hole
- small trees with a stick to help them grow
- so they stand straight
- Fill in soil
- Lightly press
- water well
Care after planting
The gooseberry needs a lot of water in the first few months, and the bed must not dry out in winter either. Because the shrubs dry up even in winter if they do not receive enough water. Regular watering is particularly important immediately after planting, when the roots have not yet grown properly. The first fertilization takes place in early spring, when the gooseberries form their buds and the flowers open. Depending on whether a shrub or a sapling has been planted, a cut must now also be made.
Conclusion
So that the gooseberries offer a plentiful harvest, it is important to pay attention to the right substrate and the right location when planting. If the soil is well prepared and the plant is cultivated in a warm, light and slightly shaded way, it will offer many of its tasty fruits every summer. The best planting time is autumn between October and November, if this time is missed, you can still plant in spring. A frost-free day should always be chosen for this.
