Gooseberry Growing Instructions
Unpack straight away and, if not planting immediately place canes in a box or seed tray, surrounding the roots with moist peat. Keep somewhere cool and light.
Gooseberries grow best on a sunny site, but will tolerate some shade. Prepare the site before planting, remove all perennial weeds and dig in well-potted manure with some bone meal or fertiliser mixed in.
Remove all suckers and cut off any shoots growing less than 6 inches above the soil level. Cut branches back by half to tree quarters pruning to an outward facing bud.
Plant bushes 120 – 150 cm (4 – 5 ft) apart at the same height as the old soil mark. The following winter shortens new growth by half. Prune varieties, which have drooping habit to an inward facing bud. Prune out shoots, which are crossing. In subsequent years remove all low growing shoots and any that are growing inwards or crossing. Cut out any dead, diseased or damaged wood. Prune out.
