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How far apart do gooseberry plants need to be?

BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
in Fruit & veg
I planted a very young hinnonmaki red gooseberry bush last spring, and it grew well despite an endless battle with caterpillars. Regretted only planting one, and I've just found another small plant in the sale so snapped it up. We have a very large bed that gets full sun, which is where all my edible plants live. Is there space between my existing bush and the neighbouring tree (on the right in the photo) to plant the new bush there? If so how close to the existing bush?

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  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    After a little investigation, I've realised what stripped the plant last year were actually gooseberry sawfly larvae not caterpillars - is it too late to turn the soil over beneath the plant, and how do I do this without damaging the very young and fragile roots?
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    The one I planted last year is growing thin and tall, and I read not to prune them for the first few years - is this correct, and if not is it too late to prune it now that it has leaves? If they will be 1m wide each, should they be 1m apart? 
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    That's very helpful thank you! I am confused about something though - the plant I bought today is a larger version of what I purchased last year, and as you can see in the middle photo it has three stems. The one I bought last year was the same. Is this in fact three plants, or one?
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    Oh no! The one I planted last year has three stems like this too... With it now having lived there for a year is it too late to dig up and check? I'm very much a beginner with all aspects of gardening other than lawns! And should I prune the bush I bought last year?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2023
    Hinnonmaki Red grows much more upright than H. Yellow. 

    I think both of yours look just fine as they are. No need to prune at the moment. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I grow two gooseberry plants quite close together but as double cordons against a fence - basically a 'U' shape with just two stems. They can then grow taller (which saves bending) and picking the fruit is much easier (less prickly). I prune the fruited stubs each year.

    It works for me.

    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Gooseberries grow multiple stems from the base so I wouldn't worry about last year's one. They are also grown in many ways now and the good advice given already is if you wish to treat them like the natural bush they are but they can be pruned into many different shapes depending on your space. I believe Monty Don grows them as cordons, basically single stem plants so you can get them to grow closer but personally I just leave them to it and remove any growth where I don't want it. 
    If you did plant it next to the other then cordons would work but it might depend on the which variety the trees are as they might need more space. 
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    Think I'll just plant it as it is then like I did last year rather than taking all the soil apart. This new one seems to have been pruned and has new growth, I regret not cutting back the one from last year now. I was considering tying it as I have with the loganberry plant, which I had to cut back in autumn because it went absolutely wild and grew the entire width of the fence in both directions from being a tiny new plant in spring. Should I do this with the gooseberries (loganberry plant pictured below)? 
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    *As in should I tie the gooseberries as I have with the loganberry, not cut it as I have with the loganberry
  • BouncingBackBouncingBack Posts: 142
    Sorry, I'm not up to speed on gardening terms - is a cordon the plant stem(s)? So it is saying that tying it to a wooden trellis is a good idea?
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