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Pruning Gooseberries
Hi all,
I am thinking about pruning gooseberries. I get the basic concept, where you have leaders and side shoots etc.
The one thing that's not clear to me is the following: I've often seen that the leaders should be cut back by a quarter or a third or so, but is that a quarter of the total length, or of the last year's new growth?
Thank you!
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My assumption is 'of the total length' - what do others think?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks dove! Let's see if anyone else wants to pitch in.
Yes. Total branch length.
Gooseberries do not need a lot of pruning. Aim to create a bowl shape, keeping the centre of the bushes open to allow light and sun etc. in to encourage the fruit to ripen and to make picking less injurious to you. As they fruit on old and new wood, the more you pune the less fruit you will have.