Spring care for gooseberries: rules, advice from gardeners. Diseases of the gooseberry and care of the early spring bush Caring for the gooseberry in April

When growing any plant in a garden or vegetable garden, it is important to care for them throughout the year. However, the greatest attention to plants is necessary in the spring, when vegetative processes awaken in them. The topic of the article is caring for gooseberries in the spring, the main ways to combat pests and diseases, the necessary feeding and little tricks for caring for the bushes.

The spring period is rightfully considered one of the most labor-intensive of the year. On the one hand, it is necessary to have time to prepare all the plants for saturated growth, on the other, to provide them with protection by carefully treating the soil and the plants themselves with fungicides and insecticides. Add to this pruning, fertilization, transplanting, and you can easily understand why in spring there is so little time just to enjoy the first warmth of the sun.

Gooseberry care begins when the snow hasn't melted yet. The first step is to prune old, weak, dry branches. It is also necessary to get rid of the frozen shoots. With a high probability, fruits will not appear on them, but they will pull nutrients from the bush. It is imperative to cover the cuts with garden lime so as not to introduce infection.

Immediately after pruning, the bushes should be sprayed with boiling water using a spray bottle. Thus, you not only wake him up after hibernation, but also disinfect, killing most of the pests and pathogens.

With the arrival of May, preparatory work is resumed. It is necessary to carefully loosen the soil around the bushes, going 10-12 centimeters deep, and then mulch with straw, sawdust or peat. This is done in order to repeat the procedure only a few times in the future. At the same time, the first feeding with a solution of potassium and nitrogen takes place in order to stimulate a set of green mass.

You can also tie up gooseberry bushes, especially if they are planted in rows. Install stretch marks and pull a net between them, to which at the level of 30 centimeters tie the branches of the bush. This procedure is recommended if the branches of the bush have fallen or sagged.

Watering and fertilizing

Gooseberries, due to their drought tolerance, do not need regular and abundant watering. Of course, if the summer turned out to be very hot and dry, then even gooseberries will need support, and even after fruiting ends. In this case, it is important to monitor the temperature of the water. Watering with cold water is unacceptable, as this adversely affects the root system and the general condition of the bush. Moreover, this makes the plant extremely vulnerable to the development of many fungal diseases.

Do not forget that almost all fungal microflora prefers high humidity and low temperatures, or, which is especially dangerous in hot seasons, high humidity and temperatures.

That is, watering with cold water not only reduces the immunity of the gooseberry, but also awakens the fungus to harmful activity.

To retain moisture during dry periods, it is recommended to mulch the soil with leaves, straw, sawdust or peat to retain moisture in the soil longer.

But gooseberry feeding is needed, moreover, regular and competently composed. Given the fact that the gooseberry bears fruit every year and quite rarely changes its place of growth, the soil on the site is extremely depleted. That is why it is so important not to skimp on mineral and organic fertilizers in order to maintain a normal balance of nutrients, which gooseberry bushes consume in large quantities during flowering and fruiting.

In the spring, under each bush, it is necessary to add half a bucket of compost mixed with superphosphate (50 grams), ammonium sulfate (25 grams) and potassium sulfate (25 grams). Moreover, for abundantly fruiting bushes, the portion of fertilizer is doubled.

Correct fertilization is carried out around the perimeter of the crown as the roots extend underground in this radius.

For top dressing, gently loosen the trunk circle and mix the fertilizer with the soil. The next feeding of gooseberries is necessary immediately after flowering to ensure good fruiting. It is carried out using mullein infusion: dilute it 1: 5, and then pour at least 5 liters of the resulting solution under each bush.

Disease and pest control

The fight against diseases and insects, which harm not only gooseberries, but all plants in the garden and in the garden, is endless. Due to the fact that the same microorganisms that become the causes of diseases easily overwinter in the upper layers of the soil, plant debris and the bark of gooseberry bushes, it is quite difficult to get rid of them once and for all.

The most dangerous disease for gooseberries is powdery mildew. Fungal microflora develops in a humid and warm environment, manifesting itself as a loose white bloom on all aerial parts of the gooseberry. At first, it is quite easy to erase or wash off the plaque from the gooseberry, but if this is not done, it will transform into a brown, compacted growth on the green part of the plant. Under the influence of the fungus, the leaves and shoots of the bush wither and curl, the fruits crack and fall off.

The fight against powdery mildew consists in the preventive treatment of bushes with the preparation "HOM" or "Zircon M" in early spring, as well as in the use of these agents at the first symptoms of the disease. The working proportion for the medicinal solution is 40 grams of the drug per 10 liters of warm water.

White spot, anthracnose, rust and mosaic are no less inconvenient for the plant. They use preventive treatment of bushes and soil around them with the drug "Nitrafen", a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. For any fungal diseases, collecting fallen leaves and then burning them will be a good prevention.

Fighting insects that harm gooseberry plantings is another important step in caring for a plant. Most often, shoot aphids can be seen on young shoots, and on the eve of flowering, moth butterflies are selected from the ground, which lay eggs in inflorescences. The offspring of the moth butterfly spoils the fruits and seeds of the gooseberry. The natural, albeit sad, result of their detrimental effect is the complete wilting of the bush, since it loses a large amount of nutrients.

To prevent the appearance of insects near the gooseberry bushes in the spring, after the snow melts, the soil around the bushes must be covered with any dense material, for example, roofing material. So the offspring of the moth butterfly will not be able to get out of the ground to lay eggs in flowers. After flowering ends, you can remove the covering material.

Carry out preventive spraying of bushes and soil around them with a hot solution of copper sulfate, as well as with Bicol.

Video "Gooseberry: Spring Works"

In this video, you will learn what work needs to be done with gooseberries in spring in order to get a good harvest of berries.

Unlike many crops, gooseberries should be taken care of in early spring. Departure time begins in early March. Why this month? Because the gooseberry is a shrub that begins the growing season much earlier than other berry bushes. Small leaves are already visible from April.

The opening of the shrub depends on the region where the shrub is grown. In the central and southern regions, mulch is raked near the gooseberry with the beginning of spring.

In winter, mulch served as a material for insulation, but it was also an excellent place for wintering pests. In order to protect the shrub from hungry insects and exclude their reproduction, organic waste is taken out of the territory and burned away from plantings.

How to deal with pests?

In early spring, you need to provide shrub care, which begins with the destruction of pests. To perform these manipulations, you need to steam the ground area of the bush using a small watering can. Boiling water or hot steam will not harm the plant, but will kill insect larvae.

You can also save the bush from insects using natural insecticides. It can be needles, white and scarlet elderberries. If folk remedies do not help, you can use the drug Malathion.

Gooseberry - diseases and their treatment

Some of the diseases appear unexpectedly. But there are diseases that are asymptomatic, which can be determined only at the last stages of formation. Consider tips from seasoned gardeners for caring for gooseberries in the spring. Types of diseases and their treatment:

Anthracnose is a fungal disease that appears in fallen leaves (leaves not harvested in autumn). Initially, small brown spots appear on the leaves, then they spread along the stem organ.
Fighting anthracnose. Remove leaves and unhealthy branches in a timely manner to exclude the appearance of spores. Starting in April, you need to spray the bushes and soil around the shrub with copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, fungicide or sodium carbonate. You can use the proven method. To prepare the solution, you need a liter can of ash, which is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of boiling water. The solution should stand for a day. After that, crushed laundry soap is added to the container until it is completely dissolved. The prepared product is sprayed with gooseberry bushes. After picking berries, it is necessary to repeat the spraying of the bush, remove old branches, unhealthy and weak shoots. The soil must be dug up and filled with copper sulfate.
Powdery mushrooms. After the onset of the ovary, a white bloom begins to appear on the berries, which diverges along the leaves and processes, then it darkens. The berries dry up and fall off. The leaves begin to curl, and the tops of the processes dry out. The fight against spheroteca is similar, using 3% copper sulfate before bud break. During the spread of the disease, spray the bushes with a systemic fungicide at intervals of 10 days. It must be diluted as directed on the package. When you don't want to use fungicides, there is a biological method. You will need clean manure, which must be diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10. After insisting for 3 days, you can process the shrub.
When the bush dries up, it may also indicate the presence of a fungus. The trunks begin to fade, the skin becomes cracked and growths appear in the cracks. The disease often affects unkempt shrubs.
Septoria is a fungus that also hibernates in fallen leaves. At first, small brown spots appear on the leaves, then they increase, and the middle begins to brighten until it becomes completely white, a dark border remains at the edges. When the disease is running, berries can be affected, and the leaves begin to crumble. In the fight against the disease, sprinkling with copper sulfate and the substance of Nitrofen can help. In particular, branches affected by the fungus are removed, the leaves must be removed and burned in autumn, and the soil must be dug up.
Gooseberry rust appears in those areas where there are thickets of sedges, the fungus lives directly there. On the reverse side of the leaves, yellow growths begin to form, then they move to berries and stems. Spraying with fungicides helps to cope with the fungus, before the formation of buds, during the period of bud appearance, and when ovaries appear. Treatment with Fitosporin may help.

Pruning gooseberries in spring

After the pests have been eliminated, it is time to prune the bush. Spring pruning is one of the most significant stages in the care. A rich harvest depends on the correct pruning of the shrub.

The main thing is to meet the deadline and cut the shrub before bud break. Only after cool and long-term winters, pruning in the spring of gooseberries is transferred during the period of leaf blooming, so as not to miss any of the frozen sections of the bush. Also, along with the removal of unnecessary branches and shoots, the shrub is shaped.

Usually, three to four basal processes are left on the bush, which should be spaced at a distance from each other. All other processes are removed at the very root. Those processes that have been left need to be trimmed taking into account 1/3 of their length.

In a similar way, pruning is performed annually in the spring, until the entire bush is formed. In older shrubs from six to eight years old, in the spring, the rejuvenation of the bush is performed, cutting off the old processes.

After trimming the shoots, all sections should be diligently processed using a garden varnish. This is a substance that saves tree cuts from infection by fungi or bacteria, pests and sap leakage.

Gooseberry cultivation

The shrub is unpretentious to the composition of the soil: it loves clay, loamy, sandy, sandy loam lands, but it grows weakly in cool, swampy and acidic soils. The clay soil is constantly loosened, and the sandy soil is enriched with organic matter.

In May, the soil is cultivated with a hoe within the crown to a depth of 6 - 8 cm, in the row-spacing it is dug up with a shovel by 10-15 cm. Fallen leaves and waste from crown pruning are preliminarily removed if this has not been done since autumn.

Loosening is combined with fertilizing with potash and nitrogen fertilizers. The next stage of land preparation is mulching.

A dense layer of mulch prevents weeds from growing and prevents the formation of excess root growth, protects the soil from drying out. Use humus, peat, straw, sawdust, crushed tree bark, grass.

Watering and fertilizing

Gooseberries do not need constant watering. Undoubtedly, if the summer is very hot and dry, then the shrub will need some care, even after fruiting ends. The main thing is to observe the temperature of the water.

Do not irrigate with cool water, as this negatively affects the roots and the general condition of the bush. Moreover, the plant is more likely to suffer from fungal diseases.

Do not forget that almost all fungal microflora loves high moisture and low temperatures. That is, watering with cool water not only reduces the gooseberry's immunity, but also activates the fungus.

To store moisture in dry seasons, it is recommended to cover the soil with leaves, straw, sawdust or peat in order to preserve moisture in the soil for a long time.

It is important to know

But feeding gooseberries is necessary, at the same time regular and correctly composed. Taking into account the fact that the shrub bears fruit every year and very rarely changes its place of growth, the land is extremely depleted.

For this reason, it is so important not to spare the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers in order to maintain a normal balance of nutrients.

In spring, half a bucket of compost mixed with phosphate (50 grams), ammonium sulfate (25 grams) and potassium (25 grams) should be placed under the bush. At the same time, for constantly fruiting bushes, the dose of feeding is doubled.

Competent fertilization is carried out along the perimeter of the crown, since the roots spread underground in this radius.

For feeding, you need to carefully loosen the area of the shrub, which corresponds to the diameter of the crown, and mix the fertilizer with the ground.

Subsequent feeding of the gooseberries is needed immediately after flowering in order to guarantee optimal fruiting. It is performed with mullein infusion: dilute it 1: 5, and then pour at least 5 liters of the resulting solution under the bush.

Typical care mistakes

It is common for everyone to make mistakes, especially when it comes to performing unfamiliar works. Novice gardeners are often mistaken in the following things on the pretext of caring for gooseberries in the spring:

Watering is carried out by sprinkling, which is why rot and fungal diseases are formed.
Because of pity for the plant, short and weak branches are not pruned, so the plant often suffers from fungal diseases and does not bear fruit well.
Strong anti-aging pruning is done in one go. Such haste ends with long-term illness and death of the plant.
The plant is pruned or transplanted after swelling of the buds.

Having devoted very little time to proper care for gooseberries in the spring, you can safely count on a rich harvest. The main thing to remember is that all manipulations should be carried out in a suitable time frame.

For more details see here:

Gooseberry is a thorny bush with interesting multi-colored fruits. In order for the gooseberry planting to be successful, you need to purchase high-quality seedlings, determine the right time for planting and carefully prepare the planting site. When planting several bushes, try to maintain the distance between them, and after planting, pay attention to proper and proper care of the gooseberry. With timely watering, weeding, pruning and feeding, the gooseberry will very soon begin to bear fruit and will delight with fruits annually for a long time.

Planting gooseberry seedlings

I advise you to purchase seedlings exclusively in nurseries with a good reputation. When buying, be sure to inspect the roots so that they are not cut off or dried out. The optimum root length is approx. 25 cm. The aboveground part - 2-3 shoots - should also be intact, and the shoots should be alive, not dried up. I advise you to buy exactly two-year-olds, since one-year-olds are weaker and require careful maintenance.

Planting dates for gooseberries

It is more convenient to buy gooseberry seedlings in the spring, I advise them to plant them in the same period. Then, during the warm period, the seedlings will root well, take root in a new place and endure the winter without any problems.

Gooseberry planting site

I advise you to choose a secluded place under the gooseberry so that its thorns do not cause inconvenience. The area for planting gooseberries should be well lit, protected from the north side by a house wall or a large bush with a dense crown, for example, irgi. Such protection will allow gooseberries to endure the winter without problems, because this culture does not have good frost resistance.

When choosing a place for gooseberries, give preference to leveled areas, without depressions and depressions. It is good if it is cool enough there, melt or rain water accumulates. The groundwater level should be no closer than 1.5 m to the soil surface, and the soil itself should be loose, moisture and air permeable and nutritious.

Gooseberry planting scheme

If you are planting several plants on the site, you need to observe the distance between the gooseberry bushes when planting. Step back 1.5-2 m from one bush to another - so it will be easier to work the soil, cut plants, harvest.

When laying several rows of gooseberries, it is advisable to leave approx. 3 m of free land.

5 rules for planting gooseberries

1. Fertilization
If the soil on your site is depleted, then be sure to apply fertilizer before planting, preferably in the fall. It is necessary to scatter peat, humus or well-rotted manure over the soil surface in an amount of 5-6 kg per sq. m, sprinkle wood ash (500-600 g per sq. m) and nitroammofoska (1 tbsp. l. per sq. m). If it was not possible to prepare the soil in the fall, then apply fertilizers in the spring as early as possible - 2-3 weeks before planting the plants.

2. Digging the soil
Dig up the soil on a full bayonet of a shovel, level it out, breaking all the clods. Only then prepare the landing pits. My own advice - be sure to carefully remove the weeds, especially the roots of the wheatgrass, when digging the soil. Wheatgrass is the very first competitor to gooseberries, it suppresses its growth, does not allow plants to ventilate, from which they begin to get sick with fungal diseases and be affected by pests.

3. Preparation of planting holes
It is difficult to say the exact size of the planting holes, because it all depends on the size of the purchased seedling. The main thing is that the root system is freely located in the fossa without kinks and bends. I advise you to use expanded clay as drainage - a couple of handfuls will be enough so that the water does not stagnate at the roots during wet seasons. At the base of the planting hole, add a mixture of fertilizers, consisting of equal parts of peat, humus and river sand. Pour a bucket of water on top, and place the roots on the nutritious and moist mixture, gently straightening them.

4. Planting a seedling
You need to plant the gooseberries carefully so as not to damage the roots. Sprinkle the planting site with earth and carefully compact it with your hands so that there are no voids between the roots and the soil. Pay attention to the root collar - after planting and subsidence of the soil, it should be located at the level of the soil or be buried 1-1.5 cm, no more.

5. Watering and mulching
After planting and compaction of the soil, the bushes need to be watered with another bucket of water, then mulch the soil surface with peat or humus with a layer of 2 cm.The mulch will retain moisture in the soil, prevent the crust from forming on the surface and inhibit the growth of weeds, allowing the plant to take root in a new place.

Gooseberry care

Caring for gooseberries is not difficult and consists in watering, weeding, loosening the soil, pruning and feeding.

Watering the gooseberry

Watering is a must, since on dry soil the yields will be weak. It is advisable to water the soil if it has not rained for at least 4-6 days in a row. It is better to water the plants in the evening under a bush rather than over the leaves. Young plants need 1 bucket of water, and bushes over 3 years old need 2 buckets when watering.

Top dressing gooseberries

As a top dressing at the beginning of the growing season, I advise you to add 1 tbsp. l. nitroammofoski under each bush, after loosening and watering the soil. After that, it is advisable to water and mulch the soil again as when planting.

During the flowering period, gooseberries can be fed with superphosphate and potassium chloride by mixing these fertilizers to make a total of 1 tbsp. l. The procedure is the same. After harvesting, I advise you to feed the plants again with phosphorus and potash fertilizers in the same quantities and proportions.

Weeding and weeding on gooseberries

Do not forget about removing weeds - it is better to keep the bush area clean throughout the life of the gooseberry bush. I advise you to combine the removal of weeds with loosening the soil (depth no more than 5-6 cm) and watering.

Gooseberry pruning

It is not worth it to be wise with pruning, sanitary thinning is quite enough. It is best to do it in March, before bud break, when the snow settles, exposing the bushes. Remove by cutting into a ring any old shoots older than 5 years old, broken and dry branches. To thin out the bush, you need to cut off the shoots that grow deeper and thicken the crown.

When gooseberries bear fruit

Usually, on good soil, with enough food, moisture and proper care, gooseberries will give the first fruits for 3-4 years of planting. The berry bush will bear fruit regularly for at least 10 years. The fruit is best harvested as it ripens. If you want to eat the berries right away, then wait for the pulp to stain and soften. If the fruits need to be transported, then pluck early.

If you want to achieve a bountiful harvest of gooseberries, it is important to properly monitor this shrub. How to care for gooseberries? The whole process can be broken down into several stages, from the initial planting in early spring or autumn to processing after fruiting and preparation for winter.

Landing rules

The key to the successful development of any plant is its correct planting in the soil. The same goes for gooseberries. This plant is a shrub and bears fruit around mid-summer. Its berries have a pleasant sweet taste, sometimes with a slight sourness. That is why, and also due to the variety of varieties, they love to grow it so much in their personal plots.

To make the plant comfortable, it is important to choose the right place for planting it. It feels best in an open area, where there is a lot of light and heat, but there are no direct scorching rays. The distance between the bushes should be sufficient so that in the future they have room to grow and form a crown.

Also pay attention to the proximity to other gooseberry plants. It can be placed next to currants, raspberries and other low crops. Lush trees, on the other hand, can create shade, which is undesirable in this case.

It is best to plant a young bush in the spring. So, during the period of its adaptation to the soil, warm weather will fall, which increases the chances of success. But mature specimens can be transplanted to a new place in mid-autumn or immediately after harvest.

Watering mode

Also, in order to understand how to properly care for gooseberry seedlings, it is important to understand the issue of watering. In general, the plant loves moderate moisture. Since the best option is to place it in the sun, you should use auxiliary sources of water intake, in addition to natural ones.

It is best to use root technology so that water does not get on the leaves and does not spread various diseases.

In the spring, gooseberries, in principle, do not need water, as there is enough melted snow. When the soil warms up and begins to dry out, you can get down to business. In summer, the number of waterings increases to one every two days in dry weather. Perform this procedure correctly after sunset so as not to harm the plant.

Especially it is necessary to monitor the presence of a sufficient amount of water during the period of development of the ovaries. But about 2 weeks before harvesting, you should reduce the frequency of watering. So, you can achieve ripening of juicy and rich in taste berries. In the future, you should not be especially zealous, since the active phase has already passed, and the plant is gradually moving into a dormant stage.

Loosening and fertilizing

When planting, it is important to provide a sufficient distance between the gooseberry bushes. This is due not only to the fact that the branches need space to grow, but also the need to regularly loosen the soil. The plant loves loose soil. Such conditions ensure good water absorption and air penetration into the soil, which allows the roots to breathe.

For the first time, you need to carefully loosen the ground in the spring. Try not to go deep, otherwise you risk damaging the root system, which can lead to impaired growth or even death of the plant. Also, after loosening, it will be correct to introduce fertilizers.

For gooseberries, you can use natural materials: ash, humus, poultry droppings, as well as synthetic mineral analogs. In order for the fertilizers to reach the roots, it is necessary to carry out the feeding procedure in conjunction with watering.

Before the harvest ripens, you need to loosen the ground under the bushes about every 2-3 weeks and apply fertilizer once a month. After the formation of almost ripe berries, the enrichment of the soil should be limited for a while. Further feeding is done at the close of the season.

Bush formation

In the question of how to care for the overgrown gooseberry bushes, the formation of the position of the branches occupies an important place. This requires regular pruning. It is correct to do this during the period when the plant is still dormant, that is, in the spring. You can also do this after harvesting, removing parallel depleted and dried branches.

Gooseberry pruning can be done in different ways:

The main principle of caring for bushes is to remove several strong shoots for fruiting. All excess must be removed at the very root.

Seasonal care

To make it easier to distribute all the efforts for caring for the gooseberry, seasonal directions of all procedures can be identified. In winter and early spring, it is important to take care of the plant's insulation.

If the climate is unstable and thaws alternate with severe frosts, it is necessary to adjust the degree of insulation. You can use earth, foil with holes, rags. Closer to warming, pruning is done. And the ground is doused with hot water to combat pests and diseases.

With the arrival of spring, dachas and vegetable gardens have a lot of different jobs for their owners. It is necessary to quickly start performing some technological work in order to ensure the future harvest. Gooseberries, which have freed themselves from the cover of snow, also require appropriate attention and care.

Maintenance work should be resumed without waiting for the establishment of warm, stable weather, and after the snow has melted - in mid-March. This is due to the fact that the gooseberry begins to vegetate early and in April the leaves are already indicated on the bush.

The whole range of spring care works is subdivided into 3 conditional stages:

pruning bushes;
destruction of pests and treatment of diseases;
preparation and application of fertilizers.

All these works are very important and require detailed coverage.

Inspection of the bush after wintering

In the spring, the first step is to remove the shelter from the gooseberry, with which it was insulated for the winter, and carefully examine the bush. Around the bushes, you also need to rake mulch, which in winter was a heater, and now some types of harmful insects have settled in it.

The collected garbage, together with pests, is best taken out of the garden and burned. If we talk about the sequence of work, then it should be noted that first you need to remove the insulating material from the bush, and then untie the twine and remove the mulch.

Pruning

To protect the gooseberry from insects and diseases, to get a good harvest, it must be systematically pruned. In the spring, this operation begins at the end of March, when the snow has not yet melted completely. This work must be completed no later than the end of April - before bud break.

As a result of correct pruning, gooseberry branches receive more light and develop normally. This affects the yield. The crown of a cut gooseberry is well ventilated, the plant is not affected by fungi and diseases.

Spring work on pruning gooseberries is carried out according to the following algorithm:

cut out all frozen, broken or diseased shoots, as well as those that grow inside the bush;
of the shoots of the last year, only 3-4 of the strongest are left, others must be removed;
cut shoots growing from the roots.

On old plants that are 5 or more years old, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, in the process of which the age branches are gradually replaced with young ones. After properly pruning, the bush will consist of branches that are different in age.

Tillage

Gooseberries are not particularly demanding on the soil composition; they can grow and bear fruit on many types of soils. It is impossible to grow it only on acidified, cold and waterlogged soils.

If the bushes grow on clay soil, then it must be systematically loosened.

Gooseberries growing on sandy soil need to be enriched with organic fertilizers. It is better to start tillage in May. For these purposes, a hoe is used.

Loosening

The May loosening of the soil on the gooseberry is carried out within the crown of the bush. The working depth should be 7-10 cm. Before loosening, you need to remove the foliage, mulch and small twigs under the bushes.

Loosening helps to improve aeration and water permeability of the soil, which ultimately has a positive effect on the general condition of the plant and yield.

Mulching

Immediately after loosening, gooseberry tree trunks should be mulched. As a material for mulch, straw, hay, peat or sawdust are used, which are laid out in a thin layer.

Thanks to this agricultural technique, moisture evaporation will slow down, weeds will not grow so intensively. Mulching reduces the amount of weeding and loosening, saving gardeners time.

Watering

It is known that gooseberry is drought tolerant, but it responds well to rare and abundant watering. It makes the greatest demands on soil moisture in the flowering phase.

Water should be poured at the root or equipped with a drip irrigation system. The roots of the gooseberry go deep enough into the soil, so watering should be abundant in order to soak a 40 cm layer of soil. To do this, pour 40-55 liters of liquid under each plant.

It is strictly forbidden to use chilled water for sprinkling gooseberries. A cold shower reduces immunity, the plant can become infected with fungal diseases.

The gooseberry does not tolerate waterlogging, but it also does not tolerate drought. Watering is usually combined with fertilization for maximum effect.

Top dressing

Bushes that were planted last year on nutrient-rich soils do not need additional feeding. And from the second year after planting, you can start feeding. For this, it is important to know how to feed the gooseberries in the spring for a good harvest. To perform this agricultural technique, complete mineral or organic fertilizers are usually used.

Both types of fertilizers, when used correctly, enrich the soil with the necessary nutrients. When performing top dressing, adhere to the following application scheme:

the first feeding is carried out at the time of the swelling of the buds of the plant;
the second feeding of the gooseberry is carried out in the flowering phase;
the final top dressing in the season is performed during the fruit setting.

For top dressing, complete mineral fertilizers are used containing all the main nutrients.

In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, the soil can be fertilized with urea, at the rate of 55 g of fertilizer for each bush. And in the process of loosening the soil, you can add 300 g of ash per square meter.

Gooseberries growing on depleted soils are fed with organic matter. To do this, after the flowering of the culture, a bucket of slurry diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7, bird droppings (1:12) or mullein (1: 5) is poured into the grooves along the perimeter of the trunk circle.

For feeding gooseberry bushes, it is unacceptable to use mineral fertilizers containing chlorine.

Treatment against diseases and pests

Gooseberries are one of the first to wake up from hibernation, so hungry harmful insects quickly attack it, and it can also be affected by viral and fungal diseases. To reduce the risk of damage to gooseberry bushes, you need to know - spray gooseberries in the spring against pests and diseases.

To exterminate pests and treat diseases, an extensive list of biological, chemical and home remedies is used, which have shown their effectiveness in practice. The methods of using these drugs for and extermination of insects and pathogenic pathogens are detailed below.

The best moment to start treatments comes simultaneously with the beginning of sap flow, when the buds are swollen, but have not yet opened.

Gooseberry processing can be carried out from March 5 to April 15. However, each site owner must choose the optimal time for performing the treatments himself, sometimes even shifting the timing of the spraying behavior to a later time.

Attention!

The best conditions for spraying gooseberries with chemical and biological agents against insects and diseases are dry and cloudy weather.

Biological agents

Biological agents suitable for spraying crops against harmful insects and diseases, absolutely harmless to humans and very effective. The active ingredient of these drugs are bacteria, which destroy harmful pathogens in the course of their life. Treatments are carried out at a certain time interval for the purpose of prophylaxis and for cure.

Treatment with biological products is started in the spring, when the air warms up to 18 degrees. At lower temperatures, the effect of treatment will be minimal, since the beneficial bacteria of the drug cannot develop at low temperatures.

Fitosporin

"Fitosporin" is a drug created on the basis of bacteria that suppress pathogenic organisms that cause diseases of fungal and bacterial properties. For prophylactic purposes against a number of diseases, the bushes are sprayed in the spring during the period of massive leaf blooming and fruit setting. When preparing a working solution, dissolve 150 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water.

Fitoverm

Fitoverm is an insecticide that has shown good results in the fight against insects. When a pest enters the intestines, the active component of the drug causes its paralysis, leading to death. The most effective period for this remedy is spring.

The drug has shown excellent efficacy against aphids and ticks.

The tool lasts up to 2 weeks. To prepare a working solution, you need to dissolve 2 ml of the mixture in 9 liters of water. After mixing, the composition is ready to work.

Trichodermin

"Trichodermin" belongs to the group of fungicides, its active active ingredient is a fungus from the genus Trichoderma. The antifungal agent suppresses fungal pathogens well and enriches the soil with nutrients. To prepare a working solution, 150 ml of the drug is dissolved in 9 l of water and the contents are mixed well. Processing is carried out in spring and summer, every 2 weeks.

Chemicals

Spraying gooseberries with chemicals based on chemistry should be carried out only in exceptional cases, because the toxins present in pesticides tend to accumulate in the ground and in the future harvest.

Spring processing of gooseberry bushes with chemicals can be carried out only before the onset of the flowering phase. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to the recommended doses and norms.

Copper sulfate

Copper sulfate is a very popular fungicide used against many fungal diseases. Produced in the form of a blue powder. It is a contact fungicide. The applied product can be washed off by rain or watering.

If the mycelium of the pathogen has already penetrated deep into the tissues, it is not possible to kill it with this agent. It can only slow down the development of the fungus. This powder prevents their spores from germinating.

For spraying gooseberries, a 1% solution of the drug is prepared, for which 100 g of powder is dissolved in 10 l of water. The drug can give the expected effect in the fight against anthracnose, rust and various stains.

Bordeaux mixture

Bordeaux mixture is prepared from equal parts of copper sulfate and lime. The bushes are treated with a 1% solution before the start of sap flow and after the end of the flowering phase.

Treatment with this mixture protects gooseberries from various fungal diseases such as spot, rust, scab and anthracnose.

Topaz

Fungicide Topaz is widely used on gooseberries against powdery mildew, anthracnose and other pathogens.

It is used for the prevention and healing of these diseases. The active ingredient of the fungicide is penconazole.

To obtain a working solution, dissolve one ampoule of the drug in 9 liters of water. The agent is applied by spraying. The drug is unsafe for people, therefore, when working with it, you need to use personal protective equipment.

The drug has a good effect on gooseberries against the above diseases.

Oxyhom

"Oxyhom" refers to contact-systemic fungicides and is used to treat the leaves and stems of gooseberries. At the same time, the active substance of the preparation protects well the surface of plants and deep layers of branches.

Its ability to penetrate deep into the stem greatly enhances its effectiveness against pathogens. The last rain washes away only part of the preparation that is on the surface. Another part of the product, penetrating deep into the gooseberry wood, continues to work.

Fungicide "Oxyhom" kills pathogens of fungal diseases at any stage of their development. It is widely used in greenhouses and open berry plantations.

Fundazol

Such a systemic drug as "Fundazol" is practiced on gooseberries against pests and diseases, and for prophylactic purposes, and for healing. This drug copes well with pathogens such as:

anthracnose;
late blight;
mosaic;
septoria;
yellow and glassy rust.

The main active component of the substance is benomyl. It goes into the deep layers of the soil to the root system of the gooseberry, and then spreads throughout the plant.

During one season, two-time treatment with this drug is allowed. To prepare a working solution, dissolve 1 g of the drug in 1 liter of water. The product dissolves poorly in water, so you need to mix the mixture well. For prophylaxis, the drug is used by spraying, and for treatment, the agent is poured at the root.

Speed

The drug "Skor" is good because it is endowed with the properties of providing preventive protection and effective treatment of plants. The product can be used at any stage of gooseberry development.

By the method of practical application, the effectiveness of this drug in the fight against the following ailments has been established:

scab;
powdery mildew;
perforated and brown spotting;
curly leaves;
coccomycosis;
moniliosis;
clotterosporiosis.

To obtain a working solution, it is necessary to dilute the drug in water, following the instructions.

Hom

HOM is known as the most widely used powdery mildew remedy. Having appeared on the market, this drug has become often used in cases where Bordeaux liquid was previously used.

To use the drug, it is necessary to prepare a 0.4% working solution for spraying. This is achieved by dissolving 40 g of the product in a bucket of water. Most often, spraying with this drug is carried out once a season, before the onset of the flowering phase.

Karbofos

This insecticidal agent is well known to gardeners. It is produced in liquid form and packed in cans and vials. The insecticide is effective against pests such as:

currant sawfly;
gall midge;

The working solution is not difficult to prepare. To do this, you need to dissolve 75 g of the product in 9 liters of water. The drug must be used on the day of preparation.

Colloidal sulfur

Colloidal sulfur has been shown to be highly effective against mites. To use this acaricidal agent, you first need to prepare a working solution for spraying gooseberries. For this purpose, 40 g of colloidal sulfur are dissolved in a bucket of water.

Antitlin

This drug is also quite often used on gooseberries. The tool is effective against gooseberry aphids. Application of the drug is carried out by spraying.

The working solution is prepared by dissolving 0.5 kg of the drug in 9 liters of water. After stirring, the preparation is ready for use.

Actellik

An excellent complex insecticidal agent that can be used on gooseberries against the following insects:

gall midge;
beetles of different subtypes;
fire flame;
sawfly.

To obtain a working solution, dissolve 15 ml of a liquid preparation in 9 liters of water. After complete dissolution, the product is ready for spraying.

Nitrafen

This drug is used before the spring swelling of the kidneys. The product has insecticidal, fungicidal and herbicidal properties. After application, the preparation stays on the branches and leaves for a long time, providing protection to the plants.

Once in the soil, Nitrafen has an inhibitory effect on the growth and development of weeds, acting as a herbicide.

On gooseberries, the remedy is used against the following diseases and pests:

powdery mildew;
septoria;
scab;
anthracnose;
aphids and other pests.

Before spraying, prepare a working solution by dissolving 150 g of the product in a bucket of water. One hundred square meters consume 20 liters of the finished solution.

DNOC

This drug is also quite often used on gooseberry bushes and is endowed with insecticidal, fungicidal and herbicidal effects. The agent is poorly soluble in water and organic solvents are used to prepare the working fluid.

The tool has shown good effectiveness against the following pests:

ticks;
shield;
leafy fleas;
copperhead.

One hundred square meters consume 15 liters of the drug.

Horus

Fungicide "Horus" is used to treat many ailments of gooseberries and other berries, such as:

gray and fruit rot
scab;
powdery mildew;
coccomycosis;
oidium;
white and brown spots.

To obtain a working solution, it is necessary to dissolve 2-4 g of the chemical in 9 liters of water. This solution is enough to carry out processing for 100 sq. m. plantings.

For processing, choose a dry and windless day, with a temperature range from +6 to +22 degrees.

Decis

Insecticide "Decis Profi" is a modern widespread means of intestinal action. The drug has a number of advantages over analogues, of which the following should be noted:

excellent effectiveness at small doses;
speed of action;
stays on the surface of the sheet for a long time;
protects the plant from pests for 14 days;
compatible with all chemicals except those that are alkaline;
not dangerous for gooseberries and soil;
does not inhibit soil fauna;
when processed according to the instructions, it does not cause burns to the leaves.

To obtain a working solution, dissolve 1 g of a liquid product in a bucket of water. This will be enough to process 1 weave of the area of berry plantations.

Bitoxibacillin

Bitoxibacillin is a biological insecticide effective against a variety of common insect pests. Thanks to him, you can eliminate the most dangerous enemies of culture.

To prepare a working solution, 100 g of powder is dissolved in 9 liters of water and this amount of chemical is used to process 1 hundred parts of berry plantations.

Folk remedies

To combat insects and pathogenic microflora of the gooseberry, not only chemicals are used, but also home remedies.

The popularity of these funds is due to their effectiveness and safety for people. The second huge advantage of these funds is their availability.

In any aqueous solutions based on folk remedies, it is recommended to add 50 g of laundry soap. Thanks to the soap, the drug will stick to the leaves better and will last for a long time.

The following are the most popular home remedies for springtime gooseberry treatments.

Soda

Soda has shown itself to be an effective remedy against powdery mildew on currants and gooseberries.

To obtain a working solution, dissolve 40 g of soda powder in 9 liters of water and add laundry soap or vegetable oil for better adhesion.

The treatment is best done in the early morning, before the sun is active. After a week, the treatment can be repeated until the pathogen is completely eliminated.

Onion tincture

This improvised remedy can also protect gooseberries from powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. In addition, this infusion manages to ward off aphids and ticks from the gooseberry.

Onion tincture recipe:

take 200 g of onion peel and pour it with 9 liters of boiling water;
maintain the composition for 2 days;
filter.

There is another recipe for making onion tincture:

1 kg of onion is passed through a meat grinder;
the resulting mass is poured with 1 liter of water;
insist 26 hours.

After straining, 20 ml of the infusion is mixed with 10 liters of water, the composition is poured into a sprayer and treatment begins.

Birch tar

gooseberry fire;
gooseberry sawfly.

To obtain a working solution, mix 2-4 tablespoons of tar with 10 liters of water. For better adhesion of the drug to the leaves, add finely planed laundry soap.

Citrus infusion

To obtain the infusion, fruit shells of citrus crops and spoiled fruits are used. 1 kg of prepared raw materials is poured into 10 liters of water and allowed to brew for 5 days at room temperature.

After this period, the infusion is ready for processing. Spraying is carried out every 2 weeks against scale insects, aphids and mealybugs.

Infusion of marigolds

Garden flower plants - marigolds, can also be used to combat harmful insects.

To do this, the marigolds need to be dried, and then pour 1 kg of dry raw materials with 1 liter of boiling water. After 50 hours of infusion, apply the infusion by spraying against whiteflies, aphids, ticks and fungi.

Soap-soda solution

A solution consisting of soap and soda proved to be effective against powdery mildew.

To prepare it, you will need 50 g of soda ash, pour 10 liters of water and add 50 g of laundry soap there.

Whey or sour milk

Lactic acid foods can also be beneficial in the fight against powdery mildew.

For these purposes, the following can be used:

kefir;
spoiled milk;
milk serum.

When preparing the working solution, mix 9 liters of water with 1 liter of fermented milk product.

Mullein solution

Many gardeners in the spring use mullein solution against fungi on gooseberries.

For processing, you first need to prepare a working solution. Cow cakes are diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, and then insisted for 3 days. Then, immediately before use, the concentrated mullein infusion is again diluted with water in the same ratio.

The finished infusion is sprayed with gooseberry bushes before flowering.

Wood ash with soap

You can scare away harmful insects from gooseberries with wood ash and soap. To do this, you need to do the following:

take 1.5 kg of ash and place it in a bucket;
to fill with water;
Stir the mixture several times within 25 hours;
add 50 g of soap to the infusion and mix well.

Spray the gooseberries with the resulting infusion three times with a time interval of 2-3 days.

Kerosene

Kerosene can be used against scale insects, aphids and other insects. To do this, take 80 g of grated laundry soap and a teaspoon of kerosene and pour these ingredients with 1 liter of water. Then the solution is stirred until smooth.

The resulting solution is used for spring spraying of gooseberries before the onset of the flowering phase.

Garlic and mustard tincture

The tincture is prepared as follows:

300 g of garlic leaves, 200 g of onion husks, 2 tbsp. are poured into a bucket. l. birch tar and 1 tbsp. mustard;
pour the ingredients with water;
insist 25 hours;
filter.

The finished tincture is used for spring spraying of gooseberry bushes.

Boiling water treatment

Many experienced gardeners in the spring, to exterminate pests, use the treatment of bushes with simple boiling water.

To do this, boil clean water, cool it to 85 degrees. This hot water is poured over the soil in the tree-trunk circles.

With this technique, the larvae of harmful insects and spores of fungi in the soil are exterminated.

The main mistakes of gardeners

When caring for gooseberries, amateur gardeners, especially beginners, often make mistakes that affect the quality of the crop and can even lead to the death of the plant. Here are the most common mistakes gardeners make:

Improper watering. Gooseberries should not be watered by sprinkling. It is necessary to water at the root or apply drip irrigation.
Incorrect digging. Gooseberry roots diverge quite widely and are easily damaged when digging with a shovel. The soil must be loosened with a hoe or rake.
Formation of the crown of the plant in 1 pass. If you prune a bush in 1 step and remove, while there are many branches, then this will cause great stress to the plant. As a result, the gooseberry will set few fruits.
Incorrect fertilization system. This refers to the excess of doses and rates of fertilizers, the use of not rotted organic fertilizers, untimely feeding.

A gardener who counts on a good harvest of gooseberries must, without fail, carry out the processing of plants in the spring against harmful insects and diseases in a timely manner. Having devoted a little time to caring for plants, you can expect a good result.