THE GOOSEBERRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1941, Page 8

THE GOOSEBERRY

PLANTING AND PRUNING HINTS. The gooseberry will thrive in any kind of soil provided there is a reasonable amount of organic matter, but it prefers a good, moist, well-drained loam in an open, sunny position. In some places gooseberries are planted as an undergrowth for standard fruit, trees, but though they will endure a certain amount of shade they prefer ■ full sun to ripen the fruit and the ■ wood for the succeeding crop. i When preparing the ground, it 'should be double dug for though it is only a surface-rooting plant it needs deeply-cultivated soil so as to retain moisture and plant food and also ensure good drainage. When preparing i the holes, which should be large enough to allow the roots to spread out, a forkful of manure or compost heap can be mixed with the soil, and failing that, a three-inch potful of bonedust can be mixed with the top six inches of soil. First trim any broken or bruised roots, then plant not more than three inches deep. This should secure about six inches of clean stem, as it is necessary to keep the fruit on the lower branches clear of the ground and to allow for weeding and cultivating. Four feet apart should be the average distance between the bushes, but if there is plenty of room, five feet between the bushes and six feet between the rows can be allowed.

Pruning is most important, but it is often neglected with the result that the bushes become a tangled mass ol twigs bearing small berries on the outside and none in the centre, or often the pruning is too severe, the young wood being practically all cut away, with the result that the young growths are stronger than ever, and there is little fruit. The gooseberry bears its fruit on little spurs on the old wood, and also on young ripened shoots. of the previous season’s growth, the best berries being produced on the young wood. Beginning with a young bush with three or four shoots—these are shortened back to about six inches, cutting to an outside bud on the upright growing kinds, and to an upper bud on the drooping ones. During the summer pruning two shoots arc left on each branch and the others pinched back to four leaves. At the winter pruning, ’which is better done as soon as possible in Masterton. the tips of the young shoots are cut off leaving up lo a foot of young wood, and the side shoots shortened back to an inch. With the older bushes the first thing is to cut out all dead and decaying branches, to remove all surplus branches to allow light and air to get to the fruit without being scratched. In neglected bushes picking the fruit is a painful operation. Side shoots are shortened back to an inch, and the leading ones extended to nine or twelve inches according to the space available. Every year a number of the old branches are cut right out to allow young ones to be brought on. and thus keep a good proportion of young wood. The lower branches. which would droop clown when laden with fruit and also be spattered with dirt should be cut away. Remember to cut to an outside bud on the upright growing kinds and an upper one on the drooping varieties.

After pruning rake up and burn the irunings and return the ashes to the iround. also any other wood ashes

1 which may be available. Next scrape away two or three inches of soil from round the stems of the bushes, give a mulch of farmyard manure or compost heap, and cover it lightly with clean soil taken from between the rows where deep digging is no disadvantage. A suitable chemical manure would consist of four parts superphosphate, two parts bone dust, and two parts sulphate of potash, this being applied in early spring when breaking down the soil, at the rate of four ounces to a fully grown bush. Gooseberries can be trained as cordons on a fence or wall, but are better as bushes. Varieties to plant for use while still green for bottling are Winham's Industry. Warrington, and Lion’s Provider, and for dessert Early Sulphur, Golden Drop, and Red Warrington.