All Gooseberry Bushes Require Proper Maintenance – Learn How In This Guide
Reviewed By PETER LICKORISH
Peter is a Horticulture Lecturer and self-employed Horticulturist, with a passion for diverse areas of the industry - from garden design to the science behind plant growth and propagation. He has completed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture (MHort) Award and lectures on RHS courses at Bedford College.
IN THIS GUIDE
Gooseberries are very flavourful and different varieties impart unique taste sensations.
Some are lusciously sweet fresh off the bush; others are deliciously tangy and tart with savouries.
Arguably the most versatile of all berries, perhaps the Gooseberry can one day regain its throne!
One to two centuries ago, Gooseberries used to be among the choicest fruits enjoyed in Great Britain, enjoying the height of their popularity in the mid-1800s.1Fascinating facts: gooseberries (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/fascinating-facts-gooseberries
The fruit suffered a decline in popularity from the early 1900s and fell out of favour after about 1920, as American gooseberry mildew became an increasing problem.
In our time, gooseberries have been supplanted by more exotic fruits like passionfruit and kiwis in the garden.
Perhaps this is partly because originally Gooseberry bushes were very thorny – and the species and heirloom cultivars still are – and all Gooseberry bushes require proper maintenance.
Maybe this fruit’s flavour was also originally too tart and too tangy for modern palates.
If this was so, the ‘problem’ has been circumvented by a number of newer cultivars that are honey-sweet.
In any event, the fading away of the Gooseberry has been somewhat exaggerated if the RHS Fruit and Vegetable Show 2021 was anything to go by.
Gooseberries are among the limited number of fruits and vegetables that have six discrete competition classes!
Perhaps Gooseberries are making a comeback and part of the reason is that newer cultivars eliminate some of the difficulty with growing gooseberries in the backyard.
Overview
| Botanical Name | Ribes uva-crispa |
| Common Name(s) | Gooseberry |
| Plant Type | Fruit / Shrub |
| Native Area | Cultivated |
| Hardiness Rating | H6-7 |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Flowers | Inconspicuous |
| When To Plant | January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December |
| Harvesting Months | June, July, August |
| When To Prune | January, February, March, November, December |
Sunlight
Preferred
Full Sun or Dappled Shade
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Size
Height
1 – 1.2M
Spread
1 – 1.2M
Bloom Time
Late Spring / Early Summer
Soil
Preferred
Most fertile soils
Moisture
Moist but well drained
pH
Any
Be the variety newer or older, another positive attribute is that gooseberry bushes are self-fertile so you are good to go with a single bush, though you will increase your yield if you have three or four bushes.
This is not one of those bushes that you can plant and forget about; to the contrary, it requires care, particularly in pruning.
Mark that store-bought gooseberries of any variety cannot be compared to home-grown ones because this is a fruit that doesn’t transport well or ‘keep’ well when it is ripe as it tends to burst.
Therefore, stores often stock and sell underripe gooseberries which will not ripen into sweet fruit after they have been plucked.
This fact is surely the best reason to grow a Gooseberry bush (or a few) in your back garden.
Habitat & Growing Conditions
Gooseberry species grow wild throughout Eurasia where they are found in many kinds of soil and environmental conditions.2Fascinating facts: gooseberries. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/fascinating-facts-gooseberries
In the United Kingdom they are often seen in woodlands and scrublands, and also along country byways.
Again, where the United Kingdom is concerned, they are found more frequently on moist ground, either in full sun or a sun-shade mix.
Other species, native to South Asia and North America, grow in even dryish areas.3Gooseberry. (2023, March). Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/gooseberry
Different species grow in climate conditions ranging from sunny and semi-tropical through temperate to frigid.
How To Grow Gooseberries
You can grow a gooseberry plant from seed but while species will grow true, cultivars will likely not.
Also, growing gooseberry shrubs from seeds is a lengthy process.
Bare-root plants are most widely available during winter months; potted plants are another form in which Gooseberry plants can be bought.
Get them from an established merchant with a good reputation because Gooseberry shrubs are among those that can harbour pests or diseases.
The major cultivars are fully hardy at H6.
Soil Requirements
Gooseberry cultivars should be planted in soil with good drainage.
The soil should contain peat or other organic content such as well-rotted manure or humus, especially if soil is a heavier clay or has a very free-draining sandy texture.
The ideal soil pH is Slightly Acidic, 6.1 to 6.5, but this can safely be stretched to 5.6 to 7.3 – Moderately Acidic to Neutral.
Sunlight
In almost the whole of the United Kingdom the best site is in full sun but part shade will do.
Bear in mind that the more sun the bush gets, the sweeter the berries.
Therefore, if you are growing a sweet dessert variety it really should be sited in full sun; on the other hand, if you are growing a tart culinary variety then site it in part shade.
The best location is one that is sheltered but has good airflow but this combination may not be at all easily sorted-out; if not, don’t sweat it.
If need be, you can support your bush with a trellis or bamboo canes.
Transplanting
You can (trans)plant bare-root or potted plants any time during winter or early spring.
The transplanting hole should not only accommodate the entire root ball, it should be considerably wider than the root ball so that the roots can be spread out.
Before transplanting a potted plant, water it well.
Dampen the roots of a bare-root plant before putting it in the ground, then water well after transplanting.
Space Gooseberry bushes approximately 1.5 metres apart.
Watering & Mulching
Gooseberry bushes thrive on lots of water. Water from soil level only.
Absolutely do not water them on the crown or over the foliage so as not to give any opening to diseases.
The plant should get water about twice a week during the growing season if the weather is dry. Keep the soil moist.
As fruit starts to form and develop, gradually and proportionally increase the amount of water and perhaps the frequency of watering; however, be careful not to overwater.
A soil moisture meter would be very useful during Gooseberry bushes’ fruit-forming period, as the surface of the soil can have a very different moisture level compared to further down.
Mulching a Gooseberry bush in general is a good idea and in hot and dry climates it is essential to do this when the soil is still damp, to seal moisture in.
Pruning
“Pruning gooseberries is a satisfying task during winter or early spring,” says RHS Master of Horticulture Peter Lickorish, “providing you have thick gloves to prevent thorns from becoming a nuisance.
“Airflow is the aim – so cut out branches which rub on another or crowd the centre.
“It is usually best to leave an open goblet-shaped framework of branches.
“Any narrow side-shoots from these can be cut back to a few buds, which lets light reach the fruits when they form…and helps stop you getting scratched!”
Common Problems
First, bear in mind that Gooseberry cultivars manifest rather pronounced differences as to the pests and diseases that they resist well and those that they succumb to.
Problems include powdery mildew and leaf spot.
The former is more common but is not very hard to resolve and can be remedied by pruning for airflow or selecting resistant cultivars.
The latter, a fungal disease, is not so common but very difficult to bring under control.
You can help prevent both of these by reducing plant stress – so keep the soil well watered.
Insect Infestations
Gooseberry bushes can be attacked by aphids, sawfly, and capsid bug.
Aphids often cluster on the tips of stems, so the very tips of long stems can be cut off.
Sawflies can strip leaves to shreds, though many garden birds will eat their larvae.
You cannot use chemical pesticides on a fruit-bearing bush so you will need to choose organic formulations and natural solutions.
Among the former are Organic Savona soap, Neudorff Bug Free, and Vitax Plant Guard.
You could prepare a solution of generic pyrethrin and neem oil – also consider beneficial insects like ladybugs.
You can minimise the chances that the bush will succumb to pests and diseases by siting it optimally, pruning it correctly, and watering it at soil level.
Birds
There is one other creature in your garden which loves gooseberries: birds.
You can try to draw them away by setting up a bird feeder with different types of grain and mealworms that birds may be more attracted to.
As a last resort, protect your bushes with bird netting.
