When and in what ways can gooseberries be propagated?

Gooseberries in the gardens of Russians - one of the most popular berry bushes, because its fruits are not only tasty, but also very useful. But one bush, no matter how fruitful it may be, is not able to provide the whole family with berries. To get a few more, it is not necessary to go to the nursery. There are several ways to reproduce gooseberries, even a beginner gardener can perform all the necessary procedures.

The best time to breed gooseberries

For breeding gooseberries, both spring and autumn are suitable. It mainly depends on the chosen method.

I want to keep the best gooseberry bushes, but even anti-aging pruning can not extend the productive period to infinity, so you will have to use one of the methods of plant propagation

Layers from the bush are taken in early spring. The procedure can be combined with the next pruning. It is important to be in time before the plant begins the period of active vegetation. If leaf buds turned into green "cones" or even more so opened up - it's too late. They should only swell slightly. They are also planted quite early. It is necessary to wait until the soil completely thaws at a depth of 8-10 cm, this is quite enough. In temperate regions, this usually occurs in mid-April or early May. There are also reliable folk signs, which can be easily guided by - blooming leaves on birches or dandelions that started to bloom.

Green cuttings are planted in the ground throughout June, lignified - in mid-October. In the first case, there is no need to procure planting material in advance. You can cut them on the same day or a day or two before the intended landing.

The division of the bush can be carried out in spring and autumn. The main thing is that its parts have time to settle down in a new place. Therefore, the period from the end of August to the beginning of October is quite suitable for the warm southern regions. There, winter usually comes in accordance with the calendar, so you can be more or less sure that at least two months are left before the first frost. To divide the bush in the fall, you must definitely wait for the "leaf fall". A hibernated plant will not tolerate the procedure so painfully.

In the spring, gooseberry bushes are divided in regions with a temperate climate. Over the summer, they manage to adapt to new living conditions and properly prepare for winter. In this case, you need to catch the kidney swelling. Not quite “woken up” bush reacts to the procedure much less painfully.

General recommendations

The choice of a specific method of propagation of gooseberries depends on many factors - the age of the bush from which the planting material is taken, the presence of young one- or two-year-old shoots on it, the desired number of future seedlings. In any case, the donor plant must be completely healthy, without the slightest sign of damage by pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and harmful insects.

It is advisable to start preparing for breeding last summer. The selected bush should be looked after especially carefully. The procedures absolutely necessary for him are sanitary and formative pruning, regular watering, timely application of the necessary fertilizers, prevention of pests and the development of diseases.

Regardless of the breeding method chosen, the gooseberry bush from which the planting material is obtained must be completely healthy

With a place for planting future seedlings, you also need to decide in advance. Like many other garden crops, gooseberries love warmth and sunlight. Their absence negatively affects the yield and taste of berries. Equally suitable for gooseberries is the open hill (from there in winter almost all the snow blows off, protecting the roots from freezing), and the lowland (in the spring meltwater does not leave for long, and the rest of the time - cold, humid air stagnates). The best option is a flat open area, at some distance from which there is a fence, building, structure, other barrier that protects it from the north from cold winds. Culture is negatively related to increased soil moisture.

For planting gooseberries, choose an open place where the bushes will receive enough heat and sunlight

Pits for planting seedlings are prepared approximately 15-18 days before the proposed procedure. Approximate dimensions are 45-50 cm in depth and 50-60 cm in diameter. When planting several bushes at the same time, the distance between them is determined based on how compact the plants are, or, conversely, powerful, vigorous. On average, 70-80 cm between the bushes and 150-180 cm between the rows is enough. It is better to plant them in a checkerboard pattern so that they do not obscure each other.

A landing pit for the obtained gooseberry seedlings is prepared in advance, necessarily fertilizing the soil

The upper 15-20 cm of the earth extracted from the pit (it is the most fertile) is mixed with fertilizers. Enough 10-15 l of humus or rotted compost, as well as 100-120 g of simple superphosphate and 80-100 g of potassium sulfate. The latter can be replaced by sifted wood ash - about one and a half liters.

Video: general tips and tricks

Reproduction methods and step-by-step instructions with photos

None of the ways to reproduce gooseberries is anything complicated, even for a novice gardener. Nevertheless, each of them has its own nuances, which you need to familiarize yourself with in advance.

Cuttings

Gooseberry cuttings can be green or lignified. The former, as practice shows, take root more quickly, especially when it comes to varieties that are not atypical for the culture "moodiness" (Polonaise, Consul, Co-Operator). But seedlings obtained from lignified cuttings can be transplanted to a permanent place in the fall, and those from green ones may have to be "grown" next summer.

The harvesting time of gooseberry cuttings depends on their type - green or lignified

The best time for harvesting planting material is early morning or late evening in June or early July. The optimal length of the green cuttings is 8-14 cm, 6-8 growth buds are required. The top of the shoot or a completely cut off annual sprig is best rooted. The “donor” bush should not be older than 4-5 years. The lower cut is done at a slight angle, the upper is straight, 7-10 mm above the last kidney.

Green gooseberry cuttings are cut early in the morning or after sunset - at this time the maximum concentration of nutrients and moisture is noted in the tissues

Green cuttings root this way:

1. All leaf plates, with the exception of the two or three upper ones, are cut from the stalk without touching the petiole. Longitudinal incisions are made with a razor blade or scalpel on existing kidneys, another 2-3 of them are made at the base of the handle.
2. The lower part of the cut shoots is immersed for 8-10 hours in a solution of the root stimulant prepared according to the instructions (Heteroauxin, Kornevin, Zircon).
3. Small containers are filled with a mixture of peat crumbs and coarse river sand (in approximately equal proportions), the substrate is well moistened. If there is free space in a greenhouse or greenhouse, you can dig a shallow trench, filling it with the same soil. In this case, between the cuttings leave 5 cm, between the rows - 7-8 cm.
4. Cuttings are planted by deepening by 2-2.5 cm at an angle of about 45º to the soil surface. Those in containers are covered with plastic bags to provide high humidity (85-90%). The air temperature is maintained at the level of 25-27ºС, the substrate - 20-22ºС. The soil is periodically sprayed from the spray gun; it should be moderately moist all the time.
   

   A prerequisite for rooting green gooseberry cuttings is high air humidity and frequent watering

5. Cuttings are covered from direct sunlight by branches or white covering material stretched over them. You can also spray the glass of the greenhouse in this place with a solution of hydrated lime in water.
   

   In the absence of space in the greenhouse, the appropriate microclimate for green gooseberry cuttings can be created at home

6. Under optimal conditions, cuttings should give roots in 10-12 days. After that, they need to be fed by spraying with a solution of complex fertilizer with a nitrogen content (Nitrofoska, Diammofoska, Azofoska) - 15-20 g per 10 liters of water. Top dressing continues throughout the season; in autumn, seedlings are transferred to a permanent place. If your roots seem underdeveloped, you can postpone this procedure until next spring.

Most of the planted green cuttings during the summer manages to grow strong enough to survive the landing in the ground

By lignified cuttings, most varieties of gooseberry of domestic selection do not breed very willingly. But this method is very suitable for foreign, primarily North American hybrids.

Planting lignified gooseberry cuttings at an angle stimulates the development of the root system and new lateral shoots

Planting material is cut from basal shoots in late September or early October, when the bush loses its foliage. The top of the branch is best rooted. They should not be long - 15-17 cm is enough.

1. The cuttings are dug up in the snow during the winter or, if possible, stored on a glacier. If you have a cellar or basement, you can do differently. Planting material after cutting is placed for 1.5-2 months in boxes with wet sand, completely burying. When a characteristic "influx" appears in the place of the cut (called callus by the nerds), they are removed for storage, covered with moist sawdust or shavings.
2. The following year, in May, they are planted at an angle in a trench filled with loose fertile soil so that one or two buds remain above the surface of the soil. The distance between adjacent cuttings is 10-12 cm.
3. The soil is well moistened when the water is absorbed - it is mulched with sawdust, peat crumb, humus (a layer of such a thickness that the cuttings are not visible) or they tighten the bed with a black plastic film.
4. When the cuttings take root, the shelter is removed. Care for them during the summer is watering, loosening the soil, weeding the beds. Every 15-20 days they are watered with diluted water in a proportion of 1:10 with an infusion of fresh cow manure or nettle greens, dandelions. In the fall, the resulting seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.

To judge whether lignified gooseberry cuttings have taken root, one can judge by the appearance of new leaves

In regions with a warm climate, cuttings can be immediately "planted" in the ground. They are connected by a beam, turned upside down and buried in the dug hole by about 40-50 cm. Due to this planting, the development of growth buds is inhibited, and new roots are stimulated, on the contrary, the soil warms up faster from above. The hole with the cuttings is covered with peat or humus (a layer 10-15 cm thick), covered with a dense film. In spring, they are planted in the garden in the same way as lignified cuttings.

In addition to the "traditional" method of planting lignified gooseberry cuttings (photo below), there is another option (photo above), but it is suitable only for regions with relatively warm winters

There are so-called combined cuttings. This is the part of the branch cut off at the place where the green shoot (at least 5 cm long) passes into the wood with the mandatory preservation of a piece of lignified shoot, usually referred to as the “heel”. Such planting material is suitable for the propagation of most varieties of gooseberries, these cuttings do not need to be kept in the greenhouse. Its length, as well as the quality of the substrate and the humidity of the air, do not really matter. They give roots quite quickly in ordinary water, even faster - in a weak (2-3 ml per liter of water) solution of the biostimulant.

Combined cuttings suitable for propagation of any varieties and hybrids of gooseberries, regardless of their origin

Video: propagation by cuttings

Propagation by layering

Propagation of gooseberries by layering is the most popular way among amateur gardeners. In this case, the plant is not subjected to severe stress, as when grafting or dividing the bush. Already formed seedlings with their own developed root system are separated from the bush. Layers can be horizontal, vertical and arcuate.

In autumn, seedlings obtained from gooseberry cuttings are carefully removed from the ground and evaluated; they have a somewhat developed root system

Reproduction by horizontal layering is best suited for young bushes, aged 3-4 years. From each of them for the season you can get 4-7 viable seedlings. The mother bush continues to bear fruit.

1. Choose 3-5 healthy annual shoots. In the spring, when the soil is warm enough, dig trenches 5-7 cm deep, fill it with a mixture of humus and peat crumbs, and lay branches in them so that along the entire length, including the base, they are in contact with the substrate. To do this, shoots in several places are fixed with pieces of bent wire or ordinary hairpins. Pinch the tops, cutting 3-4 cm.
2. Top shoots are not covered with soil, the substrate in the trench is constantly maintained in a moist state. They are covered with fertile soil only when vertical shoots 4-5 cm high appear.
3. When the seedlings grow to 12-15 cm, they are spudded, completely covered with earth. Further care consists in regular watering, fertilizing with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and weeding. If they stretch too much, in the middle of summer, pinch the top of the shoot on 1-2 leaves to stimulate branching. In extreme heat, it is advisable to protect young plants from direct sunlight by covering them with branches, falling asleep with hay or straw.
4. In early autumn, the resulting seedlings are removed from the ground and inspect the root system. Those in which it is sufficiently developed can be immediately transferred to a permanent place. The rest grow next summer, digging for the winter.

When propagated by horizontal layers, the bush from which the planting material is obtained continues to bear fruit

Reproduction by arcuate layering is carried out according to the same scheme. The only difference is that the branch is fixed near the ground at one point, approximately in the middle, and this place is immediately sprinkled with earth, well watered. The top and base of the shoot remain on the surface, the first pinch at a distance of 10-15 cm from the place of fixation of the branch.

The methods for propagating gooseberries with arcuate and horizontal layers differ little from each other, the choice depends on how many and what seedlings you want to get

In the fall, a viable seedling is guaranteed to be obtained from an arcuate layering. The branch connecting it to the mother plant is cut, a young bush is dug up and transferred to a permanent place. Compared to propagation by horizontal layering of seedlings, less is obtained, but they are more viable, adapt more quickly to new living conditions and begin to bear fruit. As a rule, the first crop is harvested already two years after transplanting.

Old gooseberry bushes older than 6-8 years old are propagated by vertical layering, the productive period of which is already coming to an end. In this and next year, crops can not be expected from them.

1. At the beginning of spring, before leaf buds "wake up", all shoots older than 2-3 years are cut to the point of growth. The remaining are shortened by two-thirds. This procedure stimulates the intensive formation of new branches.
2. When the young shoots reach a length of 12-15 cm, the bush is spudded around the perimeter, filling new shoots with soil about halfway. All voids between them must be filled.
3. During the summer, the earthen hill is renewed 3-4 times more during shedding, gradually increasing its height to 18-20 cm. Abundant watering is required before each hilling. In the second decade of July, pinch the tops of annual shoots so that they branch more intensively.
4. During the season, future layings are fed 2-3 times, pouring with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer for berry bushes. Regular watering is also required.
5. In the autumn, they shovel the earth from the bush. Rooted layers are separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place.

Compared to other methods, reproducing gooseberries with vertical layers is a rather time-consuming method

There is another way of propagation by layering, most suitable for those who grow gooseberry seedlings for sale. From one bush you can get up to 30 new plants.

1. In the spring, at the bush that will be the "donor", all shoots are cut, leaving "stumps" 10-12 cm high. Since this stimulates intensive branching, many annual shoots appear during the season. Some of the weakest can be cut to the point of growth, the rest are left until next spring.
2. In mid-April, all the shoots, except for three or four, located closest to the center of the bush, are bent and laid out in previously dug grooves 8-10 cm deep, filled with fertile soil or humus. The resulting "design" resembles the sun with rays, as children draw it.
3. Bent branches are fixed in a horizontal position, sprinkled with soil, watered with warm water as it dries.
4. By the beginning of summer, almost every growth bud on dug shoots should give offspring. When they grow to 12-15 cm, they are half asleep with light fertile soil to stimulate the development of the root system.
5. In September, all shoots on which layering were formed are separated from the mother bush. All plants with at least small roots are retained.
6. Layers are transplanted into pots of a suitable size. They winter in the basement or in the cellar, with a small positive temperature and humidity of 65-75%.
7. In the spring they are transplanted into the greenhouse. The distance between the bushes is about 30 cm, between the rows - 0.5 m. The root neck is necessarily buried 3-4 cm more than before. By autumn, grown layering is ready to land at a permanent place.

The latter method allows you to get up to 30 new seedlings from one gooseberry bush

Video: growing new gooseberry bushes from layering

Bush division

Division of the bush is the most suitable way when you need to propagate a rare or scarce gooseberry variety. As a rule, in the places of shoot growth, its bushes form additional roots. A year before the proposed procedure, all branches older than five years are cut to the point of growth.

It is undesirable to divide gooseberry bush into too many parts, usually 3-4 new ones are obtained from one plant

1. Gooseberry bushes are dug out of the ground and spread their roots, separating the young shoots from the old "hemp". With a sharpened, sanitized knife, the roots are cut, trying to minimize the number of injuries.
2. Slices made to prevent the development of rot and other diseases are powdered with crushed chalk, sifted wood ash, colloidal sulfur, cinnamon. Each part must have a developed root system and at least three shoots.
3. The roots are lubricated with a mixture of powder clay and a solution of any biostimulant. The correct mass in consistency resembles thick sour cream.
4. Thus obtained seedlings are planted in previously prepared planting pits and watered abundantly (15-20 liters of water). The soil is mulched, the available shoots are shortened by a third of the length. If the division is carried out in autumn, preparation for winter should be especially careful.

Related videos

Other ways

In addition to those described, there are other ways of reproducing gooseberries, but for one objective or another objective reasons they are not very popular with amateur gardeners.

Seed cultivation

The method is mainly used by professional breeders when breeding new varieties, but no one forbids the amateur gardener to try to do this. The result is completely unpredictable - the bushes thus obtained extremely rarely inherit the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.

Gooseberry seeds are propagated mainly by professional breeders; this is a rather complicated procedure that takes a lot of time.

1. To obtain seeds, select several large ripe berries. The pulp is separated from the skin and dried for several days in direct sunlight.
2. Planting material is placed in small flat containers filled with wet sand, deepened by 2-3 cm. For the winter, they are stored in a cellar or basement or buried in the area to a depth of 40-50 cm, sprinkled with peat crumb from above (layer thickness 15-20 cm).
3. In early April, seeds are sown in a greenhouse or greenhouse, covered with humus or peat. Layer thickness - 2-3 cm.
4. Seedlings with two or three real leaves are transferred to the beds in the open air. During the summer, plantings are regularly watered, weeded, and the soil is very carefully loosened.
5. In early autumn, seedlings (they must reach a height of 15-20 cm) are transplanted to a permanent place in pre-prepared pits.

Propagation by perennial branches

Planting material is obtained during anti-aging pruning, saving the bush from all shoots older than 5-6 years.

There will definitely not be a shortage of planting material during the reproduction of gooseberries with perennial branches - it is formed in abundance after the next pruning

1. The cut branches are horizontally laid in shallow (5-6 cm) grooves, leaving the top (last season growth) on the surface, and covered with light fertile soil.
2. Pinch the top, removing the upper 2-3 kidneys. The soil is constantly kept moist. During the season, the shoot that has appeared is watered 2-3 times with a solution of Nitrofoski or Azofoski (5-7 g / l) to stimulate the growth of green mass.
3. In autumn, seedlings that have reached a height of 15-18 cm are transplanted to a permanent place. Less developed next summer grow in a greenhouse or in the garden.

Graft

The method is quite complicated, therefore it is practiced only by experienced gardeners. Vaccination is carried out only on a bush of a gooseberry of a different variety; in other cultures, the graft takes root poorly.

Gooseberries are vaccinated in different ways, almost always on bushes of a different variety, although some craftsmen can achieve the desired result when vaccinated on currants and yoshta

1. The shoots selected as a scion are cleaned of leaves and thorns and cut so that a piece remains 5-7 cm long with three to four growth buds. The bottom cut is done at an angle of about 60º.
2. An incision in the shape of the letter T with a depth of 1-1.5 mm is made in the bark of the shoot-stock by a scalpel or razor.
3. The junction of the stock and scion is disinfected with a 2% solution of copper sulphate or Bordeaux liquid, it is smeared in garden varieties in several layers. After 1-2 months, the process should take root and begin to form new leaves.

The term of the productive life of the berry shrub is 8-10 years. Even competent anti-aging pruning is not able to extend it. Therefore, you need to take care of an equivalent replacement in a timely manner. Any of the described methods for propagating gooseberries is suitable for this. Most of them are vegetative, and the plants obtained in this way completely retain the varietal characteristics of the donor bush.