Bare-root (or field-grown) gooseberries are supplied over winter when plants are dormant. They will grow away well in the spring, and will crop after a couple of years.
Read our guide to growing gooseberries.
Before planting, stand the plants in a bucket of water, leaving them to soak for about 20 minutes. This will reinvigorate the plants and help them to establish successfully.
Here’s our three-step guide to planting a bare-root gooseberry.
You Will Need
Garden spade
Bare-root gooseberry bush
Bonemeal fertiliser
Secateurs
Well-rotted manure or garden compost
Watering can
Total time:
Step 1
Place the plant into prepared soil to the same depth as it was in the nursery – you should be able to spot a ‘tide mark’. Incorporate some bonemeal fertiliser or well-rotted manure into the planting hole.
Step 2
Prune young shoots back to outward facing buds to create a strong, open bush shape on which stubby fruiting spurs can develop.
Step 3
Give your newly planted bush a good soak with water before mulching with well-rotted manure or garden compost.
