Gooseberries - shrubs are hardy and resistant even to the most adverse weather conditions. But it also happens that he ceases to bring crops. Why gooseberries do not bear fruit - this question worries many gardeners, especially those who first encountered a similar problem.
The main reasons why gooseberries do not bear fruit
There are many reasons why the fruiting of this shrub can worsen. Some are associated with objective factors, others are the result of violations in agricultural technology. However, each should be given attention.
Gooseberry fruiting
Shrub age
It is believed that gooseberries can develop normally up to 15-20 years. But this applies only to those plants that are properly looked after and trimmed in time. The fact is that gooseberries, regardless of variety, quite actively let out new young shoots. If you do not cut them in time, forming a bush, then the plant is greatly thickened. Shoots lack nutrients. The branches that are closer to the center of the bush lack sunlight and air. As a result, there are practically no berries on the gooseberry, except that a small number of fruits appear closer to the apex. And this despite the fact that the plant seems to be watered according to the rules and fertilized.
Important! Anti-aging pruning should be done regularly. With it, old, diseased or damaged branches are removed, young shoots are greatly shortened, being careful not to damage the kidney.
Other cropping rules will be discussed below. But in any case, it is very important that branches of different ages grow on one bush.
Poor planting material
One of the reasons why there are no berries on the gooseberry is the initially poor-quality planting material. Even if all the rules of agricultural technology are respected, there is no hope for a large crop. Sometimes, of course, the plant develops, only very slowly. It may even bloom, but the berries will be too few or they will be very small.
That is why it is recommended that maximum attention be paid to the choice of planting material. It is better to purchase it in nurseries and farms that specialize in breeding this crop. Buying seedlings from private traders on the market is always a risk that the plant will not bloom or bear fruit.
In any case, when choosing seedlings, you need to check their root system. It is important that the roots are healthy, that is, strong enough, without dark spots and traces of damage. Their color should be uniform tan. Healthy roots are always slightly fluffy. Their length should be at least 14 cm.
Important! It is necessary to check the condition of the shoots that extend from the roots. There should be at least three, strong enough, and they also should not have any formations.
Landing violation
Bushes are planted so that the distance between them is 1.2 m, and if the variety is sprawling, then 1.5 m, otherwise the plants will not have enough light and air to bloom and bear fruit.
Gooseberry flowering
Violation of the rules of care
Most varieties of gooseberries do not need abundant watering. Stagnation of water at the roots of the plant only leads to the development of fungal diseases. Gooseberries also need to be fed correctly, just a couple of times a year, no more, and even before the berries ripen, so that they do not have nitrates.
Trimming Violation
Trimming is done regularly. This is best done in the spring, as soon as it has become warmer enough to work in the garden, since the bush blooms early, and you need to cope with this work before the flowers appear. In the summer after fruiting, a small pruning is carried out, mainly of a preventive nature. If the spring one was missed for some reason, then the next formative procedure is already in the autumn.
Gooseberry pruning
Bush thickening
This happens when trimming is neglected. The only result of such a violation is the appearance of weaker branches covered with thorns. They take resources from fruiting branches and complicate the processing of shrubs.
Bad weather during flowering
Often the answer to the question why gooseberries do not bloom and why it does not produce fruit depends on weather conditions. If the weather is rainy, then, accordingly, the yield will be less.
Lack of pollinators
Poor gooseberry crops may be due to pollination problems. It would seem that if the plant is a self-fertile crop, no difficulties should arise. But there are varieties in which the fruits are tied only if pollination by other varieties of gooseberries has occurred. Therefore, so that there are no questions about why gooseberries do not bloom, it is worth planting bushes of different varieties on the site from the very beginning, so that such pollination occurs constantly.
Important! Dry winds also affect gooseberry pollination. With strong winds, drought pollen can fall on the stigma of the pestle. But it is dry, and the wind is strong, and the pollen does not have enough time to gain a foothold to germinate and start the formation of the ovary, so that the flowers simply fall off. To avoid this, in open areas that are difficult to resist the wind, you need to put protective fences.
Northern varieties of plants can feel better even with strong winds. But such varieties as Mashenka, Record, Chernomor, poorly tolerate dry winds. They need not only building envelopes, but regular spraying.
It happens that the owner of the site managed to plant various varieties, but there are still no berries. In this case, it should be clarified whether all the varieties here are self-fertile. Perhaps someone still needs help for pollination.
The variety is incorrectly selected for the climatic conditions of the region
Many gardeners underestimate the influence of varieties on shrub productivity. In fact, each variety, including hybrids, is bred under specific conditions. And if she does not feel well in a warmer or more severe climate, this immediately affects the bearing, and nothing can be done. Therefore, you need to choose a suitable variety from the very beginning.
Pests and diseases
Another reason gooseberries do not bear fruit is diseases or pests. In principle, most plant varieties are resistant to disease. But if the bush is very thickened, or water stagnates at the roots, the risk of fungal diseases increases. The threat is powdery mildew, which is manifested by a white coating.
Important! Damaged branches must be removed without fail, otherwise the whole plant will die.
Another common problem is anthracnose. This is a disease in which the leaves become covered with brown-brown spots, and the process of photosynthesis stops. Because of this, flowering does not occur, the leaves fall prematurely, and there will be no harvest either. Sometimes brown spots brighten, but this does not mean that the plant has recovered. So white spotting is manifested, which can also lead to the fact that the bush will die. To save the remaining branches will help the removal of damaged shoots, disinfection of the earth around the bush and proper feeding.
Gooseberry dressing
If pests, for example, aphids, appear on the shrub, then the plant must be treated with a fungicide.
What to do and how to make gooseberries bear fruit
Let's say why gooseberries do not bear fruit, figured out what to do - this is a new question. The only answer to it is to comply with all the rules of agricultural technology.
- Initially, carefully choose seedlings of regionalized varieties that are adapted to local conditions. Be sure to choose the timing of flowering and fruiting when choosing to adapt the care program.
- Even if the wrong place was chosen for the bush from the very beginning, it should be transplanted. Sometimes transplantation and subsequent top dressing in a year allow you to get a solid crop. Only such work should be carried out with protective gloves, because the spikes can seriously injure your hands.
- This is an unpretentious plant, but you still need to water it in a timely manner, loosen the earth near it, mulch the soil, achieving increased resistance to diseases and pests.
- It should be in the year when the main variety will be planted, to plant several more gooseberry varieties suitable for flowering for cross-pollination.
- If, during the period when the gooseberry blossoms, there is a high risk of return frosts, you can fight low temperatures by smoke.
- In drought, gooseberries are protected from the wind.
- Even the most resistant varieties for preventive purposes are recommended to be treated with insecticides and fungicides. It is best to do this in early spring, until the ovary appears so that the berries do not contain chemicals later. In autumn, the soil around the bush needs to be dug up, and plant debris removed, since next year they will almost certainly become sources of infection.
Important! If it is not possible to save the bush, it is better to completely uproot it and destroy it so that the infection does not spread to other plants.
But in principle, with timely care of the garden, such measures will not be needed. Regular pruning and shrub sanitation is a guarantee of its longevity and good productivity.
