ok wg - young gooseberry bush pruning....
prune in autumn or winter but not after feb usually.
the basics: fruit comes on new wood and from spurs of old wood - pruning is essential to keep the centre of bush open to light and air. some varieties are spreading types (and branches tend to droop) others varieties are more upright there are slight differences to how to prune them.
you should prune upright bushes to an outward pointing bud and spreading varieties to an upward or inward bud.
hope you are still with me :?:
for one year old gooseberries you should choose the best shoots (only keep 3 or 4 shoots) and prune them above a bud to approx 1/4 of the length - cut the remaining shoots flush with the stem.
for two year old bushes you should keep approx 6 or 7 of the strongest shoots and prune the strong new growth by about half. weaker shoots could be cut by 2/3 the remaining shoots can be cut down to a single bud from the base.
this way you are encouraging good, strong growth for the next season.
don't be tempted to keep more shoots as you will suffer from poor subsequent growth.
for older more established bushes we are into branch leaders and spurs - gets a little more technical :roll:
branch leaders can be cut back by half of their new growth.you want to create good spur formation so cut back strong side shoots to a couple of inches of the new growth.weak shoots can be taken out flush with the branch.
if branches are droopy or on the ground cut them back to a good new shoot and cut this back by about half to promote good growth.
keep your old bushes clear in the centre you want the air and light to get in - and it makes picking less prickly too
summer pruning can also be done on established bushes - by cutting side shoots back. you can also train gooseberries as cordons - maybe we can have that lesson next week - if anyone is interested.
the basic principles always apply to pruning - know your laterals,shoots and spurs. cut above a bud or leaf joint and don't go mad but don't be scared either.