Gooseberry pruning question

Hello

Quick question about gooseberries from a newbie.

All the books say that gooseberry bushes should be pruned so as to have a "leg" of six inches or so, from which all lateral branches should come. I planted two bushes last winter and didn't prune them in this way - both have three legs coming straight from the ground.

Should I choose one leg on each and prune to that, therefore essentially losing a third of each bush? I don't mind too much about losing a year's productive growth if this is best in the long run.

Cheers,

Tinks

Pruning gooseberries is as much about encouraging airflow, as preventing being stabbed by the sharp thorns when you try to pick the fruits.
They don't fruit on new seasons growth, so best not to prune too hard.

Most of the bushes that are for sale have been pruned when small with a 6 inch stem. The alternative is to leave them to grow naturally with several stems from soil level. This is usually the case if you have been given a cutting or layered plant.