Why gooseberries do not bear fruit: causes and what to do for treatment

Table Of Contents

Why don't gooseberries bear fruit?
What to do if the gooseberry does not bear fruit?
How to avoid problems?

One of the most popular berry crops - gooseberries, is relatively unpretentious to growing conditions and care. It is valued for its unsurpassed taste and aroma of fruits, high productivity. But there are situations when there are no berries on it. To understand why the gooseberry stopped bearing fruit, one should consider in more detail all the possible prerequisites for such consequences and take timely measures.

Why don't gooseberries bear fruit?

Such a plant as gooseberry stands out with a sufficient level of vitality and endurance to adverse environmental factors.Stably it produces a crop for 15-20 years. But if you do not follow the rules of agricultural technology and do not take into account his preferences for external conditions, then it is unlikely that you will be able to harvest a rich harvest.

Incorrect location and landing pattern

The first thing to remember when choosing a place for planting gooseberries is its light-loving nature. It is recommended to plant shrubs only in clearings that are well lit and protected from through winds. If the plant is planted in the shade of trees, then the fruits will be formed in smaller quantities and smaller sizes. In addition, they lose their taste characteristics.

When planting gooseberries in areas with excessive soil moisture, the risk of freezing in winter increases, and all growth processes are suspended. Such negative phenomena are observed due to a lack of oxygen, as a result of which the gooseberry root system begins to rot. After that, the disease is transmitted to the stems, which in turn causes the absence of fruits.

You can prevent the development of putrefactive processes on gooseberry roots by controlling the looseness of the soil and laying a drainage layer when planting in a hole.

Too close location of gooseberry bushes often causes poor fruiting. Plants do not receive enough heat, light, or nutrition in the right amount, which reduces the ability to form fruits. The optimal distance between gooseberry bushes is 1-1.5 meters.

Pruning the bush and extra shoots

Incorrect or grossly blundered pruning results in excessive thickening. Shaded young shoots grow and develop poorly. Branches whose age is over 5 years old are subject to removal, they are almost incompetent.

It is recommended to perform such manipulations in early spring, before the buds open, or after the leaves fall - in the fall.In the first 4-5 years, pruning is performed in order to form a plant, free it from excess shoots, old branches. For high-quality fruiting, gooseberries should have 20-25 powerful shoots of different ages.

Lack or overfeeding

You should not add nutrient compounds to the soil in the first 3 years after planting gooseberry seedlings in a permanent place. This is due to a sufficient amount of fertilizer in the preparation of the planting pit. In the future, feeding procedures are performed 4 times per season:

until the buds swell;
before the flowering phase begins;
during fruit formation;
on completion of the harvest.

In case of violation of this feeding regimen, gooseberries are significantly reduced in size, and then completely absent. Overzealous nutrition is also detrimental to the plant, iron deficiency affects the yellowing of the leaves, the fall of flowers and fruits.And with a lack of phosphorus, the ovaries are reset.

Possible diseases and pests

Most of the gooseberry varieties are characterized by increased immunity to common ailments and harmful insects. But still, to protect plants, it is recommended to carry out treatment with chemicals for the purpose of prevention. Bushes are vulnerable to powdery mildew, rot, anthracnose. Among the harmful insects, the greatest danger to the berry crop is: aphids, bud mites, vitreous, sawfly, moth.

Combat diseases and parasites effectively by spraying with a solution of copper sulfate. Processing is carried out in early spring or late autumn. You should not carry out such procedures when the kidneys begin to swell. From insecticidal agents Arrivo, Decis, Mospilan work well.

External causes

The most common reason why gooseberries do not bear fruit is the impact of severe frosts in the flowering phase of shrubs.It is negative temperatures that destroy most of the flowers and significantly reduce the productivity of berry crops. Dry winds also negatively affect gooseberry plantings, hot winds dry pollen, and turn leaf plates into dust.

Pollination

There is an assortment of gooseberry varieties that do not require additional pollination - cross-pollination. But if 3-5 varieties of this crop are planted near each other, then it is possible to increase yields even in self-fertile bushes. In non-self-pollinating plants, in bad weather conditions (rain, snow, wind, cold snap), due to the absence of bees, flowers may remain unpollinated.

What to do if the gooseberry does not bear fruit?

To achieve the desired results, you must not neglect the main rules of quality care. Particular attention should be paid to the regular pruning of gooseberries, shortening the shoots at an angle of 45-50 degrees.The main thing here is not to damage the fruit bud, the cut must be done, retreating from it 5-7 centimeters upwards.

If the pruning of the shoots is done too close to the location of the kidney, then it is guaranteed to dry out soon. It is also not worth making a cut very high above it, there is a high probability of drying out of the part of the branch that is formed above the kidney.

In addition, it is recommended not to ignore the feeding procedures. During the season, it will be necessary to add mineral complex compositions several times, and in the fall - rotted organic matter. If there are enough nutrients in the soil, then the culture will grow and develop normally, forming a large number of ovaries.

If the gooseberry does not bear fruit, then it is necessary to correct the irrigation system. So that the bush does not experience a lack of moisture or, on the contrary, does not grow in soil with excessive moisture, it should be watered once a week in dry weather. Water consumption per plant is 7 liters.

How to avoid problems?

In order to prevent the appearance of negative consequences in the form of the absence of fruits on gooseberry bushes, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules of agricultural technology. For planting, you should choose exclusively sunny areas with a close occurrence of groundwater, and avoid wetlands. Plants die in damp soil.

Nutrient mixtures are recommended to be applied in a timely manner and dosed, spending them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Around the bushes, weeds should be regularly removed, which takes food from the soil and moisture. In order to avoid oxygen starvation of the roots, it is effective to loosen the soil after watering. And annually prune bushes.

Gooseberries are resistant to diseases and pests, drought and frost, but proper care will only increase productivity and extend the life of plantings.