Moving My Gooseberry Bushes

April 16, 2019

Spring chores continue around my Bedford, New York farm. If you’re thinking of moving any bushes or shrubs, early spring is a good time - when the plants are still dormant.

Last year, I decided to make a few changes to the beds surrounding my main greenhouse. The areas had long been home to many berry bushes - currants in the front and gooseberries in the back. If you recall, we moved the currants last autumn. And just last week, we transplanted four rows of gooseberries. Gooseberries are small, tart fruits that are delicious eaten raw at the peak of ripeness, or used for making jams, jellies, pies, and other summer desserts. They’re low in calories and packed with essential nutrients. I know they will thrive in their new location and continue to produce many, many flavorful fruits.

Enjoy these photos.

: Right now, the gooseberry bushes are in a bed outside the head house of my main greenhouse. This area provides morning sun, afternoon part-shade, and buoyant air circulation. I decided to move them to another area where they could also have more room, and then create another colorful and vibrant garden in its place.

: Gavin carefully digs around each of the bushes, keeping as much of the root ball as possible.

: When transplanting, try to keep soil pH levels about the same so that the plant doesn’t suffer too much shock.

: My gooseberry bushes are very prolific. This photo was taken last July, when they were overflowing with fruits.

: Well-maintained gooseberry bushes can fruit for more than 15-years.

: These gooseberries are very dependable and vigorous as growers. They all yield copious clusters of berries every summer.

: ‘Pixwell’ gooseberries are medium sized pinkish berries that are great for fresh eating or for making pies and jellies. These medium sized, oval-shaped fruits start off pale and become pink when fully ripe.

: Gooseberries can range from yellow, green, and white to red, purple or nearly black. What is most noticeable in all are the veins in the skin of the fruit. ‘Invicta’ gooseberries are large, sweet, greenish-yellow berries that are delicious for fresh eating, and for making pies and preserves. They are also great for freezing and using later.

: These garden beds behind the greenhouse and near the raspberries are already established, and had been cleared of a few filbert trees and blackberry bushes. Last autumn, we amended the soil, adding a fresh layer of composted manure to what was already there, and then tilled it. The middle bed is perfect for the gooseberries.

: Here is Ryan moving two of the gooseberries over to the new location.

: Once all the plants are moved over, Ryan spaces them equally along the bed. For multiple plants, it is a good idea to space the holes at least four-feet apart.

: These bushes have also been pruned. Gooseberries need pruning so the plant forms evenly spaced branches that allow air and sunlight into the center, but are also nice and strong for fruit production.

: The gooseberries are now ready to be planted, Ryan starts by digging a series of holes along the length of the bed.

: Each hole should be deeper and wider than the root system.

: Ryan and Gavin work in an assembly line process to get the task done quickly and efficiently.

: Ryan sprinkles fertilizer along the bed. We use M-Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.

: When placed in the hole, the top of the root ball should be set two-inches beneath the soil surface. A plant’s roots grow out more easily into loosened, enriched soil.

: Ryan assesses the placement and makes sure it is straight from all angles before backfilling with soil.

: The perfect soil for gooseberries is rich, moist and slightly acidic, but it is tolerant of many soil types.

: The bushes are placed in two rows, keeping in mind the size and growth pattern of each one. A well established plant can produce up to six-pounds of berries per-year.