How to plant a bare-root gooseberry

Here's our three-step guide to planting a bare-root gooseberry.

You Will Need

• Garden spade
• Bare-root gooseberry bush
• Bonemeal fertiliser
• Secateurs
• Well-rotted manure or garden compost
• Watering can

Total time: 30 minutes

Step 1

Place the plant into prepared soil to the same depth as it was in the nursery - you should be able to spot a 'tide mark'. Incorporate some bonemeal fertiliser or well-rotted manure into the planting hole.

Step 2

Prune young shoots back to outward facing buds to create a strong, open bush shape on which stubby fruiting spurs can develop.

Step 3

Give your newly planted bush a good soak with water before mulching with well-rotted manure or garden compost.

Plant in a sunny spot

Gooseberries thrive in full sunshine, so plant them in a south or west-facing spot.

Gooseberry varieties to try

'Invicta' - a heavy cropper that's resistant to mildew

'Martlet' - a dessert variety with red berries

'Rokula' - an early ripener, resistant to mildew, with sweet berries