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Many gardeners who grow gooseberries know that in order to get a good harvest with large fragrant and sweet berries it is necessary to properly apply gooseberry fertilizers.
Gooseberry is not a very whimsical shrub, but still requires proper care and timely fertilization. If you give him everything you need, he is able to bear fruit for several decades, giving 8-10 kg of berries from one bush.
It is necessary to start feeding gooseberries in the first year after planting. This contributes to the formation of strong branched bushes with a significant number of young basal shoots. A good yield of the plant reaches 5-7 year.
Tips for gooseberry fertilizer
To obtain high yields, you need to fertilize the soil well, because depending on the increase in the number of berries, the need for essential nutrients also increases. Gooseberry roots go deeper into the ground by about 1.5 meters, but most of them are at a depth of no more than 35 cm. The best soil for the shrub is light, loose soil( preferably sandy).Therefore, it is very important to give the soil looseness.
The soil is distinguished by early spring in particular depletion and nutrient deficiencies( especially nitrogen).During this period, the plant is particularly active: buds and flowers start to bloom, so you need to worry about fertilizing the soil. How to fertilize gooseberries in the spring? Particularly relevant in this period will be nitrogen fertilizers.
In the last month of spring and summer, the gooseberry also needs to be fed, which helps in pouring berries and laying new fruit buds. If the leaves and ovaries on the bush fall very early, this indicates a lack of nutrients. Most experts recommend fertilizer that contain chlorine. This type of fertilizer is introduced in the fall. Nitrogen fertilizer( nitrate form of nitrogen) is applied in early spring.
Summer residents recommend three main ways to improve the soil for gooseberry planting:
- Periodic fertilization into the planned soil for two or three years.
- One-time soil fertilizer, produced by ring circles.
- Annual feeding, in which the depth of soil treatment around the bush gradually decreases.
How to fertilize gooseberries?
Many novice gardeners are interested in the question of how to fertilize gooseberries. During the first year after planting, starting in the period of flowering and fruiting, saltpeter will be a very useful fertilizer. About 250 g of this nutrient must be prepared per bush, dividing it into three doses. The first time the bush feeds, if the length of the shoots reached 5-6 cm. The next two dressings are carried out with an equal interval of 2-3 weeks.
If we speak about a 2-3-year-old plant, the amount of saltpeter increases to 300 g per shrub( 2-3 handfuls).Half of the fertilizer is applied in early spring, and half in May.
If phosphorus and potash fertilizers were not applied during the planting of the gooseberry, it is during this period that they need to be fertilized( 100 g of potassium salt and superphosphate per bush).Fertilizers should be evenly scattered around the bush no closer than 0.5 meters and no more than a meter from the base.
From the fourth year of life of the bush, nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers should be made annually.
Nitrogen fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate( 60 g per shrub) or urea( 40-45 g per shrub) are widely used to feed gooseberries. If we talk about phosphate fertilizers, then gooseberry is best suited double superphosphate( 50-60 grams per bush).But it should be remembered that if the soil is acidic, then instead of superphosphate it is necessary to use super-mash or thermophosphate.
Potassium fertilizers for gooseberries are represented by potassium sulfate( 50-80 grams per bush) and wood ash( 300-400 grams per bush).You can also use high-grade potassium salts( 100 g per bush).
If the gooseberry gives very high yields and grows poorly, then it is necessary to additionally add saltpeter after harvesting the berries( 200 kg per 1 ha).
Organic fertilizers have a positive effect on the growth and fruiting of the gooseberry. Since most of the roots are not deep, it would be appropriate to apply humus. Therefore, to obtain a good harvest of gooseberries, you need to make a stock of manure. In small household plots, compost can also be used instead of manure.
Manure should be applied once every two years. For one hectare you need 200 centners. On this basis, 10-15 kg is enough for one bush. It must be evenly distributed over the entire area with gooseberries, you can dig, or you can leave on the surface and use as mulch. Manure in the form of fertilizer is introduced into the soil in the fall. If there is no dung, then even potato tops may be a good fit. You can disperse phosphate and potash fertilizers before applying manure.
On heavily depleted soils, the gooseberry can be fed with liquid organic fertilizers. This procedure should be carried out 2 times, the first - after flowering, the second - after picking berries. Such fertilizers are diluted with water in the following proportions before application to the soil:
- Slurry - 1/7,
- Mullein - 1/5,
- Bird droppings - 1/12.
For each gooseberry bush such a solution, you must use 10 liters. It is introduced into the previously excavated grooves on two sides of the bush.
If you follow all the recommendations on the use of fertilizers for feeding gooseberries, the plant will be less susceptible to diseases and pests, as well as please with good and high-quality crops for many years.
