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Step 1
Select a location for your gooseberry patch. Gooseberries do well in full sun or partial shade, and almost any type of well-drained, moisture-retaining soil. But keep them away from frost pockets because frost may prevent fruit production.
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Step 2
Choose your variety. "Poorman" is the most widely planted in the north, but "Welcome," which is grown in Minnesota, is nearly thornless. Gooseberries are self-fertile, but plant more than one gooseberry plant to increase your harvest. You will need roughly six to nine bushes to create a good gooseberry patch for the average-sized family.
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Step 3
Plant your gooseberry patch. Purchase plants that are 2 to 3 years old and plant them in mid-fall or early spring. Work some compost into the soil and space bushes 5 to 6 feet apart and support them with stakes.
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Step 4
Mulch with well-rotted compost early each spring. This is to add nutrients and prevent the soil from drying out. Pull away the suckers that appear on the bottom stem or roots.
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Step 5
Water your gooseberry patch during dry spells. This is only needed for the summer months during peak growing season.
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Step 6
Pick your gooseberry patch for cooking when they're the size of large peas. Thin out each branch 3 inches apart so the remaining berries will reach a good size for fresh eating or pie-making. A good ripe berry that can be used for eating or pie-making is soft.
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Step 7
Prune in winter. Shorten three or four good shoots by about two-thirds. Cut just above a bud. Aim for an upward-growing bush since drooping bushes can spoil the fruit. Feed in winter as well, and cover with netting because the birds feed on the buds that emerge in late winter early spring.
