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Shrub · Grossulariaceae family

Gooseberry

Ribes uva-crispa

Full sun to part shade in a garden 1–1.5 m × 1–1.5 m Flowers April Harvest June–August to −34 °C
Flower colours Click a colour

In short a 10-second read

SunFull sun to part shade
in a garden after 10 years1–1.5 m
in the wild up to 1.5 m
spacing 1.2 m
FlowersApril
PlantingMarch, October–November
PruningJune–July
WinterNo winter protection

Where to plant and how much to water

Sun, soil and water.

It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average soil.

Sun

Sun6 hours or more
Part shade3–6 hours
Shadeunder 3 h

Soil

tolerates any pH
acidicneutralalkaline
averagehumus-richloamysandy

Watering

Gooseberry — Watering
only in dry spellsless when it rains

Frost

−34 °C
no winter protectionleafless in winter

How much space it takes

Mature size.

The mature plant next to a person (175 cm).

50 cm1 m1.5 m0.9–1.5 mspread 0.9–1.8 m
0.9–1.5 m× spread 0.9–1.8 m

Plant 1.2 m apart.

Reaches maturity in about 2–5 years. The final size depends on the cultivar and the spot — we give the range from smallest to largest.

Calendar

Through the year.

Months for Central Europe. The line shows the current month.

The year at a glance

Flowers: JanuaryFlowers: FebruaryFlowers: MarchFlowers: AprilFlowers: MayFlowers: JuneFlowers: JulyFlowers: AugustFlowers: SeptemberFlowers: OctoberFlowers: NovemberFlowers: DecemberPlanting: JanuaryPlanting: FebruaryPlanting: MarchPlanting: AprilPlanting: MayPlanting: JunePlanting: JulyPlanting: AugustPlanting: SeptemberPlanting: OctoberPlanting: NovemberPlanting: DecemberFeeding: JanuaryFeeding: FebruaryFeeding: MarchFeeding: AprilFeeding: MayFeeding: JuneFeeding: JulyFeeding: AugustFeeding: SeptemberFeeding: OctoberFeeding: NovemberFeeding: DecemberPruning: JanuaryPruning: FebruaryPruning: MarchPruning: AprilPruning: MayPruning: JunePruning: JulyPruning: AugustPruning: SeptemberPruning: OctoberPruning: NovemberPruning: DecemberHarvest: JanuaryHarvest: FebruaryHarvest: MarchHarvest: AprilHarvest: MayHarvest: JuneHarvest: JulyHarvest: AugustHarvest: SeptemberHarvest: OctoberHarvest: NovemberHarvest: DecemberJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FlowersPlantingFeedingPruningHarvest
Now, in October: a good time for planting (container plant).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Flowers

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

April · green

Planting

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

container plant: March, October–November

Feeding

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

May–June

Pruning

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

cut back partly (June–July)

Harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

June–August

What to plant now (October) full list in October (244) →

Feeding

Nutrition.

Gooseberry — Feeding
Horn meal

up to 40 g/m² a year, if the soil needs it · May–June

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Pruning

When and how to prune.

Months apply to Central Europe.

Gooseberry — Cut back partly

Cut back partly

JunJul
How to prunePrune moderately: dead, diseased and damaged wood, some of the oldest stems near the base, shoots growing in the wrong direction.

Pests and diseases

Common problems and what to do.

The most common problems in Central Europe. Protection is listed from the gentlest option.

High riskMedium riskLow riskRisk for this plant according to the source · no label = no documented level
American gooseberry mildew

American gooseberry mildew

Podosphaera mors-uvae
High riskdisease

What you will see

Powdery white patches on leaves from early summer; fruit darkens.

The source says: it is the most serious disease of gooseberries.

When to look

Early to late summer

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • open pruning, do not plant in frost hollows
    • do not over-feed with nitrogen
    • resistant varieties 'Greenfinch', 'Invicta'
  2. By hand wintercut out affected shoots
  3. Chemical — only when nothing else helps as per the labelOnly if the damage is severe: a product authorised in your country against: American gooseberry mildew.
American gooseberry mildewdisease · early to late summerHigh risk

What you will see

Powdery white patches on leaves from early summer; fruit darkens.

The source says: it is the most serious disease of gooseberries.

When to look

Early to late summer

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • open pruning, do not plant in frost hollows
    • do not over-feed with nitrogen
    • resistant varieties 'Greenfinch', 'Invicta'
  2. By hand wintercut out affected shoots
  3. Chemical — only when nothing else helps as per the labelOnly if the damage is severe: a product authorised in your country against: American gooseberry mildew.

What you will see

Larvae eat the leaves of currants and gooseberries in spring and summer; shrubs survive even complete defoliation.

The source says: the foliage of gooseberries and currants is often stripped by sawflies.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–September

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • thin out the shrubs
  2. By hand when presentpick off larvae
  3. Chemical — only when nothing else helps as per the labelOnly if the damage is severe: a product authorised in your country against: currant sawflies.
Gooseberry sawflypest · April–SeptemberMedium risk

What you will see

Larvae eat the leaves of currants and gooseberries in spring and summer; shrubs survive even complete defoliation.

The source says: the foliage of gooseberries and currants is often stripped by sawflies.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–September

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • thin out the shrubs
  2. By hand when presentpick off larvae
  3. Chemical — only when nothing else helps as per the labelOnly if the damage is severe: a product authorised in your country against: currant sawflies.
More about this problem
Currant leaf spot

Currant leaf spot

diseasesource covers the whole genus
More about this problem

What you will see

Leaf spots in summer.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • rake up the leaves
  2. By hand autumncheck regularly and rake up and dispose of fallen leaves in autumn
Currant leaf spotdisease

What you will see

Leaf spots in summer.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • rake up the leaves
  2. By hand autumncheck regularly and rake up and dispose of fallen leaves in autumn
More about this problem

What you will see

Torn, tattered, distorted leaves, flower bud drop.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
May–August

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • check regularly
    • often tolerate the damage, plants recover
    • remove dead vegetation and unneeded host weeds at the end of winter
  2. By hand May to Augusttolerate the damage
  3. Biological all seasonencourage birds and ground beetles
Capsid bugspest · May–August

What you will see

Torn, tattered, distorted leaves, flower bud drop.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
May–August

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • check regularly
    • often tolerate the damage, plants recover
    • remove dead vegetation and unneeded host weeds at the end of winter
  2. By hand May to Augusttolerate the damage
  3. Biological all seasonencourage birds and ground beetles
More about this problem
Sources (4)

Frequently asked

Quick answers.

When does gooseberry flower?

In April; the flowers are green.

When is gooseberry harvested?

In June–August.

Does gooseberry tolerate shade?

It tolerates part shade (3–6 hours of sun), but not full shade.

How much space does gooseberry need?

At maturity 0.9–1.8 m wide and 0.9–1.5 m tall; recommended spacing 1.2 m.

American gooseberry mildew — what can you do?

open pruning, do not plant in frost hollows cut out affected shoots

Gooseberry sawfly — what can you do?

thin out the shrubs pick off larvae

Sources (15) Checked 24 October 2026

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