How to grow gooseberries

Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) are delicious and easy-to-grow soft fruit, with a choice of varieties for eating or cooking. They can be grown in the ground, in containers or trained against a wall to save space, making them ideal for small plots.

Gooseberries come in an array of colours and sizes, some sweet enough to eat raw, others great for cooking 

There is a wide choice of gooseberry varieties, with attractive red, green or yellow fruits that ripen from late June to early August, depending on the variety. Dessert varieties are sweet and delicious eaten raw, while culinary varieties are perfect for puddings, pies and jams. Some varieties are dual purpose.

Plant size and vigour can vary slightly depending on the variety, ranging from 1m (3¼ft) up to 1.5m (5ft) tall and wide. Most varieties have prickly stems, although a few are (almost) thornless, which makes pruning and harvesting easier. Some varieties are less susceptible to mildew, and most are happy in sun or light shade.

When choosing varieties, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials. If you visit any of the RHS gardens, you’ll find a wide range of fruit, including gooseberries, grown in various ways. So you can easily compare different varieties and pick up useful growing tips.

Gooseberries are robust and hardy plants that can be grown in a wide range of locations. They cope in most soil conditions, but prefer moist, well-drained ground. They can also be planted in large containers. 

They crop best and produce sweeter fruits in a sunny position, but will tolerate some shade. They can, for example, be grown in the dappled shade under fruit trees or trained against a north-facing wall. Choose a sheltered site, as the stems are brittle and can snap in windy conditions, especially when laden with fruit. Avoid sites prone to late frosts, as these can damage the early flowers and so reduce fruiting. Consider planting in a fruit cage, to protect the buds and fruit from birds.

You can plant bare-root gooseberries from late autumn to early spring, and container-grown plants at any time – although avoid planting when the ground is waterlogged, parched or frozen. Late autumn is ideal, as it gives them plenty of time to settle in before the new growing season starts in spring. 

Take care to position the plant at the same depth it was previously growing – so with containerised plants align the top of the compost level with the soil surface, and with bare-root plants align the soil mark on the stem. Allow the following spacings between plants: bushes and standards 1.2–1.5m (4–5ft) apart, cordons 30–38cm (12–15in) apart, fans: 1–1.5m (3¼–5ft) apart. 

Planting gooseberries is very straightforward – see our step-by-step guide and video below.

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Gooseberry plants generally need little attention, apart from pruning to keep them neat and productive, watering in dry spells and feeding in spring to boost harvests.

To ensure good crops of large fruits and to keep plants healthy and in good shape, prune twice a year, in summer and winter. Gooseberries can be trained into various forms, including bushes, cordons, standards and fans, each needing slightly different pruning. For full details, see our guide below.

Most gooseberry plants are quite prickly, so take care when harvesting

• In June, when the fruits are still green and under-ripe, pick every other fruit and use for making jam, pies, tarts and sauces. The remaining fruits should then grow larger than if you allow them all to ripen

• In July and August, harvest the rest of the fruits once they are ripe, for maximum flavour and sweetness. Pick fully ripened gooseberries carefully as they’re soft and likely to burst.

An established bush should produce 2.5–5.5kg (6–12lb) of fruit per year, and a cordon about 1kg (2lb). 

It’s a good idea to grow gooseberries in a fruit cage if possible, or cover them with netting for short spells, both in winter to prevent bullfinches damaging the buds and in summer to protect the ripening berries from birds. Several insects and fungal diseases can also affect gooseberries (see Common Problems, below), so check plants regularly. Some gooseberry varieties offer resistance to mildew. 

If frost is forecast while plants are flowering, cover with horticultural fleece, old net curtains or similar overnight, then remove during the day to allow pollinating insects to access the flowers.