STEP BY STEP Prune gooseberries

Prune gooseberry bushes now, while still dormant, to prepare them to fruit well and keep the plants in good shape. Start by cutting out any damaged or diseased branches, so that you are doing the finer work only on healthy wood.

Aim to create an open-centred, upright shape, removing low branches that are liable to droop down onto the ground when laden with fruit. Be sure to wear thick gloves, as gooseberries can be extremely prickly.

PRUNE all sideshoots back to short spurs with one or two buds left. Cut out the very weakest shoots that won’t support fruit.

SHORTEN the main stems by about a quarter. Cut just above an outward-facing bud, to maintain an open-centred shape.

REMOVE very low branches entirely because they’ll droop to the ground once they’re carrying berries, which are then likely to rot.