Layering

Propagating gooseberries by layering shoots in pots

Gooseberry plants can be propagated easily by layering. I have layered plants successfully from fall until early spring. Shoots layered then will root by July and can be separated from the mother plant then.

Propagating gooseberries by layering shoots in pots

After packing potting media around drain holes, a couple handfuls of soil will hold it in place.

Because field plants are growing in groundcover and not bare ground, I layer into 6” pots (trade gallons) filled with soil. A handful of potting media in the bottom keeps soil from washing through the drain holes when it rains; grass clippings also work.

Next bend the shoot into a U-shape as shown above, leaving the tip end exposed; and fill the pot with soil. Water if the soil is dry.

Typically I cut the layer free of the mother plant by July when our weather turns dry and normal rainfall cannot keep the soil in the pot moist.

I have used one-year and older shoots for layering. New shoots in midsummer are brittle and tend to break when bent into a U-shape.

In our climate I have not had success layering into potting media alone. It dries out between rains too fast to support rooting in the field. Roots will survive in soil even when it appears dry.

Layering this way also facilitates crossing as it is much easier to make crosses inside a greenhouse with potted plants than it is to make crosses in the field.

Propagating gooseberries by layering shoots in pots

4-24-23 A shady location away from the edge of the row where equipment will not disturb the pots is ideal. This is R. missouriensis.

3-11-24 Spring growth on shoots of 10-50b-115 (Captivator x R. cynosbati) layered fall of 2023.

2024: A Comedy of Errors...

One problem arose after another this year, mostly my own fault. By the end of the growing season there were few new seedlings left.

Trouble began in March with the three flats of seedlings from last year’s crosses, which I had recently brought into the greenhouse. The greenhouse is also a convenient retreat for a cat, who sleeps there on occasion when I leave the door from the garage open. Sometimes—rarely—does he get shut there overnight…

But one morning just a few days later I walked in to find both the cat and this:

3-9-24 Flats of potting media make a suitable litter box in a pinch. Under the media in the middle flat is a fresh calling card.

I salvaged what seedlings I could and immediately transplanted them to plug trays. The parentage of half was lost, which hurt, especially for planning future crosses.

Later, not to be outdone by the cat—who, by the way, still lives—I let the trays go dry and lost even more seedlings.

Once in plug trays, seedlings should be moved outdoors as soon as possible for successful transplanting—they survive much better when they are grown on outdoors. This year that move came too late. Because we were planning to add onto our house, I had to relocate my setup for growing and hardening off seedlings, which was in the way of the addition. That delayed moving the seedlings outdoors and in turn delayed transplanting them to the field, by which time the weather had turned hot.

There were ~400 seedlings at this point—enough to plant a double row—but by midsummer most had died . If I had known what would happen, I could have instead transferred the seedlings to larger plug trays, grown them over the summer in the greenhouse, and transplanted them in the fall when the weather was cooler. Although more work, at least there would have been something to show for it next spring.

10-14-24 All that is left of the 2024 seedlings. Seedlings with 13-15b-177 (Abundance x Achilles) as one parent have survived best. (The groundcover was repurposed from another project. Nothing was planted in the middle row of holes—only the two outside rows were used for seedlings.)

Prepping Seed

Collecting seeds from a hand-pollinated gooseberry

Squeezing out the seed from a gooseberry.

7-1-23 Most of the berries from this spring’s crosses have been picked; the rest will be ready to pick in a few days.

When I first began breeding gooseberries I cleaned the seeds thoroughly before sowing. Later I skipped the thoroughness and sowed the “insides”, discarding the “hulls”—which has worked well. I have not tried sowing berries whole .

Cleaning gooseberry seeds

From left to right: the “hulls” or berry skins; wooden “pestle”; “insides” or seeds; and raw berries.

Preparing gooseberry seed for planting

I begin by nipping off an end of the berry with a thumbnail and squeezing out the seeds into a plastic container. Once all the seeds from a cross have been extracted, I try gently to disperse them in a little water with a wooden “pestle”. (After sowing, some seedlings invariably emerge in a clump and can be difficult to disentangle without damaging their roots.)

Planting gooseberry seeds in a flat of growing media

The blue masking tape labels here are only temporary. (They were used to mark the flowers on plants that were crossed.) They will be replaced by plastic labels before the seed is covered with media.

Seeds are then poured onto a 1020 flat containing potting media, covered with a thin layer of same, and watered well. A single flat accommodates seeds from several crosses, each labelled with the names/numbers of the parents.

Storing flats of gooseberry seed under a greenhouse bench over the summer

Most of these flats are carryover from last year. The flats have holes to drain excess water; a piece of capillary mat underneath the stack keeps the bottom flat from becoming saturated.

Flats of seed are stacked under a bench in the greenhouse over the summer; and watered occasionally to keep them moist. They will stay there until November, then spend winter in the seed cage outdoors (see From Flats to Plug Trays 4-6-23). There is enough rain/snow to keep the flats from drying out from then until spring when the seed germinates.

A synthetic spun fabric used between flats of seed in a stack

Dupont Weed Barrier

One last note: Between the flats is a sheet of Dupont Weed Barrier, a synthetic spun fabric. It is used to prevent media in one flat from sticking to the bottom of the flat above it and disturbing the seeds.

What's This About?

Potted gooseberry plant injured by standing water

6-28-23 Just up-potted these plants from 0.7 gal to 1.7 gal pots. I wish I had a picture of the bottom of the rootballs because it was key to understanding what’s going on.

The plant on the right has some yellow as well as dead, brown leaves. Its green leaves are lighter in color than those of the plant on the left.

Until a week ago there was no difference between the plants, except for size.

What happened is this: It rained hard and the plant on the right sat in a shallow puddle for several days before it evaporated—long enough to kill a thin layer of roots in the bottom of the pot. In a larger pot or for an older plant this might not have been a problem.

The plant should recover easily.

At the Beginning of Summer

A double row of young gooseberry seedlings in the field, planted in ground cover

A double row of gooseberry seedlings 200’ long—about 400 seedlings. These seedlings were set out in early May and photographed June 25.

6-26-23 A good stand of seedlings this year. Cooler-than-usual weather at planting time (May) was a big help.

The groundcover pictured is 5’ wide. It comes in 6’ rolls—6” on each side has been turned under (doubled), which helps control weeds at the edge as well as prevent staples from ripping through the fabric.

Seedlings are spaced 1’ apart; and numbered according to their distance (in feet) from the irrigation riser at the beginning of the row. Risers/rows are also numbered, e.g., row 24; or in the case of a double row, 24a and 24b. For keeping records, each seedling is given a unique number based upon the year it was planted, the row, and its position in the row, e.g., 23-24a-163.

The irrigation risers at the beginning of the rows are set 10’ apart—wide enough for 5’ of groundcover + 5’ of aisle. After a few years when selected seedlings are removed, the remaining seedlings bush hogged and the groundcover taken up, the aisle will become the new row; and the old row, the new aisle.

Closeup of young gooseberry seedlings planted in ground cover

Seedlings are planted in groundcover in a double row with drip tubing down the middle. Grass, and especially crabgrass, is the worst weed in gooseberries here.

'Leveller' and 'Langley Gage'

Gooseberry plants in pots

Two new additions to the breeding program: ‘Leveller’ and ‘Langley Gage’

4-24-23 It was the personal accounts of home gardeners, or something like them, that I was looking for on the internet when I came across ‘Leveller’ and ‘Langley Gage’, two old English varieties touted for flavor.

I’ve never tasted these varieties. Honestly I have no idea what a “good” gooseberry tastes like—they are not common here. But I’ve eaten some described that way and have always been disappointed. In my experience, gooseberries are a culinary fruit which are best used when under-ripe—when they are too tart to eat fresh.

‘Leveller’ and ‘Langley Gage’ came from Whitman Farms in Oregon, the only nursery I found that carries them. Lucille Whitman warned me that they would not grow in this climate… Powdery mildew has shown up on both already.

Although the plant was small, ‘Leveller’ produced a couple of flowers in time to use in crosses this spring, as a pollen donor. I always watch for flowers on new stock. Sometimes cuttings will flower, too, while still in the mist bed for rooting. Taking advantage of opportunities like these can hasten progress.

2023 Pollinations

Emasculating a gooseberry flower

Emasculating flowers on a gooseberry plant. Flowers will have 5 or 6 anthers which are removed before they split and shed pollen, to prevent self-pollination. The two flowers in the lower right-hand corner are shedding pollen already and will be removed completely.

4-22-23 Seedlings in the field began blooming ~2 weeks ago. They’re humming with honeybees now. The big carpenter bees are partial to R. curvatum.

I’ve nearly finished hand-pollinations. Crosses were limited this year because many recently propagated plants were too small to bloom. One of the crosses was between 21-63b-124 and 19-53b-158, both larger-fruited seedlings:

Pedigree of a gooseberry seedling

‘Industry’, R. cynosbati, and R. curvatum have been the “backbone” of my crosses. They all do well here and have proven themselves over the years. Most of my crosses start with one of these three as a parent.

‘Industry’/’Whinham’s Industry’ (PI 555867/CRIB 358.001) produces small berries here, contrary to the literature. They are similar in size to R. curvatum and smaller than ‘Abundance’ or ‘Pixwell’. If the clone’s authenticity is questionable, its track record is not—it has excellent vigor which carries over to its offspring.

R. cynosbati (PI 617847/CRIB 1083.001) is a thorny species. This clone has large berries, a trait that carries over to offspring.

R. curvatum (PI 555810/CRIB 87.001) has a wide geographic range. This clone was collected from the wild in Texas. It blooms late on short racemes and grows well in afternoon shade in our climate; berries are small, about the size of a pea.

Pollinating a gooseberry flower by hand

When making crosses, the anther(s) of a flower shedding pollen is touched to the stigma of an emasculated flower.

Pollinating a gooseberry flower by hand

It can be tricky coordinating bloom times when using potted plants. Since the plants are kept outdoors, late-bloomers are moved into an unheated greenhouse to give them a head start over the early-bloomers, which are kept in check by the cold spring weather outdoors. When to bring them inside is mostly guesswork—keep good notes.

 
Using organza bags to protect gooseberry hybridizations in the field

Because of the weather, field crosses are not as reliable as crosses made indoors with potted plants. A late frost can wipe out all your work, but if you choose branches close to the ground for crossing, you can protect them easily with a tarp or frost blanket when necessary.

Using organza bags to protect gooseberry hybridizations in the field

These are organza bags, which are generally used as gift-wrap (wine bottles and party favors). They’re cheap, lightweight, and come in a variety of sizes. They are excellent for keeping out bees, etc., but will not stop raccoons and opossums when the fruit is ripe…

Class of 2022 (pictures)

The 2022 Cut

Last fall I eliminated four rows of gooseberry bushes—700-800 seedlings—saving the best for further evaluation and/or breeding:

  • (Captivator x R. curvatum) x (R. cynosbati x Invicta)

    • 18-53a-024 1.97 g/berry

    • 18-53a-058 2.42 g/berry

    • 18-53a-084 2.11 g/berry

    • 18-53b-020 2.50 g/berry

    • 18-53b-072 1.82 g/berry

    • 18-54a-150 2.56 g/berry

    • 18-54b-160 2.07 g/berry

  • (Captivator x R. cynosbati) x (Hinnomaki Red x R. curvatum) and reciprocal cross

    • 18-53b-150 2.42 g/berry

    • 19-53a-176 2.56 g/berry

    • 19-54b-072 2.12 g/berry

  • (Abundance x Invicta) x (Captivator x R. cynosbati)

    • 18-55a-084 2.19 g/berry

    • 18-55b-097 2.63 g/berry

  • (Industry x Invicta) x (R. cynosbati x Invicta)

    • 21-63b-124 3.26 g/berry

    • 21-63b-158 3.02 g/berry

  • Industry x Invicta

    • 17-55a-171 1.47 g/berry

    • 17-56a-016 1.33 g/berry

    • 17-56a-057 1.56 g/berry

  • Captivator x R. cynosbati

    • 10-50b-115 3.40 g/berry, (2.88 kg/bush at 7 yrs/2021)

  • Abundance 1.51 g/berry

Notes: ‘Abundance’, ‘Houghton’, and ‘Glenndale’ are good varieties for this area. ‘Industry’, R. cynosbati, R. curvatum, and R. missouriensis also do well.

‘Invicta’ has large berries but will not grow here. Usually I can keep it growing in pots long enough to make a few crosses. Crosses with ‘Industry’ do well. Crosses with R. cynosbati do better in pots than in the field—all R. cynosbati x Invicta seedlings used for parents are kept in pots.

‘Hinnomaki Red’ has a bit of flavor when eaten fresh, unlike the other varieties mentioned here, which are better cooked. However, calling it flavorful would be an overstatement.

‘Captivator’ is a thornless variety but not productive here. Many of the flowers on potted plants are misshapen and produce little pollen. It may require a pollinator to set berries.

‘Abundance’, a sibling of ‘Pixwell’, is an excellent variety—small but very productive. It’s the one we use for making jelly.

From Flats to Plug Trays

Separating individuals from a flat of gooseberry seedlings

Separating a clump of gooseberry seedlings for transfer to plug trays. A spoon makes a handy tool for digging into media.

Today and for several more days, I’m transferring seedlings from 1020 flats to plug trays (https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/ 128-Cell Plug Trays for Seedlings). Flats overwinter outdoors in a “seed cage” on the north side of the house. The seedlings are from crosses made last summer.

Outdoor seed cage for protecting flats of seed from mice and birds

The '“cage” for overwintering seed…

Outdoor seed cage for protecting flats of seed from mice and birds

…is a frame of 2x4s covered with ½” hardware cloth above and below to keep out mice and birds.

Some crosses germinate early—in mid-to-late January—and I will bring these flats indoors rather than risk losing seedlings to the weather. The freeze-thaw cycles of late winter will pop seedlings out of the media they’re growing in.

This year when seedlings first began to emerge (late January), I moved all flats into the walk-in cooler we use for storing flowers. Individual flats were brought out as more seed in them began to germinate.

This method worked well for some crosses, but others did not germinate at all. I can never tell what crosses will do. However, keeping track of the number of berries from each cross gives me an idea of how many seedlings to expect. When seed doesn’t germinate well, I’ll carry the flat over another winter hoping for more seedlings the following spring.

In my experience, gooseberry seeds prefer spending the winter outdoors—even if only for part of it—to the relative comfort of a walk-in cooler set at 35±5⁰F. We are in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

Gooseberry seedlings in plug trays on greenhouse bench

A thousand gooseberry seedlings—the “early risers”—from hand-pollinated crosses made in spring 2022. And more to come!

 

Getting Started

Horticulturalist and gooseberry breeder David Martin

Here I am in 2023—David Martin

 

I began breeding gooseberries twenty years ago. My wife and I also have a flower farm—as you might guess by the name of the website. I’m copping a page to blog about gooseberries.

My interest in plant breeding started when I was living in Louisiana, MO, working at Stark Bros. Nursery. Stark Bros. was a large mail order nursery renowned for its fruit trees. I was a field hand. I knew guys in the main office building and would occasionally stop by after work to chat. Inside was a small library—really just a few bookshelves—next to Joe Preczewski’s office, head of Product Development. An old 1950’s copy of Principles of Genetics by Sinnott and Dunn piqued my imagination. For me, plant breeding is not unlike an Indiana Jones adventure or panning for gold.

My interest in horticulture began much earlier, on a Sunday after church. Some friends and I were playing with the whirligigs falling from a maple tree in the church yard. Despite their familiarity, when Dad told me they were seeds, I was incredulous. I took some home and planted them in pots… Sixty years later I still get a kick from planting seeds.

In the early 80s a slump in the nursery industry prompted me to head for the Pacific Northwest, an area mentioned in all the horticulture books I had read. Soon I would discover why—a Cadillac climate for growing horticultural crops.

The USDA maintains seeds and plants of many crops at several facilities across the country. The Ribes collection (currants and gooseberries) is kept at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, OR. Pyrus (pear) and Rubus (blackberries, raspberries) collections, among others, are also kept at the Corvallis facility.

I worked there part-time while working toward a degree in horticulture at Oregon State University (1985) . Harry Lagerstedt was running the repository then. After graduation I moved east, taking rooted cuttings from some of the plants with me—extras headed for the compost pile—for hybridizing in the future.

Now, here I am in the future. My wife Martha and I have a 60-acre farm in western Kentucky, near Hopkinsville. We rent part of it to neighbors for corn, wheat, and soybeans; and part for pasture. About four acres is fenced against deer and is irrigated. This is where we grow our flowers and, of course—gooseberries.

Picnic behind farmhouse

Hosting the Master Gardners’ potluck ca. 2016. Photographed by Tom Marshall, Hopkinsville, KY.