How should I prune my gooseberries?

Question:

How should I prune my gooseberries?

Answer:

Gooseberries should be pruned to maximize fruit production.  Gooseberries produce the majority of their fruit on two- and three-year-old shoots.  Shoots 4 years old and older produce very little fruit.  Pruning of mature, established plants consists of pruning out all four-year-old shoots.   Also, prune out some of the new shoots.  Leave only 3 or 4 new shoots.  A properly pruned mature gooseberry plant should have 3 or 4 shoots each of one-, two-, and three-year-old growth or a total of 9 to 12 shoots.  In Iowa, the best time to prune gooseberries is late winter/early spring (March or early April).