Gooseberries - leaf out hardiness?

I scored 4 gooseberry starts yesterday. The problem is although we are warming up for spring, the night times could still have hard freezes. Are these able to tolerate that or should I protect them until they can be planted freeze-free?

I can confirm from my own garden that Hinnomaki red/green/yellow gooseberries can happily survive -5C overnight. But they are 2-6 year old bushes some in pots, one in the ground. Personally, if they're little rooted cuttings in pots, I'd bring them in overnight and not plant them out in the garden until after the hard frosts are over just to be on the safe side. Kinda depends on whether you're wanting to coddle a bit (like I tend to do) or you're of the 'if it lives then it's a survivor and that's the one I want' camp!

Established bushes are fully hardy right down to -40C (which funnily enough is also -40F)
How to look after them depends on how the previous owner did it, if they were in protection before they should be again but if they were just outside then they will be fine outside. If I didn't know how they had been treated I would put them in a shed or greenhouse until they start to leaf out.

If they've started to leaf out, I'd bring them in on cold nights if possible. If not maybe create a protected place until you can plant them.  I currently have some grape and blueberry bushes that have started to bud out and am keeping them outside as much as possible now.

2 - 'Oregon Champion' and
2 - 'Hinnomaki Red'


Looks like they will be getting outside daycare and nighttime lockup for a while. Thanks all!

So, I've also been able to glean from the permies forums that gooseberries prefer either some shade or indirect sun. It gets HOT and humid here and the place I have available faces west and gets the hottest part of the sun that hits the property, and for the longest time. Maybe not preferred but is there such a thing as too much sun for gooseberries?

Sounds like the immediate question has been answered, but for future reference: I planted a one-year Lepaa Red gooseberry in the fall and also stuck a jostaberry cutting, both on the north side of our house. We had a cold snap in February with temperatures as low as -17, but both plants are now leafing out abundantly and don't show any damage.

From what I have read, I am dubious about whether gooseberries will do well in a super-sunny area of zone 6—like currants, they are more of a northerly plant, and as I said I put mine on the north side. Could you rig a shade cover or plant something to throw some shade on them?

Unfortunately no. It will be right next to the public sidewalk.

Well then, you will have a good opportunity to find out how much heat and sun gooseberries can tolerate in zone 7. :-D

Here they grow very well in direct sun, but I have yet to get a berry in over 5 years. I don't think that is related to the direct sun, though I could be wrong.

Have they flowered for you?

I'm in Zone 7, with hot (to Seattle-raised-wimpy me) humid summers regularly in the 90s.  The weather charts don't back me up, but trust me the last few summers have been unpleasant.  Meanwhile, it's currently snowing.  Sigh.

I inherited several currants and 1 Jostaberry in full sun and they are doing fine.  The Jostaberry is about 5 feet tall and badly feeling its age, but it's usually covered in berries.  (I let the birds have them as I like the currants better and tend to be overwhelmed at harvest.)  I've also planted several currants in part shade and they're small but started berrying in the second year, healthy amounts (for scrawny shrubs) the next year.  I also inherited 1 black currant in partial shade and it seems to be not as big and not as fruitful as the one in full sun.

So my personal inference is that currants/gooseberries/Jostaberries would prefer full sun, but will bear fine in shade, and let's face it most of us have about fifty other things competing for sunny spots, so might as well plant the currants in shade.

But if you've already planted it, it should be fine in full sun.  If all else falls, let some suckers air layer and plant them in a shady spot to compare.

echo minarosa wrote:Have they flowered for you?

Yes, they always flower and set tiny little berries, but I'm not sure if they abort of if animals steal them. I think it's unlikely they would get ripe so quickly and get stolen so quickly without me seeing any ripe ones at all or any trace of the animals hanging around the area. I need to try netting to be sure, since many people suggest this is a common problem with birds.