Gooseberry 'Invicta' 3l

Very popular variety, vigorous and heavy cropping - produces almost double that of other varieties.  Large pale green berries, smooth skinned with an extremely sweet flavour.  Essentially a culinary variety but can also be eaten fresh.  The fruit is superb for cooking with as it stays firm & it also freezes well.  Invicta is resistant to mildew & leaf spot, and crops late July/August. 

This plant is supplied in a 3l pot but is not necessarily pot-grown. 

Plant 1.5m (5ft) apart in rows 2m (6ft) apart.

Likes an open sunny or lightly shaded frost-free spot, sheltered from strong winds.  Prefers a slightly acid, moist but well-drained fertile soil. 

Planting:
Soak the root-ball before planting.  Plant in a hole twice the diameter of the root-ball or pot.  Mix an organic soil improver and general fertiliser with the infill soil.  Water regularly until established. 

After Care:
Fruit is produced on previous year's shoots.  Cut back all shoots by one-half after planting.  Develop a framework of 6-8 branches.  Each winter from year 3 shorten leading shoots by one-half and remove branches from the centre of the bush.  Shorten side shoots from last year's growth to 2 buds.  Apply a general fertiliser in spring.