requires winter pring to keep them productive

Best production is on stems 1 to 4 years old.

Since gooseberry plants are impatient to grow in spring, I set bare-root plants in the ground either in the fall, using plenty of mulch, or as early as possible in spring.

Prune to keep 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old shoots The usual way to grow gooseberries is as a “stool,” a huddle of stems that arise from the ground. New shoots come up annually, and the oldest ones are regularly cut to the ground. You’ll recognize them because the bark begins to peel on older stems, which also are thicker than younger ones. During the winter following the plant’s first season in the ground, begin training the plant by cutting away all but six of the previous season’s shoots. Do the same after the second winter, so that the bush has six 1-year-old and six 2-year-old shoots. Following the third winter’s pruning, the bush will have six each of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old stems, the status you want to maintain.

In the fourth and subsequent winters, pruning consists of cutting down all 4-year-old shoots and all but six of the most vigorous, upright new shoots that grew from ground level the previous season. Also, shorten lanky shoots, if necessary.

Two ways to propagate gooseberries The ease with which gooseberries propagate from cuttings depends on the variety. Generally, American varieties are easier to propagate than European ones. Take hardwood cuttings in early fall, even before all the leaves have fallen from the plants. The presence of a few leaves actually enhances rooting. Make cuttings about a foot long, but do not include tip growth, and bury them so that only the top bud is exposed. Mulch after the ground freezes, then remove the mulch in early spring.

For easier propagation of just a few plants, try tip layering. Bend a stem tip to the ground in spring, cover it with a little soil, and anchor it with a rock. Roots will form where the stem touches soil, and a small plant will be ready for transplanting either by that first fall or, with difficult-to-root varieties, the following fall.

https://www.finegardening.com/article/how-to-grow-great-gooseberries

USDA ZONES– 3-8
Growing Gooseberries in containers is similar to currants; you’ll need a medium-sized pot, at least 15 inches deep but a little wider as gooseberry bushes are shallow rooted, tend to sprawl than growing upright. It never grows above 5 feet tall. While you can choose from American or European gooseberries to grow. The earlier one is suitable for containers as it has more compact growth, productive and tolerates more sun. However, its fruits are smaller and a little inferior in taste than the European gooseberries.
balconygardenweb

Remember, gooseberry bushes are spiny and will become dense thickets without regular pruning.
Although closely related, you can easily distinguish currants and gooseberries by examining the canes and fruit. Gooseberry canes normally produce a spine at each leaf node and bear roughly grape-sized berries singly or in groups of two or three. Currant canes lack the spines and bear 8 to 30 pea-sized berries in clusters.
A composted material rich in nitrogen, such as well-rotted manure, makes an excellent fertilizer for currants and gooseberries.
Because composted materials release their nutrients more slowly than synthetic fertilizers, apply a few shovels-full per plant in late fall.
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-currants-and-gooseberries-home-garden