Topic: Gooseberry mildew

[telboy]

Hi All.
Bad this year. Struck first time last year, cut out all affected parts, seemed O.K.
However, this year it has hit so fast and the whole of my bushes are ridden.
Do I scrub the lot or prune hard to basal bud/move rebed in a good fertile new plot/ or what?

[Good Gourd2]

Sorry to hear of your mildew. My Percy Thrower book says spray with lime sulphur as soon as the fruit sets and again 3weeks later. As you will see I am having trouble with my blackcurrants.  Hope you get to sort it out. Fingers crossed.

[jennym]

Buy a variety that isn't so susceptible to mildew is the best bet. Have got invicta here, and find that's pretty good.

[valmarg]

Telboy, if you are prepared to accept that you are not going to get any gooseberries this year, and you want to keep the bushes you have, spray the bushes with a fungicide now.  Also spray the ground underneath.  In winter spray again.

That  basically was Margaret Thrower's (Percy's daughter) advice on radio WM on Monday.

What she also said was that she did not like to spray any edible crops in the garden.  I'm sure that is how most of us believe - if you're going to eat it - dont spray it.

But her message was, that by accepting you are not going to get a crop this year, and spraying with a fungicide now, and also later in the year,  by the time the bushes flower and fruit next year the fungicide should have done its work, and should be out of the bushes system (for eating purposes).

If you still get mildew next year, grub the bushes out and burn them!!

That's the best advice I can give!!

valmarg

[BAK]

Mentioned this before - you can make your own fungicide with washing soda and soft soap.

Spray around the end of April and again 3 weeks later from next year onwards. Spraying now will do some good. Mildew does not like the fungicide.

For recipe (it is from an old Arthur Hellyer gardening book from the 1950s) see our web pages .. click on garden recipes and scroll down to fungicide made with washing soda and soft soap.

[Jeannine]

Does anyone know if the mildew can travel far or stay in the soil for long.I ask because my lottie neighbour got really bad mildew on a row of gooseberries,I only noticed a few months after I put mine in.

 This was about three years ago,his were terrible and he just left them to rot,the next year they came up the same and were just as bad, and last year too they were covered.

Meanwhile my new bushes were getting a good size.

His were the opposite end of the lottie to mine so I was concerned but not too worried.

 At the end of last year he chucked his out and left them on a compost pile at the back,which is quite close to  mine are planted. My bushes are very healthy and I am nervous that his old ones are a bit close to home now.

I have Invicta and Pax and I know his were called ?? Industry ( Walthams I think)

Should I be scared???

XX Jeannine

[valmarg]

Jeannine, I don't think you should be scared, perhaps just a little concerned.

Mildew seems to attack old/ailing plants.  As yours are young, and seemingly very healthy, they should have a considerable degree of resistance to the mildew.

Obviously you will need to be wary.

valmarg