Green gooseberries

[laurieuk]

Gooseberries fruit on old wood that has formed spurs. I leave the pruning until  quite late in case the birds take any buds. I prune all the new growth way apart from extending the main branches a few inches. They do make excellent cordons provided the variety is not a lax variety. They can be grown as  arrow of cordon apples in which case they are easy to pick. I prefer a high potash feed like Vitax Q4 rather than a completely balanced fertilizer but we all have our  own thoughts.

[laurieuk]

[davholla]

Gooseberries fruit on old wood that has formed spurs. I leave the pruning until  quite late in case the birds take any buds. I prune all the new growth way apart from extending the main branches a few inches. They do make excellent cordons provided the variety is not a lax variety. They can be grown as  arrow of cordon apples in which case they are easy to pick. I prefer a high potash feed like Vitax Q4 rather than a completely balanced fertilizer but we all have our  own thoughts.

When is late March time?

[laurieuk]

Some will prune gooseberries during the dormant season but I like to leave it until the buds are just breaking early Marcy rather than late march but this does pend on where you live. I tend to go by the plant rather than the calendar.

[johhnyco15]

finally got the thinning done one down 3 bushes to go

[strawberry1]

I have taken another load off my two bushes and also got out my secateurs and small saw. I have 7 bushes, 5 are small and just starting. I learnt a lesson this year ie I am drowning in gooseberries and have decided to make the legs a lot longer, so yes (not the right time I know) I took a large 4 year old bush apart and cut off every branch apart from one that I will train to carry the leg upwards, it will be a wonky leg but a longer leg it will be. I will get the stakes in when the ground softens this winter and they will be taller than I need for the leg as gooseberry branches are so brittle and the site is very windy. I have pruned gooseberries in the wrong season several times and they are such tough plants, always surviving the pruning. I will tackle the second large bush in a couple of weeks, just seeing first how the first bush copes

I love the idea of standard, easy picking, gooseberry plants

[johhnyco15]

I have taken another load off my two bushes and also got out my secateurs and small saw. I have 7 bushes, 5 are small and just starting. I learnt a lesson this year ie I am drowning in gooseberries and have decided to make the legs a lot longer, so yes (not the right time I know) I took a large 4 year old bush apart and cut off every branch apart from one that I will train to carry the leg upwards, it will be a wonky leg but a longer leg it will be. I will get the stakes in when the ground softens this winter and they will be taller than I need for the leg as gooseberry branches are so brittle and the site is very windy. I have pruned gooseberries in the wrong season several times and they are such tough plants, always surviving the pruning. I will tackle the second large bush in a couple of weeks, just seeing first how the first bush copes

I love the idea of standard, easy picking, gooseberry plants

well done you hope it all works out well it is very easy picking from standards ive got a blackcurrant standard when they ripen ill post a pic of that its not as good as the gooseberry as a big fat wood pigeon sat in the middle of it last year breaking most of the stems a lot of hard work undone by a hungry bird but still by next year it will be back to former glory

[Paulh]

Mine have had sawfly very badly this year - I've picked off some caterpillars but have evidently missed most. Has anyone got a remedy, preferably not chemical?

[strawberry1]

re sawfly. Gooseberries need space around them and an open goblet shape. I haven`t had any sawfly this year or last. The ground below is clear of litter and weeds and I have the leg which is at least 15 inches high off the ground. It gives the birds a chance of getting in to eat the blighters

Another 5 jars bottling as I speak, there is a reason ie I have to have the freezer empty by sept for a new kitchen. I googled the price of gooseberries and saw £3 for 125 g, unbelievable, that must be london organic prices but even say £4 a kilo pyo makes a home grown organic crop massively valuable

4 more but small hinakari red to pick and then almost straight onto a huge blackcurrant crop, I am shattered what with harvesting garlic and shallots as well as weeding and watering

[galina]

Mine have had sawfly very badly this year - I've picked off some caterpillars but have evidently missed most. Has anyone got a remedy, preferably not chemical?

Very little sawfly here, but one year I had it quite badly.  However the leaves were eaten more or less at the time or just after harvest, so it didn't really matter.   

[johhnyco15]

no sawfly here just sore fingers

[artichoke]

Does no-one use gloves when picking? I picked another 11 lb the other day and am barely scratched. Four bushes to go. I prune drastically as I pick, hoping that the bushes grow enough new shoots to fruit next year (less fruit, I hope).

£3 for 125 g!!! I sell my excess gooseberries to a local shop for £1 per pound (453 g) and they sell them on for £2. Not a great deal, but we have each made £14.50 so far (total of £29) so it buys a few packets of seeds.

I did have very bad sawfly about 10 years ago but for some reason they have never come back.

[davholla]

re sawfly. Gooseberries need space around them and an open goblet shape. I haven`t had any sawfly this year or last. The ground below is clear of litter and weeds and I have the leg which is at least 15 inches high off the ground. It gives the birds a chance of getting in to eat the blighters

Another 5 jars bottling as I speak, there is a reason ie I have to have the freezer empty by sept for a new kitchen. I googled the price of gooseberries and saw £3 for 125 g, unbelievable, that must be london organic prices but even say £4 a kilo pyo makes a home grown organic crop massively valuable

4 more but small hinakari red to pick and then almost straight onto a huge blackcurrant crop, I am shattered what with harvesting garlic and shallots as well as weeding and watering

Thanks for that advice.  The only thing to add is to start looking early and you will get them before they have a second generation.  I have had 2 bad years but this year it is a lot better