gooseberries

polly · Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject: gooseberries

hello!

Can anyone help me with gooseberries. in spring planted "hinnonmaki red",
all the berries fell off, as did a lot of the branches. I have has the normal green varieties in the past, with success. So now i wonder is it just this "red" variety that has a problem, or is it me and my windy garden.
Polly

michael brenock · Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:47 pm Post subject:

When you say yhr branches fell off do you mean that the woody portion rotted away or that the young developing shoot stopped growing or that all the leaves dropped off. Did you check for gooseberry sawfly as pest would cause complete defoliation and result in fruit dropping off. I am not familiar with the variety mentioned and unless it is from an extremely warm climate or bred for a warmer climate it sounds strange. The wind might cause some defoliation and usually at one side only. The other posssible explanation is that the bush should have been pruned back to prevent fruiting in the first year and allow shoots to become established.
michael brenock Horticultural advisor (retired)

polly · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:12 am Post subject:

Thanks a million Michael...
I cannot rremember if i pruned it back when planting, that is a possible explanation for no fruits !
I still have leaves, so no sawfly, but branches are growing strangely , not like the usual gooseberry bushes, so maybe it is a strange variety. Thanks for your help., much appreciated.

POPPY · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 14

Sorry can I jump in and ask a question. My gooseberries have been decimated by the saw fly and they have started on the red currants. I thought they didn't like black currants but they seem to have made a exception with mine!

What can I feed them so they will come back next year, they are all pretty sorrowful looking at the moment. For the gooseberries it's there second time to be stripped bare so the fruit this year was very poor.

Thanks

michael brenock · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:05 am Post subject:

first of all treat the sawfly by scraping off the top layer of soil 1-2 inches under the gooseberry and redcurrant bushes and this will prevent the sawfly from overwintering there. dispose of this in a deep hole 10-12 inches deep. be on the lookout next may or June for sawfly.
give a mulch of compost to the bushes now but their main growth period is over.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

POPPY · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 14

Thank you very much Michael as always you've been very helpful.