Moving a gooseberry bush

[lumpyjumper]

I foolishly planted my gooseberry bush in the middle of my veg bed and now I'd like to move it, well, what's left of it! Something ate ALL and I mean ALL of the leaves off the plant in September.

It still has little tips of green on the woody stems and I haven't pruned it because I didn't know what to chop off.

Anyway when is the best time to move it? Also, having not pruned it, will I have spoilt it for next year?

Thanks
LJ

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine lumpyjumper (great name).

Sorry, I know nothing about goosegogs but I am sure someone will be along soon to help you. I think this is the right time of year to move fruit though.

[lumpyjumper]

Thanks Shirley,

I currently have a couple of small raised beds in my back garden in East Devon, but have just put my name on the waiting list for a half-allotment!

The name comes from my time in the RAF when all women were known as lumpyjumpers! or Doris!

I love goosegogs and raspberries and rhubarb which is what my bed consists of at the moment, I have introduced my 11 year old daughter to growing as well and this year her identical bed grew runner beans, sweetcorn, salad and tomatoes which sadly succumbed to blight! I understand a lot of people had the same problem!

I'm thinking of starting a blog to record my exploits.

LJ

[Nicos]

I have limited knowledge...but.....

You shouldn't need to have pruned it this year if it's only a baby, so it's ok !
Sawfly ate the leaves, and you will need to keep an eye out next year for signs of little caterpillars munching the leaves and squash them ( or spray if you Really must) They will strip the whole plant in less than a week.

When moving a gooseberry bush take as much rootball as poss with it as they apparently hate having their roots disturbed.

So all is well for you lumpyjumper!!

Oh - and welcome to the madhouse/ Vine

Do pop into the Gardener's Rest for a welcome drink when you have time and join in the fun!!!

PS - which part of UK are you in?? Might help adding it to your profile for future advice/questions as different areas sometimes need different advice!

[lumpyjumper]

Thanks Nicos, I wondered what had eaten the leaves! They were there one minute and gone the next, I shall look out for the sawfly next year!

Have updated my profile now, and shall move the goosegogs this weekend if it's not too wet!

LJ

[Flummery]

My goosgog bush was given to me in our first year here (in winter) by our next door neighbour Jack. It was lifted with plenty of soil round the roots and never looked back. that was 7 years ago. Good luck with it and welcome to the grapevine - strangely addictive!

[Eden]

Hi there lumpyjumper,
yes, the dreaded sawfly. They get my goosgogs every year, this year I was extra careful and picked off caterpillers every single day (and got many scratches for my hard work!). They still managed to strip half my bushwithin 24 hours so next year I think I might try to cage it, good luck!

[Eden]

sorry, me again, I little trick I found worked was to give the bush a gentle but firm shake. I put newspaper all round under the goosgog bush to catch the little critters and it was easy to 'dispose' of them. The kids and I were watching a film clip the other day where they shook the apple trees in an orchard with a machine, it looked pretty amazing! A quick hard shake and WHAM BANG all the apples fell off!!! IT won't get off all the sawfly but the ones who you give a headache to tend to wiggle around and then they are much easier to spot, all the best!

[Jardiniere]

I have a gooseberry bush which is in totally the wrong place but rather than move it , i took loads of cuttings last year which are now turning into nice little bushes which i am going to cordon.This year i took more cuttings and they have struck too. in pots currently.
i put wood ash under my gooseberry and from time to time over it and then shake it.
it fruited reasonably well this year and nothing ate it.

[lumpyjumper]

Thanks for the advice, especially the newspaper and shaking!! Although I spent most evenings this year picking the caterpillers of my raspberries quite successfully, it became rather addictive and I'd get in from work, put my crocs on and go and de-caterpiller in my office clothes! Keen or wot!?

Jardiniere, how do I take a cutting and is this the right time to do it, I'm a real novice at this gardening lark and have a lot to learn! I would like to be able to get a new plant from this one.

Thanks
LJ

[Jardiniere]

I took my cuttings when I pruned it at the end of the growing season in autumn (cant remember exact date i might have written it down but my notes are in the 'cave' which means going out and its 11.30 pm here!). You aren't pruning yours this year are you because its too new and little?and you shouldnt prune if it could be frosty.So next year for pruning and taking cuttings. i pruned a new pink gooseberry bush(against all the advice) i bought earlier this year and they look as tho they are going to work.

[Nicos]

The 'cuttings' I took this year had actually self rooted along stems which had been in contact with the soil.
Dead easy to bend a lower branch and pin it onto the soil surface and wait for the roots to grow!

[Jardiniere]

i'm going to try that next.....

[lumpyjumper]

I think(?) I've attached a picture of my goosegog bush taken this morning!

Should it look like this at this time of year? I'll probably dig it up and move it in the next couple of days but if it's actually not meant to look like a bundle of sticks I won't bother and will just buy a new one and look out for the sawfly next year!

Thanks

LumpyJ

[Snadger]

I think(?) I've attached a picture of my goosegog bush taken this morning!

Should it look like this at this time of year? I'll probably dig it up and move it in the next couple of days but if it's actually not meant to look like a bundle of sticks I won't bother and will just buy a new one and look out for the sawfly next year!

Thanks

LumpyJ

Looks ok to me! I aint no expert on goosegogs but I believe they can be pruned in February? They can be grown as a standard or just take out the weak and dead wood and prune to give an open centre!