Anyone else got Gossegogs yet?

[Mrs Dobby]

We have!!! Mr D spotted them on the gooseberry bushes (the ones he moved them from the back of the plot to the side in the winter) on plot 1! It'll be our first harvest of gooseberries, as last years were lost to mildew (hence the move as they were in a very sheltered and dark area of the plot!)

Anyone know when they'll be ready to harvest? They already are about 1" top to bottom in size!

[dasantillo]

Yep, we've got several tiny ones on our 2 bushes (one purple, one green) that are in their second year. We had just the one gooseberry last year and didn't get to it before the birds...

[rustylady]

I've got little ones about the size of my little fingernail. You can pick them green at about an inch and a half long for cooking, or leave them on the bush to ripen, when they will change colour (usually to red or a yellowish colour depending on variety) and soften when you can eat them fresh.

[zazen999]

I have, but not one inch yet. Rescued plant that hadn't fruited for years apparently; so giving it TLC and amazed that I have any fruit at all.

My aunt used to make gooseberry jelly, I used to love it. i won't start looking for a recipe just yet, but will be doing so in the years to come.

[Shortie]

Coooo you lucky b*ggers... I jut have healthy leaf growth here

[lottie dolly]

me toooo,only tiny yet,

[TonyF]

All the fruits are starting to form nicely, red/white and blackcurrants are developing well as are the gooseberries but still small.

[francesbean]

Mine are tiny,but lots of them - I have given them some extra tlc this year - mulched and de weeded and a tiny trim. Seems to be doing the trick. Im determined that the birds dont get them this year, so will net them also - is now too early to do it?
WEnt out looking for sawfly couple of days ago ,after seeing scary post on thevine but all is well.

I love gooseberry fool, our first year we made gooseberry ice cream which was delicious.

francesbean

[lumpyjumper]

I have lots about the size of a small marble.

I've had a problem this week with caterpillars, but they don't resemble the sawfly caterpillar as they are bright lime green (same colour as the leaf) with a black head! Any idea what type of caterpiller they are, they don't have the black spots described as the sawfly.

I'm going to net the gooseberries this weekend to stop the greedy pigeons, then hopefully by June they will be big and fat! The gooseberries not the pigeons

[Nicos]

Gosh Mrs D- you have certainly got green fingers!!!

Bit more of this sun and warmth and they should start to go paler and then soft-...then 'Bob's your Uncle' !!! ...get the custard ready!!

Watch out for jays/pigeons- they'll nick them as soon as they are nearly ready to pick!

[Sanjo]

Yep, here in Essex our Gooseberries are thriving, as are the jostaberries. I bottle the fruit and this week will see the last jar from 2007 go. I bottle apple, blackberry and apple, jostaberry and gooseberries if we leave enough. I froze one lot of fruit from a jar this week together with a couple of pots of joghurt - all pulped together and when it was very hot it made a lovely dessert (or smoothie mixed with a banana). Great stuff!

[Flummery]

Mine are beginning to swell up. I don't usually harvest till well on in July. They are green gooseberries but turn slightly translucent if you know what I mean - then they are ready. You could alwyas try one! I like to take the big ones first and give the smaller ones another few weeks.

[shirley]

yep mine are small but looks like a good crop

[bwfc07]

Gooseberrys

spotted mine yesterday after it spiked me..cant wait for them only had them once and there nice

Heres a pic for you to see.....

[Mrs Dobby]

Nah Nicos, no green fingers, perhaps black muddy ones tho!! Actually, its Mr D thats sorted the goosegogs, they were hiden away at the back of the plot and got mildew last year, so he decided to move them to a more open position at the end of the fedge in a bed, and they've basically been left to it (with a bit of gentle prunning of course!)