Gooseberry crop

[Nicos]

Just wanted to share my delight of having just picked 7kg of gooseberries from 2 3yr old bushes!!!!

They only produced a token gesture last year...and on top of that, the lower branches have started to root where they are in contact with the soil...so more baby bushes next year!!!!!

Have to say though....that if babies really do come from under gooseberry bushes, the midwives should have a massive payrise...my arms are torn to shreds!!

[deezyb]

lol well done Nicos - I've not had the courage to do fruit yet...maybe next year!

[SlugLobber]

Well done, Nicos! I only got about 5 gooseberries from my little bushes, but I think I had a little help harvesting. Oh well, I did want birdies in the garden and they do say be careful what you wish for...

[FoxHillGardener]

I've got five goosberries too, Sluglobber. Enough for a very small fool

[Nicos]

I've got five goosberries too, Sluglobber. Enough for a very small fool

who you callin a fool????

[seasprout]

My Gooseberry fruits are smaller this year...anybody else hove this problem..?

[ginger ninger]

Me, i have 1 red gooseberry bush and 1 green, the red has 7 berries on it, the green has 4...all except 1 on the green bush are vary small, normally their 10p size. They had lots of flowers on them, but most fell off..on the other hand my blueberry bush is cover in berries.

[gojiberry]

I harvested about 1.5 kg and when picking it reminded me why I haven't grown them for many many years. I think you have to be a bit of a masochist to grow them as it is impossible to harvest without getting stabbed to death.

Ian

[ginger ninger]

Try long nosed scissors, you can get them from most hardware stores, they dosn't stop you getting stabbed all together, but its a lot better than looking like you've split two tom cats up

[jacob marley]

I picked 12 lb of my bush how old it is i do not know.
it was on the plot when i took over about 6 years ago and this is the best crop yet.
Still more to pick but the bucket was full ....jacob

[Snadger]

I keep eating mine straight from the bushes so I hope I've left enough to cook with!

[Maximillian]

I've been doing the same. They have been delicious. Huge and sweet.

[chriscross1966]

Very jealous..... lost al;most the entire crop to mildew...... I want to sort them out this autumn.... I'll be moving the bushes but need some advice on pruning like what to take out and what to leave....I reckon I want to keep four bushes (I want the rest of the space for Blackcurrants....

chrisc

[sarraceniac]

Very jealous..... lost al;most the entire crop to mildew...... I want to sort them out this autumn.... I'll be moving the bushes but need some advice on pruning like what to take out and what to leave....I reckon I want to keep four bushes (I want the rest of the space for Blackcurrants....

chrisc

You can do a summer prune now by shortening lateral leaves to about 5 leaves but, assuming these are bushes not cordons, your main prune should be in winter. If birds are a nuisance then leave pruning until the buds start to swell so you can cut back to a healthy bud. Prune spreading or drooping bushes to an inward pointing bud to 'tighten' it. Upright bushes to an outward bud for the opposite reason. Otherwise just prune as currants, which you seem to know about.

[rob the roller]

I have had about 18 kg from 4 bushes so far. I started putting up a fruit cage last year, managed to finish it about 6 or 7 weeks ago. Well worth the effort. I had already lost about half of this year's crop by the time it was finished, so expecting twice as much next year. Gooseberries make excellent wine.