and a gooseberry question to finish!!

[Scottishnewbie]

have 3 wee gooseberry bushes planted in haste earlier this year. Needless to say, they are in the wrong place!

is this the right time to dig them up and replant? and should i be pruning them somewhere around here?

and one of them was eaten by something called saw fly (is that the right name?). is it dead or will it come bakc next year? do i need to do anything to help it along?

thank you........said in a wee small voice

[Jeanied]

Have they gone dormant (lost leaves, gone to sleep!?) If so I reckon you'd get away with it. Maybe give them a prune first just to reduce the stress -and take the root ball carefully, they are really shallow rooted. I've had sawfly one year and it made my bushes look a mess, but they came up ok the next year. I also made sure I squished any caterpillars the following year - I prefer not to spray if I can avoid it.

[Scottishnewbie]

I'm not sure if they are dormant or just have no leaves cos the sawfly ate them all!

[Jeanied]

Best leave them a bit longer then - then you can be sure - depends on frosts I think.

[Two_Sheds]

is this the right time to dig them up and replant?

October is the ideal time for doing it. How to grow a gooseberry bush.

[piskieinboots]

and a gooseberry question to finish!!

are you off then

[Two_Sheds]

and one of them was eaten by something called saw fly

Gooseberry sawfly is really common. I've never actually had a gooseberry off my plants.
Larvae active in May to September. Defoliated plants are weakened and tend to produce a poor crop the following year.

Pick off the larvae by hand ... some people hang fatballs over the bushes to attract blue tits, which will eat the caterpillars too.

[Nicos]

I'd leave them until the leaves have gone...but....you've probably got colder soil "ooopppp north" so don't leave it too long

They don't like being transplanted so take a bigger rootball than you think it needs.
Also don't prune them if they're tiny

Sawfly drop into the soil to overwinter- a cuff around the base ( like with brassicas) might help prevent it next year

[Scottishnewbie]

these are brilliant tips folks, thanks! To be on the safe side, i'll try them all and see what happens! actually moving them might be a good idea then so that the larvae stay in the ground where there wont be any gooseberry bush for next year then! top tip!

[Two_Sheds]

so that the larvae stay in the ground where there wont be any gooseberry bush for next year then!

they grow wings
you should rake over the soil, exposing the hibernating larvae to the birds