Is it normal?

[Bigmallly]

For Gooseberry bushes to loose their leaves before the fruit matures. I wondered if the leaves have done their job so allowing the fruit to now swell.

[veggiechicken]

Gooseberry Sawfly perhaps? Gooseberry sawfly / Royal Horticultural Society

[Bigmallly]

Makes sense but the fruits look really well, cheers m dears.

[Jeanied]

yep those pesky little sawflies have munched all your leaves - which means the poor bush doesn't have anything to feed it now unless you intervene.

[veggiechicken]

Makes sense but the fruits look really well, cheers m dears.

It happens to my bushes most years! Pick the fruit now, or it'll go black and yucky. It looks ripe enough anyway!

[binley100]

Bladdy caterpillars innit.......

[Bigmallly]

Thanks for the advice, will pick the fruit at the weekend. Do I need to get rid of the bush?

[veggiechicken]

I've never removed any because of this. Just watch out next year.

[binley100]

They pupate in the soil underneath the bush so keep your eyes out for little holes appearing on the lower leaves next year......then spend days and days picking them off

[Bigmallly]

Ok, thanks. It was a freebie bush so no worries if I have to get rid.

[veggiechicken]

Oddly enough, this year, the sawfly haven't been a problem - not many gooseberries either

[redser]

Have little experience of them, it's my first year growing one. But was told to mulch around the base of the plant with weed fabric after harvesting to stop them coming up next year when they hatch. Tip was to get it as tight up around the stem as you can. I don't think there's any need to get rid of the plant as it's a potential problem every year. Think I got lucky, found two leaves with huge clusters of them early in the season. So i think I got them all in one go and have had no problems thankfully.

[bearded bloke]

Is the wood healthy ?

[FB.]

Do I need to get rid of the bush?

No. It's not a disease - just an insect pest which happens to be very destructive if you don't pick the little devils off quickly enough.
The plant's vigour (and probably next years crop) will be severely reduced due to the loss of leaves, but it should survive one attack. Multiple successive attacks might finish it off.


As said earlier: the fruit now has no leaves to supply it with sugar, so the fruit is on borrowed time.

It might help to lightly loosen the upper layer of soil around the bushes every few weeks, to expose the "caterpillars" for the blackbirds to find (I use the term "caterpillar" loosely as they're a bit different in appearance).
Chickens used to be let loose in orchards to allow them to scrabble in the dirt and unearth most of the grubs and maggots, which would reduce fruit damage the next season.

[Bigmallly]

As always your advice is greatly appreciated. FB - Once I have collected the fruit, I will loosen the compost as advised. I cannot do it yet as it is in a fruit cage so the birds will not be able to get to them but will do it ASAP. Cheers.