Is it normal?

[Peas'n'Kews]

Hey, lots of good advice here BM....

Instead of advice I'll be cheeky and say that it is most distrubing to see a subject of "is it normal?" when the author is yourself.....

[Bigmallly]

Thank you PnK, compliment gratefully accepted..........

[veggiechicken]

The leaves on my gooseberry are being nibbled now. No sign of any caterpillars or eggs but there were a couple of hooge snails high up in the bush. Don't think they were responsible though as the missing leaves are near the whippy tops of the branches in another part of the bush.
The fruit was ripe so its all picked. Not as laden as yours BM.

[soladragon]

Well at least you have gooseberrys mine is a stump in the ground. A stump!

[veggiechicken]

On the plus side, your hands aren't ripped to pieces after picking goosegogs, as mine are

[soladragon]

Do they rip your hands? How?

[rustylady]

Do they rip your hands? How?

They be prickly, be gooseberry bushes.

[BUFFS]

we lost the leaves from just one bush,during the odd showers we have had this year,i usually pick them off,but not in the rain,but they only appeared about 2 weeks ago,very late,but they did strip the bush,we picked that one today and still got a great crop from it...i normally put some greseproof paper,smeared in cooking oil ,under the bush and hit the stems with a cane(earlier in the year,when they usually emerge) and i get 3/4 of them that way,and pick off the rest,put in a high sided bowl that they cant get out of, and placed beside the bush so when they are gone the birds tend to then start on any i missed..