Gooseberry bushes.

[bramble]

I have 2 bushes which have buds on for the past couple of weeks but they are not opening. has something happened to them. I have broken a sprig and there is still sap in the branch but other than that they are just sat there doing nothing.

[chefgage]

Mine seem to have buds on for quite a awile before anything seemed to he happening. Possibly the warm weather we had for a while got them going then as its turned a bit cold again things have slowed right down. Mine did the same but have caught up a bit now with lots of gooseberries showing. I would say they will start to get going very soon as I think it will start to warm up a bit again

[rustylady]

I have 2 bushes which have buds on for the past couple of weeks but they are not opening. has something happened to them. I have broken a sprig and there is still sap in the branch but other than that they are just sat there doing nothing.

Are we talking leaf buds or flower buds? Are your gooseberries in pots or in open ground?

[bramble]

The bushes are in two half barrels. Its the leaf buds that are not opening. They haven't dried out and the soil is good. This is their second year and they had fruit on last year.

[veggiechicken]

I don't know the answer Bramble but if you cut off a sprig and put it in water indoors, and it opens, you would know it was still alive. Is it in the shade?

[AkionTotocha]

My currant cuttings did something similar. And then they died. But that's because they didn't put down root, so I don't think that's the problem with yours

[cheops]

You say the soil is good so my input is probably not what your problem is. I once had a gooseberry planted in a large tub. The following spring it had grown well and produced lots of fruit and continued to grow. The next spring leaf buds formed but never opened. Then the bush died. I was told gooseberries shouldn't really be in containers and if so fed often - something I never did. My bush apparently had exhausted all the nutrients in the soil and died of 'starvation'.

[FB.]

The very bad weather in the last 12-18 months may have something to do with it. Lots of plants are slow; some have died. I think the lack of warmth and lack of sunshine is really taking its toll on plants.

Of the old apple trees within a couple of miles of me, a handful have not survived the harsh weather - including a Bramley - and I've just given up on one of mine which failed to emerge from dormancy and is now showing dehydration-shrivelling of the twigs; Golden Harvey. I lost a James Grieve and a Egremont Russet during 2012.

[starloc]

I was told gooseberries shouldn't really be in containers and if so fed often - something I never did. My bush apparently had exhausted all the nutrients in the soil and died of 'starvation'.

I dont think they would die that easily from lack of nutrients, Ive had gooseberries in very small pots since about 2005 and although they dont get much bigger at all now they do still grow a bit and still fruit fine
I have never put any plant food near them since the first year, they were planted in JI no.3 compost that keeps them quite wet not the awfull peat based compost that drys out, Im just thinking it might be time to stick some nutrients on them, I put plant food on most other plants its just I cant get to these easily without climbing through a forest of plants