gooseberries

[angiebacardi]

does anyone know why my gooseberries are falling off I was so excited to see them but now they are dropping off
Angie

[nick the grief]

Have you had a frost? that will do it. or maybe it's all the dry weather that we've had the plant has aborted them. It may be the goosegog equivalent of June drop in plums where the plant decide what's a good load to carry and sheds the rest.

[SimonCole]

May be birds.

[Flummery]

I know it's too late to say this with water dropping from the sky in lumps, but a few weeks ago I was tipping (cold) washing up water on the fruit bushes for this very reason. I think Nick's right that the plants will abort the fruits if they are seriously stressed for lack of water. Shouldn't happen any more this season! I usually find that birds are only interested in gooseberries when they are very soft (i.e. ones I have overlooked when picking!)