gooseberry flowers

[blackkitty]

When should I expect to see flowers starting on my gooseberry bushes? They seem to be doing okay but no signs of buds yet, I've never grown them before so don't know. One was planted at Easter last year but didn't produce any fruit.

[andrewo]

They tend not to produce fruit in the first year until they establish, they will start to bud around now and flower in the next three-four weeks.

[blackkitty]

Thanks, I guess I'll have to be patient then.

[bramble]

My gooseberry is full of blossom at the minute. This is the second year, and like you, have no experience with gooseberries, but looking good at the moment. regards

[cotton54321]

Still waiting for blossom here - I suppose it depends where you are in the country and what the weather has been like for you.
Won't be long now!

Mel

[pigletwillie]

Its quite strange on my plot. We have two beds of 4 bushes, 4 are in flower, 2 are in leaf but no flowers yet and 2 are just braking bud. All are within 5 yards of each other.

Whilst there are 3 varieties, 2 varieties are still at different stages with 1 bush in flower an 2 not any where near.

[blackkitty]

I've just found a few buds and flowers on two of my bushes. Don't think I'll have enough for a crumble this year though

[SueA]

Just leaves on my baby gooseberry in a pot at the moment. Watch out for the dreaded sawfly larvae when the weather warms up or they will strip your bushes in no time.I pulled our last gooseberry up a few years ago as it kept getting decimated but missed it so have got a new one in a pot to try & confuse the sawflies by moving it around.

[Clarea1]

Mine is in flower and the bees are going mad for it! My strawberries are too. It's very exciting! Sad me eh!

[blackkitty]

Are sawfly larvae little green caterpillars? If so I'm waging a war of attrition. I noticed yesterday that some leaves had been eaten and found these little buggers munching away. I'm using organic control, I pull them off and stamp on them. I keep thinking I've got them all but then find more - but I think I'm winning.

[noshed]

One of my gooseberry bushes has got little fruit on. I'm amazed. And it's one of the few things on my plot which is not being eaten by something...

[andrewo]

Are sawfly larvae little green caterpillars? If so I'm waging a war of attrition. I noticed yesterday that some leaves had been eaten and found these little buggers munching away. I'm using organic control, I pull them off and stamp on them. I keep thinking I've got them all but then find more - but I think I'm winning.

Yes, sounds like them, a few tips, is your bush pruned in an open goblet style to get in maximum light/air? Is it underplanted? Is it in the shade or overcast? How close is it to other plants? Gooseberries need plenty of air and light, do not tolerate being grown close to each other and in a humid environment, the saw fly love it though! Just crush them.

[Jaxom]

I tend to use the organic boot a lot this year. Snails don’t come back a second time and lily beetle with out their heads can't find their way back to my lilies.
I haven't got Gooseberries but in previous years something has eaten the leaves on my red current bush very quickly. This year I am watching everything like a hawk.

[blackkitty]

Andrew, the one that is affected is in apot in the sun for most of the day. I haven't pruned it yet as it only went in this year.

[Alice]

Hello Black Kitty, Your gooseberries should be fine. The're like everything else and what they need most is TIME. Don't have any now but in a prrevious garden grew them as part of a mixed hedge- gooseberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant. I didn't do much to them but with my strawberries had enough fruit to keep me going in jam all year. In relation to the saw flies my Polygonatum (Solomons Seal) get skeletalised every year. Well think it's saw flies. They appear in May, Big flat flies, leave mounds of gray catterpillars - disgusting, and they eat the plants to the ribs. Anybody any suggestions.