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Gooseberries gone !

IvyhouseIvyhouse Posts: 111
in Fruit & veg
Just admiring my gooseberries yesterday, absolutely laden. They are a purple variety but a fair way off ripe. Imagine my amazement this morning when every single one is gone. Who or what would have cleaned up a few kilos of unripe green berries without a sign of anything happening ?
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  • tlchimeratlchimera Posts: 51
    My mother watched a female blackbird dedicatedly go back and forth her gooseberry bush one morning last year, and left her to it figuring one bird couldn't do too much damage and perhaps she had chicks to feed. By the time mum went back outside the bush had been completely stripped! 
  • IvyhouseIvyhouse Posts: 111
    Living in suburban London I’ve never seen a badger and suspect they would inflict a bit of damage. Ne’er a leaf has been harmed here. Don’t wish to be mean but I hope whichever bird it was has severe stomach ache now.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Can you smell gooseberry jam being made anywhere close at hand??  Gooseberry thieves have been known to have 2 legs...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Pigeons?
    They decimate any fruit they can get to in my garden

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • IvyhouseIvyhouse Posts: 111
    Liriodendron said:
    Can you smell gooseberry jam being made anywhere close at hand??  Gooseberry thieves have been known to have 2 legs...
    It did cross my mind but some of them were still only the size of peas.
  • IvyhouseIvyhouse Posts: 111
    Pete.8 said:
    Pigeons?
    They decimate any fruit they can get to in my garden
    That could be close. They already turned my sweet corn to ribbons and saw off my fledgling Brussels.
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I have my gooseberry bush covered with a wooden frame and wire mesh because ordinary bird netting doesn't keep the blackbirds off, I was amazed that I think it was both Beechgrove and Gardeners World this week showed gooseberries without netting, wouldn't it be nice to have a plot where netting, fleece and insect mesh wasn't needed.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Thankfully the birds do leave our gooseberries alone but they take the red and black currants.
    What does cause an issue for the gooseberry is the sawfly which decimates the leaves.
    Not happened yet!!!
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    Mine have gone to crows this year. Never happened before!
  • ShepherdsBarnShepherdsBarn Posts: 401
    The birds only take mine when they are ripe. I wonder if it depends on variety.
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