Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Gooseberry bush

AJ203AJ203 Posts: 15
in Fruit & veg

I'd appreciate some advice about how and where to best plant the small gooseberry bush I've been given. I've been told locally that sawflies are a problem here so I'm wondering what I can do to help get the bush established and protected.

Posts

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    I use a winter wash called armilatox for sawfly it works as well for red & white currants. Tried spraying the caterpillars but they fall off.
  • Jimmy CrawfordJimmy Crawford Posts: 468

    If you are worried about sawfly larvae, keep the bush open as mentioned an put it in a fairly open part of the garden so the birdies can get in and about the leaves.

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    i have mine in pots on my south easterly steps i did get some gooseberries last year before they were decimated by sawfly, i couldn't even see them on day two even though i knew they were at it.

    would making a stinky stew out of rhubarb leaves have any effect on the caterpillers if i sprayed bush

    and on me eating them, gooseberries not the caterpillars? image

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    i know they are poisonous but some people make  an insectacide out of them soaking them in an old dustbin with water which is why i also asked about eating them after, like if i washed them would they then be ok to eat, sorry needed to be clearer in how i wrote my q's image

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    verdun if icould find them i would gladly make a pie out of them image

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    The birds don't seem to be interested the best way is stay or soak them with armillatox. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous if eaten & u could wear gloves but it does smell a lot it might put u off, I tried it as a fertiliser.
Sign In or Register to comment.