Gooseberry Bush Seems To Be Dying
Guy Manchester
Posts: 8
I moved into a new house at the end of summer last year. This spring we planted a gooseberry bush (Invicta) in a shady part of the garden. It slowly started developing brown edges (only the edges) to all the leaves and they then began dropping off.
A couple of weeks ago we dug it up to replant in ea sunnier part of the garden. There appeared to be little in the way of new root growth but also no sign of sawfly.
We're hoping the change will do it good but as yet there's no sign of such happening. The soil is very charcoal rich (Bristol) and everything else seems to have gone berserk - the chard I have and runner beans are both going great guns for instance!
I can't upload an image so you can see a pic of the bush here:
http://cl.ly/image/2m173R0t0V2x
Any help most welcome!
Posts
Hello Guy
My first thought is that your gooseberry is way too close to that wall - gooseberry bushes grow to about 1m x 1m so need lots of space.
You can grow them as a cordon against a wall, but if you were doing that you'd be starting with a different shaped plant, and even then you'd plant away from the wall and slope towards it.
Walls can act like a sponge and absorb a lot of moisture, and they also make a 'rain shadow' preventing rain from falling on the ground at its base.
I think your gooseberry bush is thirsty - I'd prepare a good patch of soil where it'll have plenty of room to grow, semi shade is fine, then transplant it and give it a good watering and mulching and don't let the soil get too dry.
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I agree, it is much too close to the wall, it will be very dry there.
Yes, something's been eating it - probably sawfly as you say WO
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you - and yes, point taken about the wall! Like I said, it was only moved a week ago but the initial position was about as far away from the wall on the opposite side of the garden! I do water everything a lot every evening, but all the same - doh!
My Dad suggested an attack of sawfly but when I googled "sawfly" i got the impression the insects or the larvae would be visible, is that not the case? There's been nothing on the leaves (or were there anything around the roots when we transplanted them) at all.
The leaves haven’t been eaten at all either, they just go brown around the edges then fall off - is that congruent with a sawfly problem?
The leaves have been eaten - in the photo there are lots of places where there are just stalks and all the flat green leafiness has gone - that's the work of the gooseberry sawfly larvae which are tiny little caterpillars which are very good at hiding themselves
The brown edges to the leaves is due to the drought, I'm pretty sure. The rest is Sawfly
Don't water every evening - it'll get too soggy and you'll have over-watering problems (similar symptoms to underwatering)- give it a good soaking (a bucket full) a couple of times a week in dry spells .
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've mentioned growing cordons against a wall, but even then I'd plant them away from the base of the wall and slope them towards the wires put in to train it to.
However, the plant shown is not a cordon and would take a great deal of 'manipulation' to be grown as one and even then it would be a bit of a "pig's ear" !
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ok, I wasn't convinced that watering every day was the best idea as I know houseplants like to dry out completely between before being watered!
What's the best way to get rid of sawfly?
My 8 yr old Invicta gooseberry bush with about six branches has died except one branch. There is a new shoot coming up from base of plant. Should I dig it out or cut dead off and encourage new growth?
how long do gooseberries survive? Do I just need to replace mine?
jeaniejobber