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Gooseberry problems

Loz46Loz46 Posts: 103
in Fruit & veg

Firstly, I have one gooseberry bush in my garden that is nice and green and bushy, has been there for about three years now, but never really bears any fruit. It doesn't get a huge amount of sun, could that be the issue?

Also, on my allotment, I have three gooseberry plants that were planted last April, and are not very healthy looking. They are only about a foot high at the most, with only two branches/stems that are bearing some greeny yellow leaves - it is most certainly not a bush! They look terrible, what can I do to improve them, please help!

Thanks very much :-)

Last edited: 24 May 2016 20:35:07

Posts

  • JimbolenaJimbolena Posts: 114

    It might just need water and plenty of it.

    I don't remember feeding mine but it gets a ton of water, it lives in shade and is nice and healthy, fruiting already but I'm not doing anything different than you, other than perhaps watering over and above the rain it gets.

    Try watering them more, potash feed is also good for them but have never tried that.

    image

    image

    it's in a pot since moving house 2 years ago and not found it's way in to the ground yet! lol

    Hope this helps a wee bit, sorry I couldn't be more help.

  • Invicta2Invicta2 Posts: 663

    Does it flower? You will never get fruit if there are no flowers. If it is flowering are there pollinating insects around in your garden as gooseberries flower quite early? Lack of sun might delay the plant starting to flower, though it usually would have started after 3 years. Pollinating insects usually start on plants in sunny places in early springas they need the warmth.

  • Loz46Loz46 Posts: 103

    Thanks for the replies!

    I inspected them yesterday and found that the garden bushy one does actually have about 10 or so berries on the lower branches, I noticed they are the woody branches  opposed to the new, green branches, not sure if that is relevant? I think I cut this one back in 2014, but not in 2015.

    The allotment ones are looking a bit better, and although they are certainly not bushy, i have noticed a few berries on them too! There are some weeds/grass around them, so I will tidy this up just in case they are zapping the goodness from the soil.

    I was thinking of digging them up to make room for my cucumbers, but won't now! ?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Are you pruning them correctly?  They need pruning in late winter as shown here

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/gooseberry-pruning 

    and then in June you need to cut the side shoots back to five leaves.

    Thin out the fruits in June, removing half and use these for cooking and leaving the rest to ripen (watch out for marauding birds - you may need to net the bushes, the old gardeners would drape them with old net curtains).

    Keep the area around the bush free from grass and weeds and feed in late winter/early spring with Fish, Blood and Bone and a bit of extra potash if possible.

    In the autumn I clear any fallen leaves and mulch with well rotted garden compost or manure.

    More useful info here http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/fruit-veg/growing-gooseberries/3332.html 

    Good luck  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JimbolenaJimbolena Posts: 114
    Dovefromabove says:

    Are you pruning them correctly?  They need pruning in late winter as shown here

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/gooseberry-pruning 

    and then in June you need to cut the side shoots back to five leaves.

    Thin out the fruits in June, removing half and use these for cooking and leaving the rest to ripen (watch out for marauding birds - you may need to net the bushes, the old gardeners would drape them with old net curtains).

    Keep the area around the bush free from grass and weeds and feed in late winter/early spring with Fish, Blood and Bone and a bit of extra potash if possible.

    In the autumn I clear any fallen leaves and mulch with well rotted garden compost or manure.

    More useful info here http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/fruit-veg/growing-gooseberries/3332.html 

    Good luck  

    See original post

     Thanks Dovefromabove, very informative even though it's not my thread, I appreciate the knowledge.

  • po78nnpo78nn Posts: 1
    I planted a gooseberry bush in a tub approximately 4 months ago and it hasn’t even grown an inch...what could be wrong with it.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143
    What sort of compost is it in?

    Has it been getting plenty of water in this dry spell?

    Can you post a photo of it please?

    Click on the little landscape icon on the toolbar and follow instructions 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    My gooseberries were very small this year with the late start caused by the beast from the east and this wretched heat wave.  They are in very big pots which might not be a good idea. I have thought of putting them in the gound when I can get a fork into it.  



    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    My gooseberries are in the ground and  the fruits are still very small.
    The bushes really need watering, but will have to wait for rain as I haven't any water to give them. Spring dried up, pond so shallow now, the ducks can hardly swim!
  • breaker2mebreaker2me Posts: 1
    My gooseberries look very healthy but they have so much foliage I can hardly see the berries forming. Should I cut out or back, some of these young shoots?
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