Gooseberry bush

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Gooseberry bush

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evo

Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Posts: 13
Location: West London

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 05 3:41 pm Post subject: Gooseberry bush
I think I have a gooseberry bush ion the middle of my new allotment – how do I confirm it is a bush and not a huge weed (am very new to this)? Also, can I move it or should I leave it where it is? Thanks

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45479
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 05 3:45 pm Post subject:
Gooseberry bushes have woody fairly brittle stems with sometimes quite vicious thorns, the leaves are like small and rounded grapevines.

Rosemary Judy

Joined: 08 Aug 2005
Posts: 1215
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 05 9:18 pm Post subject:

very nasty thorns indeed !

I'd wait until the rains have truly set in and the bush is dormant to move it. - say November or december.

Moove as big a root ball as possible. and prepare the ground really well where you wnat to move it to.

I'd then prune it hard, ( and use the prunings as cuttings stuck in to a pot in a green house/cold frame) and feed it well and wait and see what happened next year. But it may need a lot of extra water next summer. And I'd thin it out really well too - and not expect it to produce too many berries in the first year.

the cuttings I'd grow as cordons - much easier to manage than bushes

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 05 6:34 am Post subject:
There's quite a good picture og a bush here: https://www.brookside-miniature-railway.co.uk/gallerycopgoose.htm Do you need to move the bush? If it's in the middle of the allotment at least you'll not keep brushing against it and getting prickled. The main problem I can see is shading the plant but I'm sure you could work round that.

carl

Joined: 08 Aug 2005
Posts: 8

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 05 6:59 pm Post subject:
my gooseberry bush keeps getting eaten by caterpillers and the fruit gets a mould covering before they are ripe iz this a sighn of the cush being too old or iz it normal?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 05 7:08 pm Post subject:

Gooseberry plants are prone to sawfly. You will notice missing leaves or nibbled leaves and if you look closely little green caterpillars. These can be picked off and squashed and it's worth checking over the plants regularly.

Gooseberries need to be kept open, the traditional way of pruning them is to have a 6 inch stem and a 'goblet' shape with 6-8 evenly spaced branches with an open middle. Unless you've got ages and a perfect site then it's hard to get the ideal shape but keeping the bush open and well watered in dry weather should help. Some varieties are much more mould resistant than others.

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