[Nefertari]

Hi,

I have had my lottie for 8 weeks now. I uncovered (quite literally) 3 gooseberry bushes and they are laden with fruit.  I've taken all the weeds out which was surrounding and covering them.  My question is how will i know when they are ready for picking please?

[blackisgreen]

a bit longer yet i would have thought bet theyre hard as rock yet but keep an eye on them it wont be long

[Nefertari]

thank you rockisgreen

[Eatyourgreens]

When you can eat one without thinking a wasp had stung the inside of your mouth, they can be a bit on the bitter side when unripe!!!



Bob

[blackisgreen]

ROCKISGREEN NOW THERES A NEW ONE.............

[mikem]

In May/June thin the fruit, remove about half of the crop and again 2 weeks later so that the fruit has room to expand.  You can use the fruit removed but will need "a bit" of sugar!  Coninue harvesting until about August.

In October take cuttings to raise new plants.

Avoid high nitrogen fertiliser that will encourage a lot of green growth and then chance of mildew.

[LivvyW]

If your keen on gooseberry's you may want to protect your newly discovered free crop.

Two years ago i had a small bush wiped out overnight, probably 1lb of berries, i believe wood pidgeons like them, i think ours was got by our resident squirrel.

An old net curtain thrown over them would do.

[Nefertari]

thank you everyone

sorry blackisgreen 

[8doubles]

When goosgogs are fully ripe they go translucent and soft and can be eaten straight from the bush without pulling strange faces. For pies , crumbles and cooking in general they are best picked slightly unripe (strange face but not spitting out) when they have more gooseberry flavour.