[lacewing]

Last year my gooseberries had browm marks on the skins and it seems to be hapening again this year, they ripen and taste ok but not so nice to look at. The bushes look green and healthy, I fed with blood, fish and bone before they started to fruit, any ideas as to what could be causing these brown marks.

[barney rubble]

Not sure, but do the marks cook out (like in cooked apples) or remain when you've cooked them?

[lacewing]

That is the problem, the brown remains in cooking making them look a bit unappetising, although they do taste o.k.

[Trillium]

I've checked out a number of websites and cannot locate this specific problem, but I'm led to believe that your plants are growing in soil that's a bit too alkaline for them. Try adding sulphur powder to the soil each spring and see if this helps retain the proper colour. The only other alternative is that somehow you have a brown-coloured fruit variety.

[SG6]

What variety?

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/gooseberry.html
Says that Careless can get brown through sunburn

Equally mildrew of sorts may also discolour them.

[celjaci]

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/gooseberry.html
Says that Careless can get brown through sunburn

The mind boggles at the thought of little hats or sun lotion for gooseberries :blink: :blink: :blink:

[lacewing]

I've checked out a number of websites and cannot locate this specific problem, but I'm led to believe that your plants are growing in soil that's a bit too alkaline for them. Try adding sulphur powder to the soil each spring and see if this helps retain the proper colour. The only other alternative is that somehow you have a brown-coloured fruit variety.

Thanks Trillium, the soil may be too alkaline as we are on an old chalk pit, I'll try the sulphur and see if that helps.