[tinkymalinky]

When I took on my plot 3 years ago, I inherited 2 gooseberry bushes. They look big and bushy but have never produced much fruit. The first year they were badly damaged by sawfly caterpillars, and the second year they got rust, so perhaps they're still recovering. Or do gooseberry bushes stop fruiting in old age? Any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Tinks

[shokkyy]

Well, I've got a gooseberry bush in my garden that was old when I moved in 15 years ago and I've just taken a massive crop off it

[jjbull]

ive been in my house 11 years the previous people were in 5 years and the owners before them planted fruit bushes when they were there so ice got goosegogs that are at least 16 years old probably closer to 20 years and there still producing really well, give them a prune and feed and see what happens

[shokkyy]

But I also have a couple more gooseberry bushes in the same row that have been savaged by sawfly for the last three or four years. This year they seem to be free of sawfly and did give a crop, but only a small crop. The sawfly have definitely made them a bit sorry for themselves and the bushes are smaller because some of the shoots died right back.

[chris23005]

We inherited an old gooseberry bush when we moved here last September. It was very leggy and there was a lot of dead wood and it was also in the "wrong" place! So my husband dug it up and stuck 10 bits of it in the earth. They all rooted, we have already given some away and they are now growing nicely up against a wall, espalier like! No fruit this year, but that would be normal as there is nothing left of last year's growth for it to fruit on! They are all doing extremely well though, and look very healthy! Looking forward to goose*** pie next year! 

[tinkymalinky]

Ok - so it's not an age thing. Perhaps they just need some TLC - I'll feed and water and keep my fingers crossed!

[DD.]

You could try taking a few cuttings in October, or layering a branch or two to root new bushes.

The bush in my mother's garden, by the way, is at least 40 years old.