[Michael D]

Hi  All  
          This is my first time on this site  hello all, I just picked my first gooseberries today and wow,    they are the size of 50 ps and sweet, i grow them in raised beds with a lot of horse and cow muck dug in and cow muck on top to help keep the weeds down, the wife can`t beleive the differance from the ones she got from tescos.   She even said mine had a earthy smell and no smell from the ones from the shops. This is my first year on the alloment.

[Hawthorne]

Oh - I'm so looking forward to getting some gooseberry bushes into my lottie this autumn. I love them !

And welcome

[Dominic]

Its awesome.
I've got some blackcurrants, I can almost stand to eat them, whereas store bought ones, ewwww.

[londongardener]

Hi  All  
          This is my first time on this site  hello all, I just picked my first gooseberries today and wow,    they are the size of 50 ps and sweet, i grow them in raised beds with a lot of horse and cow muck dug in and cow muck on top to help keep the weeds down, the wife can`t beleive the differance from the ones she got from tescos.   She even said mine had a earthy smell and no smell from the ones from the shops. This is my first year on the alloment.

Are they leveller gooseberries ?  I planted them as well late last year and they are so nice I eat more than I take in.

I think in Sainsburys they have invicta - not as nice.

[willowman]

Dominic, take care. Stood by the blackcurrant bush a couple of weeks ago and sampled half a dozen large blackcurrants (as I used to do as a kid). They were a bit tart, but quite enjoyable. Next day severe stomach ache and (sorry) trots. Guess my stomach is not as robust as it used to be when I could eat all sorts of berries and rhubarb straight from the plant.
Oh well, just have to simmer them with some sugar and vodka and make a warm sauce to go on my ice cream.

[littlelisa]

Michael D - what variety did you grow? I'm definitely keen to plant some on my plot later this year, and yours sound like The Berries ;-)

[londongardener]

Michael D - what variety did you grow? I'm definitely keen to plant some on my plot later this year, and yours sound like The Berries ;-)

I planted lots of which only 4 - langley gage, Hinomaki yellow and red and leveller gave fruits (hopefully the rest will next year).

Leveller were the nicest by far (although I would not say no to the others).   I am hoping to plant more bushes in November and I will definetly have at least one more Leveller.

[Jeanieblue]

I've just scrumped a couple of big bag fulls of gooseberries from an allotment that was given up by a lovely old chap, and as yet hasn't been taken over by anyone, despite a long waiting list. All in the spirit of recycling, and the Government's great new drive for us not to waste food!