[AnneB]

I happened to visit another local allotment site this week and noticed that all the plotholders on this site grow their gooseberries vertically up a cane/sturdy pole.   I have never seen this before, but it seemed to work - the yields seemed huge and a big plus, picking the fruit was easy.  The bushes were trained so they grew upwards rather than outwards.

Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture at the time, but I might go back next week and take a snap.

The other interesting thing was that they all had a true black gooseberry.  They didn't know the variety and had all taken cuttings from one plotholder.  The nearest I can find is something called black velvet, but that's a cross that looks reddish purple.   These were true black and the fruit was quite large, sort of Invicta size.
Has anyone else had experience of growing gooseberries this way, or know what variety the black gooseberry could be?

[mumofstig]

Were they Jostaberries?

[AnneB]

Were they Jostaberries?

No, definitely not.  Much larger than a jostaberry and hairy in a gooseberry type way and with thorns too.  I have a jostaberry, definitely not one of those.

[crh75]

Gooseberries can be grown as a cordon.  The RHS has some info; an internet search will provide many more.

Regarding the black gooseberries could it be a Ribes Lacustre?

[Baldy]

My first year of 'training' gooseberries up a pole. I haven't been as attentive as perhaps I should have been so there have been some side shoots. Saying that, the plants have been easier to pick and seem to have delivered as much fruit as when bushy.
I'll be cutting them back quite hard once the leaves have dropped.
I think its worth doing - my legs haven't been cut to ribbons and my hands haven't suffered too many punctures...

Pip pip,
Balders

[surbie100]

I've got some cuttings from a red gooseberry that I am doing the same to. It's year 1 so they are still very small. Good to know it's so successful.

[ARPoet]

I have been wondering if it would work tieing them to a wire frame. Then I remembered a few years ago picking goosegogs at a pick yer own farm that were trained as a cordon, so will give it a go this winter as the plant dies back.

[BigPaddy]

I grow cordon gooseberries. I maintain 3 braches and cut the sideshoots back say to two inches each winter with some early summer tidying up. The fruit is much easier to pick and you can get more plants in the space and free more space around the plants. I have had some great crops. I do find that the older varieties seem best. The Himonaki bushes are particularly unhelpful for me.

As gooseberries are so easy to root I don't think you can lose anything by trying.

Paddy

[Ema]

sounds very interesting - I hated picking my gooseberries this year, jumping from stabbing fingers on a thorn and landing my butt on the next bush!

I'd love to grow a black gooseberry if you ever get any cutting!

Did you just wander into the site, I always find I get a cold reception if I do this

[AnneB]

sounds very interesting - I hated picking my gooseberries this year, jumping from stabbing fingers on a thorn and landing my butt on the next bush!

I'd love to grow a black gooseberry if you ever get any cutting!

Did you just wander into the site, I always find I get a cold reception if I do this

I didn't just wander in.  I am what our Council calls a "site representative" for my own site and along with another site rep I visited 5 different sites this week to judge entries for the Council's best plot allotment competition.  They get us to visit other sites and mark entries, then a professional judge will go round and mark the shortlisted ones with highest marks.  I really enjoyed it and we had a lovely chat with plot-holders on the black gooseberry site - which was a lovely site all round, every plot beautifully tended.

[sunshineband]

What a great opportunity to pick up new ideas Anne -- in this case the gooseberries.

We are hoping to be able to adopt another plot in the winter, and growing cordon gooseberries sounds an excellent idea to consider. Sounds like there will be lots of expertise here to help too 

I have never seen a black gooseberry. If you do get the chance for photos I would love to see this please

[Silkworm]

How tall do you let them get and how many Cordons?
I have 10 bushes that's tons for me so l was going to remove about 5 at the end of this year.
The picking aspect will be much better for me as well.

Silky

[AnneB]

How tall do you let them get and how many Cordons?
I have 10 bushes that's tons for me so l was going to remove about 5 at the end of this year.
The picking aspect will be much better for me as well.

Silky

The ones I saw were around 4'6" to 5' tall.

[rosiecider]

I happened to visit another local allotment site this week and noticed that all the plotholders on this site grow their gooseberries vertically up a cane/sturdy pole.   I have never seen this before, but it seemed to work - the yields seemed huge and a big plus, picking the fruit was easy.  The bushes were trained so they grew upwards rather than outwards.

Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture at the time, but I might go back next week and take a snap.

The other interesting thing was that they all had a true black gooseberry.  They didn't know the variety and had all taken cuttings from one plotholder.  The nearest I can find is something called black velvet, but that's a cross that looks reddish purple.   These were true black and the fruit was quite large, sort of Invicta size.
Has anyone else had experience of growing gooseberries this way, or know what variety the black gooseberry could be?

My elderly neighbour had a black gooseberry called London it was a very old bush over 20 years plus  it was gorgeous have not been able to track it down last year, forgot to try this year

[mumofstig]

You can get London here, but it's not black 
http://chrisbowers.co.uk/product/london-gooseberry-bush/