[Rowan]

Hi

We inherited some gooseberries, so know nothing about them, we have some quite large gooseberries on the plant and picked on earlier but it was still hard and tasted very tart.

What is the best way of knowing when they are ready to eat/harvest?

Also i have some fruit that looks very similar to blackberry bush but has set in a very similar way to the rasperries, are there different types of raspberries or could it be an other type of fruit?

Thanks

[Trillium]

Not much help on the gooseberries as I rarely eat them. But yes, there are a lot of raspberry cross plants: black raspberry, blackberry, tayberry, loganberry, jostaberry, spring and fall fruiting raspberries.

[DD.]

Unless you have a desert gooseberry, or a very strong constituion, I would advise against eating gooseberries straight off the bush.

They usually need cooking first, (in my case with a lot of sugar!). I could probably risk cooking some of mine now, but I think they will be all the better (and a little larger), for another couple of weeks or so on the bush.

[Dominic]

Nothing on my Gooseberry at all yet, oh well, at least its grown bigger this year.

[barney rubble]

Nothing on my Gooseberry at all yet, oh well, at least its grown bigger this year.

Doesn't sound like you'll be getting any this year Dominic - they'd be on there by now 

[Dominic]

Oh well, plenty of red and black currants are growing, although they're still green
Should get some rasberries too, cant see them yet either, but didnt get any last year.

One of my cherry trees has produced 4 cherries, what a trooper.

[barney rubble]

One of my cherry trees has produced 4 cherries, what a trooper.

wow - almost a slice of pie enjoy!

[Riala]

This is my 3yr old canes second year in my garden, and only 2 have shown signs of life, looking doubtful that I will get anything off them this year like last year.

But they are 'bushier' this year.

[Dominic]

My gooseberry was three years old when I bought it.
Planted it 18 months ago
Did almost nothing last summer, has grown quite a lot this year.

I've read a few comments that they can take quite a while to get established, so dont give up hope yet.

[Dominic]

Double checked mine last night, has 4 berries on it, I was expecting a hanging bunch like currants, but they grow more like cherries (or apples I suppose) single fruits on a stem..

Woohoo.
Now I all have to do is find a way to start liking fruit.

[BazTheGardener]

I like Rowan have inherited some gooseberries, blackberries and red berry, I think, but one of the gooseberries has I’m told got American mildew. Is there anything I can do to treat the mildew or do I just dig it up and burn it? 

There are lots of fruits on them but I was going to get rid of them but OH has over ruled me.     
Gooseberry pie does sound good 

[barney rubble]

Others may advise differently, but remove the diseased fruit now and cut back the shoots which have had the mildew in the autumn. Its important for gooseberries to have room for air to circulate around them, so make sure theres at least 4 - 6" of clear base stem on the plant when you prune back.

Don't bin it tho - a bit of TLC will probably bring it back for you. There are sprays for it, but you need to spray before the flowers open

Gooseberry pie is good , so all the better if you can harvest some unblemished fruit