[Glen]

I have these old Gooseberry bushed growing near the shed in my plot. They are well established as you can see but i am unsure what fruit they will produce. Is there anything i can do to them to ensure i get a good crop?

[agapanthus]

They look to me like they need a good prune....but it's a bit late for that now. I would give them a good feed of potash and perhaps fork a bit of compost around the base and wait and see what you get. Give it a good prune late autumn.

[compostqueen]

My lotty neighbour has bushes just like that and he ignores them completely but they don't seem to mind and produce tonnes of guzgogs unlike mine which are looked after, although having said that mine are fairly new

They do say that they should be pruned into a goblet shape so you have plenty of airflow through the centre of the bush to help prevent mildew to which some varieties are prone

You could look for dead, damaged or diseased branches and get rid of those but I'd be careful not to overdo it or you won't get any fruit at all. You could do absolutely nothing with it and see what fruit it does produce. Clearing away the weeds etc round its base wouldn't hurt and maybe a feed when you see guzgogs appearing later in the year.

[Glen]

I have noticed a green fungi growing over most of the bushes. Is this Mildew?

What can i do to get rid of it if it is?

[richyrich7]

See how it goes after removing the 3D's as above and you can take hardwood cuttings from it later in the year if it doesn't produce well enough  

[richyrich7]

Difficult to see the "fungi" you are talking about Glen it could be just a normal covering of lichens etc that a lot of woody stems get as they age,

[Glen]

What if the main trunk has Mildew?

[compostqueen]

I don't think it will have, most prob lichens as has been suggested.  

They are remarkably tough as as I said my neighbours bare fabulous fruit with no intervention whatever    As do his blackberries and rhubarb  

[richyrich7]

What if the main trunk has Mildew?

Mildew is usually a silver grey ish colour you can get sprays to kill it, but from the photo's it looks green,

I still think it's probably lichen etc like you get on tree's the unkept state of the bush would keep the humidity up around the trunk and branches encouraging it to grow.

[gobs]

They are beautiful, I'd agree to leave them well alone now and would suggest you have a close look, so you can tell between fruiting canes and leaf/flower buds will help you no end next winter.

The thing is, as said, a lot of gooseberry happily sets fruit without much pruning help, but yours there beautifully shows it is of the very distinct weeping growth habit type, so a goblet wouldn't be a good shape for it. And by the looks of it it has been started of quite appropriately as a half standard as it seems to have some clear trunk. I'd keep that and let it naturally hang from there.

The green thing can also be moss, neither of those you need to worry about.

[Glen]

Thanks all, i am clearing the plot directly in front of these so as i go i will clear around their trunks. They will be left in situe this year to see what i get next year.

So with these i have Gooseberry, Redcurrants, Strawberrys, Green Guage, Elderberry and Blackberrys! All inherited from the previous plot owner!

Brilliant!

[richyrich7]

Thanks all, i am clearing the plot directly in front of these so as i go i will clear around their trunks. They will be left in situe this year to see what i get next year.

So with these i have Gooseberry, Redcurrants, Strawberrys, Green Guage, Elderberry and Blackberrys! All inherited from the previous plot owner!

Brilliant!

That's great Glen, all I got was weeds,impoverished soil and a pan from years of rotovating and not hand digging.

[Glen]

I hope to be taking orders soon! Lol  

[richyrich7]

Good Idea my OH loves green gage's but there's not many down our site    mind you we all just go scrumping on all the plots that have fruit trees and are unused, there's an old rare apple variety near to mine, must be nice as I never get a look in  :roll:

[Glen]

I am told by the other allotmenteers on my site that he green guage sits on neutral ground so its first come, first served!

I now have 240 volts wired to the tree to keep their theiving hands off!

Where there is a will there is a way!!