[nilsatis1964]

I took over my lottie last year and needed to move 3 gooseberry bushes to another part of the plot.  They seem to take fine and have grown lots of new shoots.  The problem is they have got no fruit on them.  The bushes on the next plot are weighed down with green gosseberries.  Any ideas?

[paintedlady]

From personal experience, my gooseberries didn't start flowering/producing fruit until at least 3-4 years old (I also got a bad case of sawfly and total leaf strip 2 years on the trot  ) then last year I got a grand total of 4 gooseberries from 3 plants, and this year there are loads 

To answer your question, it might depend on the age though I really don't know if this is the case, and secondly the move might have disturbed them.  A couple of years ago when Monty on GW was planting out gooseberries, I'm sure he made a point of saying that gooseberries do not need too much manure/compost - if you have added extra to the planting holes, perhaps the plants have sacrificed the flowers/fruit in favour of leaf?

Whatever the reason, as you have only recently moved the gooseberries, perhaps it is as well they are not producing fruit this year but will give them time to settle in and fingers crossed for next year 

[nilsatis1964]

The bushes are quite old so it is probably not age.  I did dig in lots of compost before moving the gooseberries and currant bushes.  I then mulched them with manure in January so the extra leaf production could be from the extra food.  Does anyone know when to prune because they are vicious thorns and I do not want the kids getting cut to pieces.

[DD.]

Prune late autumn, when all the leaves have dropped off.