Gooseberry FAQ
Flower Initiation
Please advise: When is the (fruit) initiation period for this gooseberry?
My plant did not fruit last year - what would be the most likely cause/s? My plant is in semi-shade, but possibly had some competition from adjacent trees last season. It is four years old and set approximately 10 berries the season before.
Gooseberry flowers are borne on 1 year old wood on short spurs of older wood. Flowers are self-fertile and are pollinated by wind, insects and bees. Grown in groups especially in difficult areas will result in better fruit set.
Location is important; they do not like full sun prefer partial shade, cool moist conditions and good air circulation. Too much wind could break branches.
They do need 800 to 1500 chilling hours. The blueberries - Tasty Blue, Blue Dawn and Blue magic require 700 hours and they can be grown from Kaitaia to Invercargill. So these hours are achievable.
They are moderately nutrient hungry and do not like drought conditions. Could this be a problem growing under tall trees maybe?
No Fruit
About 3 -4 years ago I purchased a Gooseberry Invicta from my local Palmers Garden Centre. The plant looks fine, but it has never ever fruited. We live in New Plymouth and I don't understand why it does not fruit your info says that it should fruit in South Auckland , so why not New Plymouth, we do get a bit of frost in the winter too - I'm very frustrated, can you help?
Thanks for the reply - my reponses to your questions are below:
What do you feed your plant?
Plenty of compost and a general liquid fertilizer.
Have you had flowers? No
Were there frosts when the flowers were on your plants? Never seen it flower.
Where in your garden have you planted the gooseberry plants? Sheltered warm position with little wind, southerly position open to the cool winds of the south, etc.
It's facing South with a wind break behind it, but we are fairly sheltered
with shelter belts around our paddocks - also next to it is a Raspberry bush which fruits and also in this area are runner beans and citrus trees which all produce quite happily.>br>
Were the plants healthy, lush and green, strong canes this spring and summer? Plenty of lovely green leaves and looked healthy.
The plants will be looking tatty now as they are closing down for
the winter. Yes it is now looking tatty and dying back for winter.
How tall are your plants? About just under 1m high I would say without going out and actually measuring it (I'm not a home at present to do this) Further to my earlier reply I have measured the plant and the longest branch reaches to 29 inches in height.
Also I forgot to mention that I asked the staff at Palmers last year what to do and they told me to feed it Sulphate of Potash - which I did and did again this year.
Can you give me a little more information please? I find it very unusual that your plant has not fruited, the conditions in New Plymouth should be ideal.
What do you feed your plant?
Have you had flowers?
Were there frosts when the flowers were on your plants?
Where in your garden have you planted the gooseberry plants?
Sheltered warm position with little wind, southerly position open to the cool winds of the south, etc etc.
Were the plants healthy, lush and green, strong canes this spring and summer? The plants will be looking tatty now as they are closing down for the winter.
How tall are your plants?
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have been trying to contact a colleague who is more expert in this field.
Here are three possibilities but the third is properly most likely.
1/ Flower and fruit formed on 2 year old wood and spurs of 3 year old wood. Although unlikely to be pruning this hard maybe worth pointing out where the flower and fruit are formed.
2/Although you have not seen a flower. The frost will damage the buds developing therefore will not see the flower. Frost protection would be the first suggestion for this year.
3/ Your plants could have Gooseberry mite. It is too late to save the buds for the coming spring as the mite is already in the bud. You will not be able to see them. It has been suggested that you spray sulphur in early spring once to remove this little blighter. Therefore you should get flower buds next spring. Sulphur hopefully will be available at your local garden centre or an alternative is a combination spray with sulphur in it. You could spray Lime Sulphur but this needs to be before bud break as it is toxic to the foliage.
I hope this helps you. Best of luck with this very small but painful problem.
Flower Initiation
Please advise:
When is the (fruit) initiation period for this gooseberry?
My plant did not fruit last year - what would be the most likely cause/s?
My plant is in semi-shade, but possibly had some competition from adjacent trees last season. It is four years old and set approximately 10 berries the season before.
Gooseberry flowers are borne on 1 year old wood on short spurs of older wood. Flowers are self-fertile and are pollinated by wind, insects and bees. Grown in groups especially in difficult areas will result in better fruit set.
Location is important; they do not like full sun prefer partial shade, cool moist conditions and good air circulation. Too much wind could break branches.
They do need 800 to 1500 chilling hours. The blueberries - Tasty Blue, Blue Dawn and Blue magic require 700 hours and they can be grown from Kaitaia to Invercargill. So these hours are achievable.
They are moderately nutrient hungry and do not like drought conditions. Could this be a problem growing under tall trees maybe?