Gooseberry bushs being decimated every year - ideas?

Supercell · 26-03-2023 3:04pm #1

My gooseberry bushes keep getting attacked every year by something that eats all the leaves, literally the whole bush is just sticks by mid summer and as a result cropping is poor.

The first few years i had them they were left alone but no longer. In desperation a few years ago i dug them up in winter, sprayed all the soil off the roots (in case there were eggs or something in it) and moved them about 50 metres away but from the get go that summer they were attacked again.

Has anyone any suggestions how to deal with this?

looksee · 26-03-2023 3:31pm

Gooseberry sawfly. https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/gooseberry-sawfly

I have not had this problem, though I am aware of it. its the dratted crows that decimate my gooseberry (singular) by taking every single fruit just before it is ripe. I hope it gives them belly-ache!

The Continental Op · 26-03-2023 3:36pm

If you have gooseberry sawfly its one of those pests thats worth getting the chemicals out for. They never actually kill the plant but year after year of total defoliation can't do them much good. Scotts Miracle-Gro Bug Clear Ultra should do the job read the label and look up the active ingredient Acetamiprid to make your own mind up. Hand picking if you have a lot of them really isn't very affective.

macraignil · 26-03-2023 4:05pm

I get a small number of saw fly caterpillars on my gooseberries each year but have tried to encourage small birds in the garden that seem to keep their numbers under control. If you have space to plant some dense thorny hedge plants for good nesting sites and additional food for the birds with species like white thorn and pyracantha and provide them with access to water with a water bath or pond then you should see more birds visiting your garden and they will often find caterpillars of a number of varieties to be good food.

Don't trust the chemical insecticides myself as I think they can have a catastrophic effect on pollinator insects and create long term damage to the garden ecosystem where insects like predatory and parasitic wasps actually help control pests like the saw fly. I have noticed predatory wasps in my own garden in good numbers and they will benefit from having flowers over a longer period of the year just like other pollinator insects will, and leaving areas for these types of bugs to have shelter and space to live with bug habitat being easily improved with piles of logs and hollow stemmed plant trimmings. Ground beetles are also said to predate on saw fly and like other insects these could be killed by chemical insecticides.

Happy gardening!

The Continental Op · 26-03-2023 4:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120402839#Comment_120402839

The one I suggested is a systemic so shouldn't directly affect pollinators that don't eat the plant or suck its sap. The normal advice is to spray late evening when there are less pollinators around and to reduce the chance of scorch on the leaves. While I don't believe its safe for bees they do break it down in their bodies so it doesn't kill them. However you should leave it two weeks after spraying before eating any yourself.

The problem with allowing small birds is that big gooseberry eating birds follow.

This is one of the few pests I'd think about spraying chemicals on if its doing a lot of damage. I've had it and literally a day later the plants went from leafy with noticeable caterpillars to virtually bare - you'd think they'd eat themselves out of existence unfortunately not.

macraignil · 26-03-2023 4:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120402921#Comment_120402921

Sorry to hear that the saw fly has had such a bad impact on your plants. As I said in my earlier post I have found the numbers are controlled naturally in the garden here but I do have a strict no chemical policy in the garden and would be worried that the insecticide you are promoting would still get into the food chain with anything eating something that fed on the insecticide treated plant getting a dose of the same chemical. I am not just worried about the pollinator insects being killed by the insecticide but other insects in the food chain with a ground bettle for example feeding on the saw fly eating a treated gooseberry plant very likely to accumulate a toxic dose and no longer being able to provide pest control in the garden for me. I also like to eat food growing in my garden and I simply would not want to do this if it contained toxic chemicals.

Happy gardening!

Furze99 · 26-03-2023 5:09pm

Had a bad attack one year and wiped out all leaves. Derris powder works, watch like a hawk and at first sign, get the Derris out. Not seen them since.

Supercell · 27-03-2023 3:27pm

Thanks guys, did some reading up on sawfly and that looks looks to be the culprit alright. Being a fruit bush which the kids like i'm a bit afraid to go spraying with insecticides. I was reading that Diatomaceous Earth is safe to use and effective. So i've ordered some on amazon and a duster to blow it on the plant. Hopefully the sawflies days of dining on my gooseberries are over!

ttnov77 · 29-03-2023 11:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120406927#Comment_120406927

Gooseberry saw fly also doesn’t like windy conditions so its a good idea to prune out dense bush to open it and plant in space where it gets plenty of airflow

tromtipp · 04-04-2023 10:31am

In the past I have used a layer (1-2cm deep) of wood ash around gooseberries and redcurrants to get rid of sawflies. It raises the Ph and destroys the larvae, which over-winter in the soil. The diatomaceous earth probably works the same way. Good on fruit bushes because there's no fear of eating it.

Supercell · 04-04-2023 11:46am

@tromtipp thanks for that suggestion. I have a woodstove so no shortage of wood ash, i'll give that a go too.

Supercell · 05-05-2023 2:03pm

Made it to May with the ash and Diatomaceous Earth, so far so good, plants look brilliant this year so far..checking everyday (like a nutter) for any signs though :)

Supercell · 09-07-2023 11:33am

Sawfly 0 Gooseberry Jam 3.5KG

First time in years I've gotten enough to make jam, absolutely delighted, thanks all for your advice!

Solid thumbs up from the nippers, win all round!

bored_newbie · 14-07-2023 6:20pm

Well done! We were too late collecting ours and the birds got there first, but there's always next year.

Supercell · 15-07-2023 5:01pm

Thankfully the birds around here haven't cottoned on yet, our gooseberries are green instead of red and while quite sweet when ripe, it seems the birds are not attracted.

Gooseberry bushs being decimated every year - ideas?

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