How To Grow a Gooseberry Bush

Gooseberry Bushes
An ideal fruit for the small garden - gooseberry bushes are easy to grow, produce a large amount of fruit for their size and will tolerate partial shade conditions.

They are self-fertile, so one bush can be grown on its own. Gooseberry bushes are also well able to withstand harsher conditions (both temperature and wind) than many other fruits. This makes them a good choice for cooler areas.

Usually grown in the form of a small bush, they can be trained to any shape and are especially recommended for pot culture.

GOOSEBERRY QUICK GUIDE

Latin Name
Ribes grossularia

Type
Hardy deciduous shrub (height 1m (3ft), spread 1.5m (5ft)).

Site and Soil
Sunny (part shade is OK). Soil well drained, well-dug and composted before planting.

Plant to Harvest Time
2 years.

How Many?
5kg (11lbs) per plant

Where To Grow Your Gooseberry Bush

Gooseberry bushes are very tolerant of different conditions, although in an ideal setting they prefer full sun in cooler areas. The lower temperatures allow the fruit to mature slowly rather than being 'cooked' into maturity by a warm sun. They are well-suited to the Midlands and North West of England. Tolerant of partial shade, the variety Whinhams Industry prefers a partial shaded site - a North facing wall suits it fine.

Right - the variety Leveller.
Possibly the best tasting gooseberry.

Unfortunately, gooseberries are not so tolerant of bad soil conditions - they need a medium weight soil which is well-drained but not dry. They need moisture in the soil if the fruits are to develop fully. They do not require a very fertile soil, too fertile and the plant produces too much weak green growth at the expense of good fruit.

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Name: jim@GardenAction
E-mail: webmaster@gardenaction.co.uk
Date posted: December 21, 2011 - 04:10 pm
Message: The larger the container the better.

Name: Frann
E-mail: Frann.leach@yahoo.ie
Date posted: December 20, 2011 - 05:59 am
Message: I will be growing gooseberries in containers. Can you advise what is the best size?

Name: jim@GardenAction
E-mail: Private
Date posted: December 01, 2011 - 10:37 pm
Message: You can grow anything in pots! Just make sure plant foods are added from time to time and that the pot does not dry out.

Name: joseph bryant
E-mail: Private
Date posted: December 01, 2011 - 01:14 pm
Message: could you tell me if it is possable to grow gooseberry in pots

Name: jim@GardenAction
E-mail: webmaster@gardenaction.co.uk
Date posted: November 09, 2011 - 03:44 pm
Message: Hello Nigel.
Time will tell, perhaps the bush is not physiologically old enough to bear fruit. Leave it another year.

Name: nigel
E-mail: n_stimpson@sky.com
Date posted: November 09, 2011 - 03:33 pm
Message: i have had a gooseberry bush for 2 years still no fruit could you tell me why

Name: Kallinath
E-mail: Private
Date posted: September 24, 2011 - 02:48 am
Message: Sir,
Kindly let me know the meaning of gooseberry in Kannada language. If not possible, atleast the popular Indian name for gooseberry.
Regards,
Kallinath

Name: victor gakanje
E-mail: vgakanje@yahoo.co.uk
Date posted: September 12, 2011 - 04:18 am
Message: how much are goosebury plants in sheffield .where can i get them in sheffield

Name: Bernadette Pearson
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 02, 2011 - 05:55 am
Message: Hi, I planted my gooseberry,blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes this spring. They are growing well, but rather out of control, no flowers so far (is this normal) should I prune them to strengthen the roots for this year and if so when. Not really expecting any fruit this year. Is this correct?

Name: david park
E-mail: parklonewolf@hotmail.com
Date posted: July 06, 2011 - 10:58 am
Message: when do you pick the berrys when they are still green are turning colour

Name: VAL WRIGHT
E-mail: tomandval@blueyonder.co.uk
Date posted: July 04, 2011 - 10:33 am
Message: We planted a pot grown Gooseberry Bush this summer(2011). The Gooseberries when formed developed greyish brown patches, is this some kind of disease or pest? please advise Val.

Name: sandy
E-mail: prinny44@msn.com
Date posted: July 03, 2011 - 04:06 pm
Message: hello wonder if you can advise me, i bought a gooseberry bush 2 years ago, cant remember what kind it was, but this year it has grown really well lots and lots of leave but no flowers just wondered if i should cut it down or let it carry on growing in the hope that i might get some fruit off it. thank you.

Name: David
E-mail: glenmontdahlias@yahoo.ca
Date posted: July 03, 2011 - 07:11 am
Message: As per Jane's message, my gooseberry bushes flower but the fruit falls off before they mature. Could this be caused by insect damage????

Name: jane
E-mail: janedlanglois@cwgsy.net
Date posted: June 29, 2011 - 09:10 am
Message: do gooseberry have flower on them be for the fruit as i do not have eny yet the bush is 3 yeas old thankyou j

Name: steve
E-mail: steveshaw388@gmail.com
Date posted: June 19, 2011 - 09:18 am
Message: hi my gooseberrys have a brown fur type covering on them what is this and can they be used please advise steve

Name: Alex Devlin
E-mail: adevlin@ntlworld.com
Date posted: June 09, 2011 - 08:37 am
Message: Hi! I am badly disabled but like to be outside so I decided to buy some fruit bushes/trees in pots, the goosberries were coming on well but now the leaves appear to be drying up and the small friut is falling off even though it's not edible yet? can it be too much water?.Please advise..Alex

Name: George Fitzpatrick
E-mail: Private
Date posted: June 08, 2011 - 07:40 am
Message: leaves on my bush are being eaten. How can i idenify and deal with problem

Name: Jenner
E-mail: Private
Date posted: May 29, 2011 - 09:15 pm
Message: What can I do if my plant is growing out of control, but not making any berries?

Name: KATHY
E-mail: stevemking@btopenworld.com
Date posted: May 29, 2011 - 09:37 am
Message: I HAVE LITTLE BLU SPOTS ON LEAVES HAVE SPRAYED WITH BUG STFUU STILL THERE