Gooseberries

[JanetM]

What can anyone tell me about Gooseberries? Or at least I think this is what I want. My neighbor has a couple bushes of white berries and I think they are Gooseberries as I have seen gooseberry pie before. They are never home to ask so just thought I would ask on here.
I picked some last year and baked them in a pie. They taste very good so am interested in seeing if I can plant some on my place. for others who don't know me, I live on 13 acres of woods but have some semi shade here and there around the house. I was reading on Elderberrys post on here and was reading where they grow real fast and in semi-shade so this has perked my interest.
Any information out there from anyone? Janet

[Rebsie]

This is what I think of as gooseberries, which are very popular here in the UK ... is this what you're looking for?



These are unripe ones so they are a bit green. They ripen to a pale golden green.

[robertb]

They do well in part shade; I'm thinking of moving mine under the hedge where nothing else produces. They come very easily from cuttings planted in the autumn, and the only thing you really have to watch out for is the sawfly, which can defoliate them. My solution is to keep knocking the caterpillars off. Some varieties suffer from mildew. Taste depends on when you pick them. If you pick early, you'll need to add plenty of sugar. Leave them till they're really ripe, and you can eat them straight off the bush.

[JanetM]

Yes thanks, these is what I a looking for. Can I take a start off the root of the bushes themselves, or do I need to just do the root cuttings? Seems to me it would be easier to just dig a start from the bushes.

[Rebsie]

The simplest way I've found to take cuttings from them is to bend a branch down and pin it to the ground until it forms roots ... then it can be cut off and will thrive as a separate plant. In fact this often happens spontaneously in my garden when I apply a heavy mulch around the bush and any branches that get caught underneath it quickly start rooting. It's probably best done in spring or autumn though.

It may take some time for the new plant to start producing fruit, as they don't tend to fruit until they're well established.

[JanetM]

My husband did his Azaleas bushes and we now have some to transplant so I know what you are talking about. I might try gathering some seeds to plant and have some to trade. .