Gooseberries Dropping

[raisedbedted]

Hi all,

Is it normal for gooseberries to drop fruit by themselves?  The area around my bushes is littered with small fruits but they are under netting this year for the first time.

Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?

Thanks

Adrian

[raisedbedted]

[Gillian]

Mine are all still on. I thinned them out and some had mould growing on them. Sorry I don't really know why they are falling. Are they all gone or just some?

[Mrs Ava]

Could it be a natural drop - such as June drop that apples suffer?  Or, could it be that the plants have completely dried out?  If there are still fruit on the bushes, then I wouldn't worry to much, just look on it as natural thinning.  :-\

[Merry Tiller]

If they drop it's usually down to a frost when the fruit is setting, goosegoggs don't suffer from June drop like apples

[kenkew]

I'm guessing you didn't prune back the lateral branches or cut out middle over lapping stems. If that's so, then the plant is trying to produce more fruit rather than quality fruit. A rescue is to remove half the fruit now. Pick every other one while it's still small.
The only other reason that comes to mind is that your ground is dry. Water, then mulch around the plant.

[raisedbedted]

Oh dear, this doesnt sound good!

This is the first year I've cleared the fruit area and put a cage up - before they were covered in grass, looks like that was a zillion pouns worth of netting wasted!

Could well be the pruning thing actually as they are looking a bit like huge golf balls, will see if theres anything left to thin.

Ho hum!

[chrispea27]

Sounds like early June drop to me. Hope thats all it is. :'(

[jimyb]

Hi all
our goosegogs are also dropping although our 2 bushes where on our second allotment when we took it over so as yet to be prunned just looks like a tangled mess! will start in late june to prune as advised in Kitchen Garden mag

my question can you still use the dropped fruit for crumbles atc they are quite big and seems a shame to chuck away?
???

[Mrs Ava]

I reakon they will be incredibly sharp and acidic.  Might be okay for jams but I don't know if they would be any good for a crumble, but then, nothing ventured.....

[Shoyu]

Sorry, OT, but at first glance I read that as gooseberry droppings!  ;D