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Gardeners’ Forum: “fruit bushes - currant/gooseberry”

• fruit bushes - currant/gooseberry

  Posted by elizabeth on Wednesday, May 9, 2001 12:47 pm ADT

  every year without fail my blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes don't quite come to full fruit - they look like something crawled all over them and ate them (but I can't find any sign of anything on them). They loose all their leaves and almost all of the fruit - the bushes look like they're dead (they're not yet!!) about 2 weeks before the fruit is ready. I'm getting totally frustrated with them. But I want the fruit!! Anybody have any ideas what is causing these problems? And what I can do to fix it??

  • re: fruit bushes - currant/gooseberry

    Posted by Howard Harvey on Wednesday, May 9, 2001 2:08 pm ADT

    It sounds to me like the "cane borer". During the growing season, you will notice a black line cut around the cane. This is the "cane borer" at work. It usually happens on the tender branches and fairly high up the cane. A small egg is deposited in the cane - it develops into a worm and bores right down to the root - eventually to kill the cane or usually to stop it from fruiting the next season just when you expect a good crop. The solution is to cut the cane off about five inches below the black cut mark and discard the cut part of the cane. In a bad year, I have seen the same cane hit more than once by this borer. It is a mechanical solution and all the canes have to be watched throughout the season. This borer also loves "alpine current" hedge but doen't have such a devastating effect on the hedge. Good luck.

  • re: fruit bushes - currant/gooseberry

    Posted by Howard Harvey on Wednesday, May 9, 2001 5:50 pm ADT

    I forgot to mention the sure sign that the "cane borer" is in action ---- once the black line is cut around the cane, the life to the top of the cane is affected and will begin to wilt and bend over. At this point, it is easy to spot the affected canes. I have seen where some will begin to look normal again, somewhat, but if you do not cut off the cane , as described before, the damage will still be done, and the cane will not produce fruit the following year.

  • Gooseberry

    Posted by Len Jones on Thursday, June 28, 2007 4:32 pm ADT

    A new long stem has appeared on a standard bush alongside normal shoots with different shaped and slightly yellow leaves and no fruit. any ideas?

  • re: fruit bushes - currant/gooseberry

    Posted by Bruce on Sunday, October 12, 2008 5:24 pm ADT

    Our bush is over two years old and is robust. Last year it had one l,arge fruit. This year there is no sign of flowers or fruit. What is problem please.