Disaster with my gooseberries

[smeagal]

I went away for a couple of days and came back and the branches had been stripped bare but the fruits were untouched .
I have found the culprit sawfly larvae.
I have managed to rescue 3 new green shoots and I hope that the others may re grow leaves .
Has any one else suffered this problem and what can I do to prevent it again?
It is planted in a large pot.

Many Thanks for reading my post
Smeag

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Smeag, the bad news is that there will be three generations of gooseberry sawfly each year so you still have two to go!! Usually starting late April to June, July and August to September. But, the leaves should start to regrow soon and you need to keep inspecting the leaves for the eggs and larvae. The larvea pupate in the soil and three weeks later the flies emerge to lay the next batch of eggs so if you stir up the top surface of the container you might bring them up to the top for the birds to eat. If you spot leaves with holes in then remove them and be sure to keep the top of the container clear of any debris. Good luck!

There are nematodes available to help control the sawfly.

Green Gardener - Specialists in Biological control inc Nemaslug Nemasys and ladybirds for controlling slugs, vine weevils, aphids, chafer grubs,leatherjackets plus home composting, wormeries and wildlife products.

[lisa4star]

I haven't paid much attention to my gooseberry bush this year as my partner does the watering and we have never had any problems before however because of the nice weather I have just been having a nose around the garden and I have noticed my gooseberry bush has been almost stripped bare and not many fruits remaining. I can see little green caterpillars on it (blighters).
Not sure what sawfly is - is that what mine has or is it just caterpillars?
How do I get rid of them?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Lisa, it is the larvae of the gooseberry sawfly that strip the gooseberry bush of leaves. These caterpillars are green and have tiny black spots on them. As the larvae pupate in the soil ready for the next generation of sawfly to emerge I would take a look at these nematodes that are on this link.

Green Gardener - Specialists in Biological control inc Nemaslug Nemasys and ladybirds for controlling slugs, vine weevils, aphids, chafer grubs,leatherjackets plus home composting, wormeries and wildlife products.

[lisa4star]

Thanks Lesley, I will have a look at the link you attached

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh dear, what a shame!

[lisa4star]

I see the nematodes I need are £25 and if I need to do this for another two years then these are expensive gooseberries.

My gooseberry plants were free as I work in an auction house and somehow managed to acquire them at a plant auction.

Is there any other way of getting rid of these little suckers or will I just have to bite the bullet and buy the nematodes?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Lisa, sorry - I didn't realise that the nematodes were so expensive! The larvae pupate in the soil under the bush for three weeks and then the next batch of flies hatch out. So, by using a trowel and searching for the cocoons, then leaving them for the birds to eat you have stopped part of the next generation hatching out. Then carry on checking the leaves for eggs and also the larvae and removing them from the plant. The dates to watch for are late April to June, July and August to September. This method is free and totally organic!

You can buy a spray for when you see the larvae but it is probably better and more satisfying to pick them off yourself and know that you have got the suckers!!

Here is a link to a spray which is made of natural ingredients and the RHS say it is organic.

Bug Clear Gun! for Fruit & Veg 750 ml Ready to Use Insecticide: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

[lisa4star]

That's great Lesley, thank you so much for help. I will look for the culprits daily and feed them to the birds - recycling too, lol!