Gooseberry

Tomstrees · April 10, 2008

Hey everyone - hope all is well.

I came home today to a long package on my front door step ...
Turns out one of my wifes Polish relatives sent us 2 gooseberry bushs in the mail!

Kindof bareroot, and wrapped in newspaper, I got them in the ground tonight.

Wow - now what ??? Anyone grow these before ???

Tips, hints, run ???!!

~ Tom

pbud · April 11, 2008

I'm curious too. I'm growing two varieties from seed this year, but this is the first time so I don't know what to expect either.

amideutch · April 11, 2008

I had gooseberry plants at my other house. They are perennial and I read somewhere in a russian study they
found that the gooseberry and red beets contain a compound that was supposed to retard the aging process in humans. Ami

Sherry_AK · April 11, 2008

They do well in our climate. We had a couple bushes when we lived in Anchorage. I planted one here two years ago, but it hasn't produced fruit yet. They can get fairly large, but are manageable.

Tomstrees · April 11, 2008

Very cool stuff so far.
Glad we're having an overcast day so the transplants don't dry out.
They look in good health so far - will report back!

Thanks, Tom

jungseed · April 11, 2008

a couple of tips. Full sun (will do resonable well in partial shade if necessary) Well drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. Avoid wet areas and very low locations. Mulch well. Most of the fruit is produced on two and 3 year old canes. Prune very early in spring you are looking to keep 4 or 5 sturdy one, 5 two and 5 three year old canes.
They will thrive for 20 years or more with good care.

Tomstrees · April 11, 2008

Thanks so much for the info !!!

I just copied and pasted that for my "garden files".

~ Tom

ps. we're still weighing out our WI trip !!!

Tomstrees · May 12, 2008

I am amazed that the gooseberry bush's have open flowers on them!
Pics to come!

~ Tom

Patapsco Mike · May 12, 2008

Just out of curiosity, what kind of plant quarantine process did these have to go through? Was it easy to do? Did you have to do the work on your end, or did they have to do it?

Tomstrees · May 12, 2008

Mike -

Your def. not the first person to ask me about this.

We just got them in the mail in a big tube from a relative -
I'm gonna do a search to see if gooseberries are not allowed in NJ.

~ Tom

jungseed · May 12, 2008

The states that restrict gooseberry plants are AZ, CA, CO, DE, ME, MA, MT, NH, NJ, NM, WA and WV.
So yes, you are in there.

Tomstrees · May 12, 2008

Uhm yes - so we're going to jail !

~ Tom

Patapsco Mike · May 12, 2008

There is a pretty substantial plant quarantine and inspection program that a person is supposed to go through to get any whole plant from another country to the US. It's to prevent the spread of diseases, insects, fungus, etc. not native to the US. I believe you need a license to receive plants, and maybe some paperwork on both ends. I started the process once, and it was such a PITA I gave up. The fines are pretty terrible IIRC. Billions of dollars are lost because of invasive species and pathogens every year (gypsy moth, chestnut blight, hemlock wooly adelgid, Dutch elm disease, fruit flies, etc. etc), so the Feds take it pretty seriously.

Tomstrees · May 13, 2008

Yeah - these plants were coming in from PA ...
Now I'm not sure what I should do ...

~ Tom

jungseed · May 13, 2008

Tom, if you know the people that sent them to you and you know they don't have disease problems I wouldn't worry. There are several diseases that rasperries have problems with so many states just banned the importing of them across the board. It was easier for the state departments to manage it that way. Most states that banned gooseberries also listed jostaberries and currents as banned.

April 10, 2008	#1
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Gooseberry Hey everyone - hope all is well. I came home today to a long package on my front door step ... Turns out one of my wifes Polish relatives sent us 2 gooseberry bushs in the mail! Kindof bareroot, and wrapped in newspaper, I got them in the ground tonight. Wow - now what ??? Anyone grow these before ??? Tips, hints, run ???!! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 11, 2008	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	I had gooseberry plants at my other house. They are perennial and I read somewhere in a russian study they found that the gooseberry and red beets contain a compound that was supposed to retard the aging process in humans. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 11, 2008	#5
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Very cool stuff so far. Glad we're having an overcast day so the transplants don't dry out. They look in good health so far - will report back! Thanks, Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 11, 2008	#7
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Thanks so much for the info !!! I just copied and pasted that for my "garden files". ~ Tom ps. we're still weighing out our WI trip !!! __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 12, 2008	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I am amazed that the gooseberry bush's have open flowers on them! Pics to come! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 11, 2008	#2
pbud Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area Posts: 173	I'm curious too. I'm growing two varieties from seed this year, but this is the first time so I don't know what to expect either.

April 11, 2008	#4
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	They do well in our climate. We had a couple bushes when we lived in Anchorage. I planted one here two years ago, but it hasn't produced fruit yet. They can get fairly large, but are manageable.

April 11, 2008	#6
jungseed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pardeeville, WI Posts: 318	a couple of tips. Full sun (will do resonable well in partial shade if necessary) Well drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. Avoid wet areas and very low locations. Mulch well. Most of the fruit is produced on two and 3 year old canes. Prune very early in spring you are looking to keep 4 or 5 sturdy one, 5 two and 5 three year old canes. They will thrive for 20 years or more with good care.

May 12, 2008	#9
Patapsco Mike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ellicott City, MD Posts: 62	Just out of curiosity, what kind of plant quarantine process did these have to go through? Was it easy to do? Did you have to do the work on your end, or did they have to do it?

May 13, 2008	#14
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Yeah - these plants were coming in from PA ... Now I'm not sure what I should do ... ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale