I’d been getting all excited about our gooseberry bush. It is bursting with green berries. I had visions of gooseberry fool and pickles and pies and all sorts of yumminesses. And then this afternoon I saw it. MOULD. On the end of nearly every fruit-heavy branch.
What a sad waste - I hacked off about 100 berries
It seems that we have American Gooseberry Mildew. Just like the Yanks, coming over here and ruining our traditional summer desserts. So I went and hacked the plant back, following advice on websites, although it looks like I might be a bit late – you’re meant to do that in the winter. I don’t know if this will stop the spread this year, but I’m going to watch it like a hawk now. Mostly the advice said to plant resistant bushes. Not much good if it’s already there.
Anyone else inherited a gooseberry plant that was mouldy? Will I get any fruit this year?
The Vicar's Wife 
You can have our gooseberries! We’ve got a huge bush sans mould but none of us eat them in this Vicarage. We’ve got grateful neighbours though!
Prune the middle of the bush in early spring to promote air movement in the middle of the bush, then use lots of ash on the roots. We burn our confidential paper work and then put it on our fruit bushes (when it’s cool, obviously!) More experienced gardeners in my family say this is good for preventing mould.
Hello Gill, and welcome to the Vicarage.
I’m glad that ash is good as we’ve already put loads on that bed from our wood burning stove. Having pruned the mouldy bits off a couple of weeks back now, the remaining gooseberries are surviving mould free – hooray! But serious pruning for next year, definitely.
PS You don’t live in Highgate do you? I had a good friend when I was a teenager whose mum had your name…
No, not Highgate…currently a trainee-vicar’s wife at Trinity, in Bristol. Found your site when trying to find out what I need to learn!