When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders has
picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let alone
ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

On 26/06/2013 23:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

To annoy the birds?

I didn't get *any* fruit set on my gooseberries this year. There were no
flying insects about when they flowered and they suffered frost damage
into the bargain. Lots of new strong shoots but no fruit at all!

Shame as one of them is a dark red sweet desert gooseberry almost edible
raw (and delicious when stewed with minimal sugar).

Currants and josta berries both have a crop so it must have just been
very bad timing that the gooseberries failed so completely.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

To annoy the birds?

I didn't get *any* fruit set on my gooseberries this year. There were no
flying insects about when they flowered and they suffered frost damage into
the bargain. Lots of new strong shoots but no fruit at all!

Shame as one of them is a dark red sweet desert gooseberry almost edible
raw (and delicious when stewed with minimal sugar).

Currants and josta berries both have a crop so it must have just been very
bad timing that the gooseberries failed so completely.


We have three bushes, one red one we bought that does not appear to be
fruiting and two given to me by another allotment holder which are covered
in fruit. They are the sweetest Gooseberries I've ever tasted and we eat
them straight off the bush once they are ripe and turned yellow in a couple
of months. No idea on variety, the giver doesn't know either as they were
his Mums, but I'm going to strike some more cuttings as friends could not
believe Gooseberries could be so sweet.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:

When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK



Mine are always covered with mildew. I keep saying to myself that I should
dig the fockers out and do something with the space.

Baz

Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders has
picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let alone
ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

Are you sure they don't have an earlier variety than yours?
Mine are huge but not ripe.

On 26/06/2013 23:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

Picked enough for two puddings just by thinning the bushes. Plenty more
to pick later. Invicta don't get mildew and are pretty sweet when fully
ripe.

Paul
SW London.

Vicky wrote ...

Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has
picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let alone
ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

Are you sure they don't have an earlier variety than yours?
Mine are huge but not ripe.


They were about the same size as mine and very green, like mine, at this
time. They did the same last year, I wonder what they do with them other
than spend a lot on sugar. I'll have to see if I can get the opportunity to
ask. Ours won't be ripe and sweet for quite some weeks yet.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

I wonder if Sweet Cicely has the same effect on gooseberries as it does on rhubarb?

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:

When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK


Some people just don't know when to pick. They see the berries and collect
them. Perhaps that's why.
I like them when fully grown and the hairs have gone and are sweet. But
that is just a memory. If I want to eat mine I have to scrape the mildew
off first. A very tedious job.

Baz

"Baz" wrote

Some people just don't know when to pick. They see the berries and collect
them. Perhaps that's why.
I like them when fully grown and the hairs have gone and are sweet. But
that is just a memory. If I want to eat mine I have to scrape the mildew
off first. A very tedious job.


Try spraying them with a mixture of milk and water and a drip of Fairy
Liquid. You may have to do it a few times. Cured the mildew on one of our
small roses that has always suffered such that a lot of the flowers never
open.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"kay" wrote in message ...


Bob Hobden;986234 Wrote:
Vicky wrote ...-

Bob Hobden wrote:-
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders

has
picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone
ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?-

Are you sure they don't have an earlier variety than yours?
Mine are huge but not ripe.

-
They were about the same size as mine and very green, like mine, at this

time. They did the same last year, I wonder what they do with them other

than spend a lot on sugar. I'll have to see if I can get the opportunity
to
ask. Ours won't be ripe and sweet for quite some weeks yet.
-

/I wonder if Sweet Cicely has the same effect on gooseberries as it does
/on rhubarb?

Bob's allotment neighbour may grow rhubarb or other fruits that are low in
pectin. Gooseberries are high in pectin.

For rhubarb jam, we add 10% gooseberries (halved). Red ones are best, they
look a bit like strawberry pieces:-
http://www.jamworld.co.uk/pec.html






--
kay

On 26/06/13 23:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

1) to make jam
2) to preserve them for making pies, tarts etc.
3) to prevent the blackbirds scoffing them

--
Rusty Hinge

"RustyHinge" wrote

On 26/06/13 23:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
When do you pick yours? I ask as I notice one of our allotment holders
has picked most of theirs already before they are even fully grown let
alone ripe and sweet. Why would they do that?

1) to make jam
2) to preserve them for making pies, tarts etc.
3) to prevent the blackbirds scoffing them


But you can do all that when they are ripe with even more flavour and you
need less sugar.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:

"Baz" wrote

Some people just don't know when to pick. They see the berries and
collect them. Perhaps that's why.
I like them when fully grown and the hairs have gone and are sweet.
But that is just a memory. If I want to eat mine I have to scrape the
mildew off first. A very tedious job.


Try spraying them with a mixture of milk and water and a drip of Fairy
Liquid. You may have to do it a few times. Cured the mildew on one of
our small roses that has always suffered such that a lot of the
flowers never open.

Thanks, Bob.
You may have saved the lives of my goosegerry bushes. I was going to dig
them all up tomorrow. At home and on the allotment.
One final try. I hate giving up after all this time.

Baz