Yesterday, I put the washing outside on the line and noticed that some of the tips of the gooseberry bushes were a bit white. So, I got the secateurs out and pruned this out (as well as another plant nearby). I brought the clippings into the house so I could spy on them with my USB Digital Microscope and took some photos.
Is this American Gooseberry Mildew? Not many shoots were affected and these have been removed. I’m not the world’s greatest pruner but the 3 gooseberry bushes all had been pruned last year (for the first time!).
Perhaps I need to be more brutal and prune harder (or more). Overcrowding (poor air circulation & increased humity) encourages this mildew.
Another problem was spotted – the Gooseberry Sawfly larva. I think I spotted them later last year. Only saw a couple of the larvae – now squished. Last year, I noticed them when I spotted the “poo” on the lower leaves. This time, it was just sheer luck I spotted a partially eaten leaf.
On the other plant I pruned, I spotted some caterpillars.
And while it was crawling on my desk… it left something behind….
