| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Mithril |
When to net gooseberries from saw fly larvae?A couple of my gooseberry bushes got ravished last year - not a leaf left in the end, despite removing as many as I could each day.The leaves are starting to come through now. When should I net them? |
| Finsky |
Gooseberry sawfly larvae over winter in the soil underneath the bushes..so rather than netting, which would stop bees getting to the flowers, you would be better off making thick mulch and stopping the hatching flies getting up and about.
Thick layer of wet newspaper and covered with something else (spent compost, manure, straw etc.) will keep them well down. One thing that I accidentally came across that stopped sawfly appearing on my bushes was rhubarb leaves. One time I used to tidy up my rhubarb stalks on log nearby my gooseberries..and as I can be bit lazy..instead of taking the green bits into compost bin, I just shoved the leaves under the bushes...out of site=tidy 
And as a result of my mulching I haven't had gooseberry sawfly attacks for years..and yes..I still carry on with the habit. I don't know if it has something to do with oxalic acid in the leaves or if it is just purely physical barrier that has the effect..what ever it is, it works!
|
| Went |
Great tip there Finksy, will try the rhubarb leaf mulch this year. |
| Finsky |
here is couple of tips that I've read before..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/5551640/Organic-gardening-and-pests-the-gooseberry-sawfly.html |
| Mithril |
Thanks Finsky - I will try the mulch, rhubarb and foxglove tips. Hopefully the latter will deter the larvae I've seen rappelling from the branches of overhanging trees. 
|
| onemanband |
Disturb the soil ?
I used to have gooseberries under a plum tree and would lightly dig under it to prevent plum sawfly - it also seemed to work for the gooseberries. |
| Mithril |
Thanks. I'll give that a go too. |