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Author Topic: Gooseberry Sawfly  (Read 9853 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Gooseberry Sawfly
« on: March 23, 2012, 11:14:09 am »
I know we have discussed this on here before and I said that I try to keep them under control by squashing every little sawfly larva that munches on my gooseberry leaves.
However, I am about to plant some new bushes and was wondering if anyone has an effective, non-chemical method of controlling them which is not so high input as squashing them?
I was wondering if growing the bush on a 'leg' ie a single stem for the first 6" or so, then putting a grease band round it, would stop the larvae from climbing up out of the soil.  Has anyone tried this?
Or would something simple like soap spray affect them?
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

ellisr

  • Joined Sep 2009
  • Wales
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2012, 11:25:43 am »
I find putting rhubarb leaves in water and letting them stew then using the water and watering all over the plant and leaves really helps with bugs

Hermit

  • Joined Feb 2010
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2012, 12:02:39 pm »
Sounds a good idea, garlic is supposed to do the same.

ellisr

  • Joined Sep 2009
  • Wales
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2012, 02:24:57 pm »
yeah but garlic is a valuable crop where as rhubarb leaves are just waste.

The rhubarb leaf juice works well on cabbages, brussels, peas and beans etc but avoid lettuces if you can. It keeps the nasties that try and eat the veg before you at bay and is FREE

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2012, 04:07:27 pm »
I've got MASSES of rhubarb  :thumbsup:   If it works against cabbage caterpillars it should also work on the sawfly larvae so I will give it a go.  I also have some of last years garlic which is past its best so I will add some in.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2012, 04:24:31 pm »
But in the evening, please after the bees have gone to bed :o I give my bushes a good old shake every morning and my banties eat the catterpillers.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2012, 06:35:41 pm »
But in the evening, please after the bees have gone to bed :o I give my bushes a good old shake every morning and my banties eat the catterpillers.

Don't worry Silvia, I love my bees too (in fact I will start another thread as I want to say something about that).   My hens do scratch around under the bushes but they have such a huge area in which to free range that they clearly miss most of the sawfly larvae, as plenty are left.  One year the wasps ate them all, but I couldn't get to the gooseberries to pick any, because of the enormous wasps nest in the branches of one bush.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

chairmanphil

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Oxfordshire
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2012, 08:29:18 pm »
it seems like good pruning really improves this as well. i use the John Seymore way of cutting them and it keeps them at bay. they do hate a breeze the little blighters
1 acre of land where i am clearing trees and a swimming pool so we can make the land productive. MK3 hilux single cab pickup which has been completely rebuilt over the last 2 years matt black and cool as! no animals yet except a very furry black cat called Hansel (he is so hot right now)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2012, 11:42:33 pm »
Ah - interesting  :thumbsup:  My gooseberry bushes have been totally scalped this year as they were very overgrown so I will see if that workas for them, and I will pay more attention to pruning the new ones, which will be in a more open situation anyway.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Gooseberry Sawfly
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2012, 12:15:50 am »
a gardening program suggested wood ash round the base, when you shake the bush they can't climb back up.
BTW, my hens won't touch them.
I used to use mild washing up liquid solution, they would all start wriggling so you could see them, then drop them in a bowl of soapy water, however it is kinder to make it a quick end, we may hate them, but it isn't their fault they are sawfly caterpillars ???
Look for pin pricks in the leaves. hopefully you can catch the whole batch under one leaf.

 

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