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goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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Posted by goodlife (My Page) on Sat, Jan 28, 06 at 6:10
| My soft fruit bushes which are three years old are not fruiting. We have a temperate climate with some frosts. They are mulched and watered regularly and look very healthy. Have tried pruning and not pruning with no luck. Any ideas welcome, would love to make jams and goosberry pie! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| Don't know what's going there. Too much nitrogen perhaps? Do you fertilise? If so with what? Have you tried adding some potash? |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| They like acidic soil. Is yours acidic enough? Maybe your winters are not cold enough? Just a few ideas, as you seem to be doing all the right things anyway. |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| haven't tried potash will give it a go. Not sure what the ph is on our soil. Our winters seem to be cold enough I have to scrape ice off the windscreen several times during the winter and we get a reasonable thickness of ice on any standing water. We are inland and at about 500m above sea level. We manure with a mix of sheep and chicken perhaps this is putting too much nitrogen into the soil? Thankyou for your responses will let you know of any improvment. |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| If the manure has aged, particularly the chicken, before adding, it should be okay. It would be worth checking the pH. If you're on limestone it'll be hard to get acid loving things to do well. |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| Hi goodlife where in WA are you? Most soils in WA are alkaline and you have to be careful adding manures such as chicken that will increase the alkalinity of your soil. I assume you are in the south west, where the weather is ok. The Berry Farm at Margaret River grows all these types of fruit. Try some potash and only give the plants fertiliser that will neutralise the soil alkalinity. Do you have any source of pine needles? Helen (formerly from WA) |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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Hi Helen
We live about 50ks inland from Bunbury. The ph of the soil where the fruit bushes are growing is 5.5. There are pine plantations around here so I could get some needles. Do I mulch with them? Will try the potash in spring.
many thanks Lynne |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| The pH sounds fine at 5.5 - not alkaline at all. Let's hope the potash does the trick. |
RE: goosberries redcurrants blackcurrants
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| Hi Lynne if the pH is 5.5 dont mulch with pine needles. Adding the pine needles will lower the pH too much and valuable nutrients such as iron wont be available to the berry plants. Ray is right try the potash and good luck, they are really worth growing Helen |
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