What's eating my captivator gooseberry?

Captivator gooseberry is prized for its near-thornless canes but still faces gooseberry sawfly — its worst threat — which can strip a bush bare in under a week. Currant blister aphid and American gooseberry mildew also attack. Birds steal ripe fruit. Inspect weekly in spring and act fast on sawfly sightings.

Pale green caterpillars with black spots devour leaves from the bush interior outward; a severe infestation leaves only bare stems by June, reducing next year's fruit buds. Inspect undersides of inner leaves from late April; crush egg clusters; spray spinosad or pyrethrin as soon as larvae appear; repeat if a second generation hatches in July.

Red-blistered, cupped young leaves with aphid colonies on undersides; weakens new shoots and reduces berry set. Treat with insecticidal soap at bud burst; avoid excess nitrogen which promotes the lush growth aphids favour.

Bullfinches eat flower buds in late winter, reducing the crop before it starts; blackbirds take ripe berries. Net from late winter through harvest; a permanent fruit cage pays for itself quickly on soft-fruit plantings.