Zinc Potterman . (delete 123's to reply) wrote:
: This one is really trying my ecological patience.
: I can put up with bugs on my food etc, but my gooseberry bushes have been
: stripped two years running by pesky little caterpillars. One type is a
: sawfly I believe, but another is green all over and quite small (about1-2cm
: max)

: I have tried squishing them but for every 10 I squash 20 appear the next day
: and the plant is overwhelmed. I guess it might kill them.
: Any eco friendly suggestions welcome.
: Tried companion planting of sage. It grew beautifullybut the caterpillars
: don't like it.

I've heard it said that the sawfly attacks younger bushes mainly and as
the bush ages it is less prone to attack. This certainly matches my
experience. I have 18 years goosgog and red currant bushes that have not
suffered and serious damage for years now, but did when first planted.
I've also heard it said that these bushes should only last about 15
years! They are still going very strong.