Look out for gooseberry sawfly from late spring onwards. Check leaves regularly for caterpillar damage and control by hand. If this is proving hard, spray bushes regularly with an insecticide.

Martha says some berry bushes should be pruned regularly to ensure they stay prolific. In a recent blog post, she walked readers through her process for pruning raspberry, gooseberry, and currant ...

If you're planting more than one bush, leave 1-1.5m between them. You can also buy standard and fan-trained gooseberry plants. Plant pears in moist, free-draining soil in full sun or partial shade.