That's a picture from some weeks ago - the raspberries are doing it too but not nearly as much and they don't get that speckled look. The gooseberries have it growing and effecting more and more leaves. It is starting to happen to leaves closer to the top now too. It happened last year as well at the end of the year and they eventually lost all their leaves, though I thought then that it was just stress as it was their first year post transplant and they were really stressed in their pots at the store when I got them. (Kind of a rescue operation there.)

They came back strong with a lot of growth this year and they have a LOT of berries and they are still growing a lot of new healthy looking leaves even now. (see overall picture of the plants)




I've been thinking it was some kind of illness but now I'm wondering if maybe it is a nitrogen deficiency? If it is.. any advice on what to try? The dirt here is REALLY sandy, with a neutral/base PH. They are against the fence which keeps the neighbor's pine tree from eating my garden but it drops needles on them constantly so I keep expecting the soil to be acidic but it stays between 7 and 6 pretty regularly. I spread in several pounds of composted manure to get the garden started last fall, and I give it a shake 'n feed time released fertilizer and maybe once a month I attach a fertilizer to the hose and water them with that. I covered them with a ceder and pine chip mulch this year.

Any thoughts? Thanks!