Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
        T              
        P              

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 39 - 59 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-16 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Will happily grow in a flower border but tends to sprawl over other plants.

Your comments and tips

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13 Apr 18, (Australia - temperate climate)
Spacing means how far apart "two" plants are. Row means the distance between rows.
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26 Mar 18, Susan (Australia - tropical climate)
Eureka! My gooseberry seeds have peeped through today. I am on my way now to lots of jam hopefully. Thanks for your help. It has taken 8 weeks to germinate.
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19 Mar 18, Pauline Lambert (Australia - arid climate)
How and where do I grow my Gooseberry bush and how do I look after my bush. Do I prune it hard after fruiting, does it prefer sun or shade. Can it grow in a big pot. I have very little land and it does not get much sun but as I am on a corner and have a lot of Council land I can plant it there if it requires sun. Please help my plant flourish. Many thanks.
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18 Mar 18, Susan (Australia - tropical climate)
Trying to raise cape gooseberry plant from seeds purchased from a seed bank. It’s been 4 weeks and nothing has appeared. How long does it take. Am I too impatient?
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25 Aug 18, Lucy (Australia - temperate climate)
I just had great success with seeds from last years fruit. As they are tiny seeds and prone to drying out I use old sour cream, yogurt, etc. tubs, pierce a couple of drainage holes in bottom, half fill with moist seed raising mix, sow seeds and then pop the clear lid on to keep moisture in. Approx. 4 weeks and the seeds have emerged, now I'm hardening off by having lid slightly off and opening a bit more each day.
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18 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - tropical climate)
2-6 weeks I read for germination. Warm moist soil. Use a light spray to wet the soil. Maybe cover with shade cloth.
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02 Mar 18, Veronica (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I have bought some gooseberries and would like to plant them. Have grown them b4 by throwing rotten ones onto soil and it grew huge. But want to grow them for my parrot
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18 Jan 18, Stephanie Meggitt (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We have an approx 12 month old cape gooseberry that has fruited really well. Looks like it is ready to be pruned now. Is it worth taking cuttings (would like a couple more bushes) and would I just put them in water till they shoot or is more required. Thanks
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19 Jan 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Give it a try - put about 8-10" of the vine in the water. Change the water each 3 days - it might take 2-4 weeks for roots to shoot. I'm doing Malabar Spinach at the moment.
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06 Jan 18, some one (Australia - temperate climate)
How long did u have to wait before taking cuttings. Mine are about 60cm high and just finished fruiting. But also from the mane stem only has 2 shoots about 40cm high
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How I got my Cape Gooseberry to grow from a cutting..The cutting I managed to get was about 3cm long. It was the tip of one of the branches. When I got it home after a 30 minutes car drive, I let the cutting soak in cool tap water for a couple of hours. Then I put the cutting into a small pot with 3/4 of soil. I then put 3 small stakes about 15cm above the pot level wedged around the edge of the pot. Then I use a clear plastic bag and covered the pot. I made a small hole in the bag for ventilation and also for watering the pot without having to take the plastic bag off. keeping it moist but not damped I noticed the cutting was getting bigger and side shoots began to show. When it got to about 15cm tall I transplant the gooseberry into a glasshouse. about 3 months later the gooseberry plant is over 1.5metre tall and has dozens of side shoots over a meter tall. It's like going wild in my glasshouse. And yes, the tree is loaded with fruit but not riped to pick as yet. Since my cape gooseberry took off and produced many side shoots I've been making more cuttings. Now I don't know what the hell I am going to do with all the new plants I've made. So it is very easy to grow Cape Gooseberry from cuttings as long as the cutting has a tip or a nod/ bud where branches or new side shoots going to come out of. Anyone in the Canberra area wanting a cutting or small Gooseberry tree let me know.

- Canh

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