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
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • 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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24 Oct 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous to humans too, so don't spray onto something you are going to eat.
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22 Oct 18, Kerri Hingston (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where can you buy plants from
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23 Oct 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try a seed selling company on the internet. i doubt any nursery would sell seedlings - not a common plant.
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04 Oct 18, Dirk (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Is there any export opportunities for Cape Goosberries and who can I contact?
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29 Sep 18, promila Relan (Canada - zone 4a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
I bought cape berries from farmers market in Calgary Alberta, I remved the seeds from the caper berries. It was in July.--too hot outside. So I kept the tiny pot inside and re potted them as needed. It was very easy. Now I have three plant in three pots about 18 inches tall.and I am waiting for summer- Now I need to know will I have fruit if planted outside and when. I also want to know the precautions necessary to be successful. I do love gardening
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22 Sep 18, ruby (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
I have Physalis plant & it is just loaded with fruit not ripe yet, I had to bring in the house as was getting to cold outside. My plant is about 40 inches tall with the pot. I need to know how to treat the plant as I want the fruit to ripen They are very delicious. Red Deer AB Canada Help PleaseRuby
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19 Sep 18, Gerry McCarthy (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
We are growing physalis in the Kenya highlands for the past 15 months. Have many questions and would love to connect with a south african grower/growers to chat further. Thanks.
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02 Sep 18, Margaret Doro (Australia - temperate climate)
You can buy cape gooseberry seed from www.edenseeds.com.au
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25 Aug 18, George (Canada - zone 4a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Is it little too late now to only have a few developing fruit? I've read that fruit takes 60 days to mature on the plant.
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25 Aug 18, Dorothy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi. Can anyone help. I live in the Redlands and can grow cape gooseberries beautifully but Pest love them. I get about three different types of insects and a grub. Incesticide doesn’t help much, tried clay dust, all sorts... I have heard about boiled up ruhbarb leaves works against bugs. Can anyone help please. Dorothy
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Showing 141 - 150 of 556 comments
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Hello George Cape Gooseberries planted in the ground need little or no extra Nitrogen fertiliser otherwise they will grow too much vegetation with very little fruit. Just before or at flowering time you should add Phosphorus - I add half of the recommended amount every 2 weeks. Phosphorus increases the number of flowers. After the fruit starts to form I start adding small amounts of Potassium to the soil or watering with a liquid Potassium - the liquid Potassium is absorbed quicker. Potassium is responsible for making the fruit sweeter or with flowering plants ( roses etc.) the flowers bigger and more colourful. It is a very common mistake that Potassium makes more fruit and flowers - it's Phosphorus that does that. I have been growing Cape Gooseberries for at least 35 years this way so I know by experience and I have experimented with these fertilisers. I also grow not only the usual citrus (10 dwarf trees in pots and some in the ground), bananas, figs, but other fruit like Star Fruit, Dragon Fruit , Black Sapote and I always use the same fertilising procedure with very good results. I grow my Cape Gooseberries in the vegetable garden - 3 plants in a row with 4 x 1.8 metre stakes and thin rope wound aroud the 4 stakes to keep the plants from spreading out over the garden.

- John W

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