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

30 Jan 17, Lenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Cucumber beetles mencozeb fixed the problem
28 Jan 17, Lenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Striped beetles on plant making a mess
21 Jan 17, Max Collier (Australia - tropical climate)
I am wondering why i haven't got a reply about my Cape gooseberry plant yet, i still don't have fruit coming on?, Max.
13 Apr 17, Quyen (Australia - tropical climate)
Im not expert but i think you must help the pollinating process by using ear cotton stick to touch from flower to another ones. I often do it for some kind of vegetable in my garden. It worked! (or soft artist's brush - Liz)
07 Apr 17, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
How did your Cape Gooseberry go? Did it flower? Did it fruit? I just read your post and saw no reply so thought I'd ask. I hope it ended up fruiting for you.
03 Jan 17, Max Collier (Australia - tropical climate)
I bought a fairly mature plant from Bunnings here in Broome WA, very healthy plant 500 mm high or maybe more?, i put it in the ground & have a drip on to water it, sometimes it withers a bit but then returns to normal, problem is it flowers ok but as soon as the flower has finished it just drops off, no sign of fruit at all, Bunnings say it will come good but i'm not sure about that?, maybe too much water??, some lower leaves are yellow, does that mean anything?, most are bright green, it's been in the ground for about two weeks now, some full sun & semi shade, got to get it right so i can dry some along with figs & also to add to apricots e t c, regards Max Collier.
07 Apr 17, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
try giving it a heap of Blood & Bone
02 Feb 17, Otzi (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm no expert but they like a bit of water. This year with a wet spring our plant got going better than previous. yellow lower leaves, either no light there or needs bit more water. Too much fert. can push leaves at flower expense. Dropping blooms often because a heat burst or insufficient water. I would venture it may be too hot in Broome. Here Melbourne it grows just fine but in open dappled shade. Ours is about 1mt. by 4mts. These outer spreaders die after fruiting. Still need good soaking every day in summer 28-38*C. Oh.. I would seek a higher authority than Bunnings for tricky probs. -- Just reread post. Two weeks, forget it. the y. leaves is as stated. Seedling history in tough conditions. Do prune late winter to tidy up.
23 Dec 16, Noni (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a cape gooseberry bush growing in a pot. Should I prune it at some stage, it is very straggly.
24 Dec 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Cape Gooseberry can be cut back. Remove all spindly, twiggy growth to a main stem then shorten the main stems back to the size you want the plant. You would normally do this in the spring before the main growing period to maximise yield but some judicious pruning now won't hurt. Trust this helps.
Showing 261 - 270 of 557 comments

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.

- George

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