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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31 Aug 14, Alva (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
We live in a black frost area. Hot wet summers and dry cold winters.
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30 Aug 14, Gwenneth (Australia - tropical climate)
Can you prune this plant after fruit has finished?
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14 Dec 14, Kay (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I wish to know the same thing. It is December in Brisbane. I got a reasonable crop. Those bugs attached but no matter how prolific they are I am like a terrier as I am determined not to lose the bush like I near did a previous season but it has left the bush big and rangey. It is just starting to bear some fruit but I would love to prunit6 it but I am not game unless I kill it.
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10 Sep 14, Crinia (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I prune mine back hard whenever they get too leggy. Best to prune at the end of fruiting season. I put some in the poly house over winter and they have shot back fine. The two I left out in the frost as an experiment have not regrown.
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26 Nov 14, Stuart (Australia - temperate climate)
many years ago when i lived in England we grew goosberries in the back garden then lived through cold,frost,snow,you name it they were fine,alas i`m not sure what type of goosberry they were.
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09 Sep 14, Lisa (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I gave mine a hard pruning after it stopped flowering/fruiting last year and it's now sprouting again. I live in Tasmania so kept it in my hothouse in a pot over winter.
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24 Aug 14, Amanda Mac (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am interested in purchasing some cape gooseberry seeds. I am on the northside of Brisbane. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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25 Aug 14, Emily (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a cape gooseberry in my garden (north brisbane) if you would like to take some fruit for seeds
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31 Aug 14, Anitha (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi can I have some fruit for seeds too....
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18 Aug 14, Ruth (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all, Is it true that all parts of the Cape Gooseberries (including the unripe fruit) are toxic? There seems to be conflicting info out there. I started some seeds from the Diggers Club undercover over a month ago, just sprouting now, so will plant out against a fence to keep away from frost. - Melbourne has had more frost than last year. Great germination rate so 20 was probably too many but looking forward to my first harvest. Awesome site by the way. Just found it today...
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Showing 391 - 400 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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