Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	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

05 Nov 13, BARBARA SKELTON (Australia - sub-tropical climate): The leaves of my goosberry bush are turning yellow. Does this mean we need to fertilise more often?
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30 Aug 14, sue (Australia - temperate climate): I have observed my leaves turning yellow also, but what I have noticed is that as they turn yellow, there are new young green leaves [new growth] appearing right next to yellow leaves.these are just old leaves dying off as new leaves appear. Hope this helps. SUE
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30 Oct 13, Henry Phaltas (Australia - temperate climate): Dear sirs, I love to have GOODBERRY........IS THIS INCA BERRY,.......ALSO MACA......do you have BOTH SEEDS. I live in SYDNEY.......High regards Henry
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26 Oct 13, Henry (Australia - temperate climate): Dear Sirs, Kindlt advise how I buy the seeds of incaberry. Regards Henry
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08 Sep 13, Kay Bodman (Australia - temperate climate): My bush is covered in 'fruit' - they stay green, very few ripen. if they do they are only half recipe. Many do not form. The bush is in full sun, very drained, and fed. Any clues. I am lucky to get 25 pods per week. Thak you
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04 Sep 13, Kay White (Australia - tropical climate): Bunnings sell cape gooseberry plants in Queensland
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03 Sep 13, Kaye (Australia - tropical climate): I have very vigourous looking plants with a few pods but nothing in them. What am I doing wrong? Ihave a friend nearby who gets heaps or fruit so it,s not my zone.
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15 Aug 13, John (Australia - arid climate): Hello - 4 stakes on the ground in a square around the bush - each stake about 450mm - 600mm apart and wind some cord (not string) around it to form a "cage" will do the trick - with about 250mm between each horizontal cord so you can reach into the plant. Any stems that protrude can be pushed back in.
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15 Aug 13, John (Australia - temperate climate): I live near Brisbane Qld Each year after all the gooseberries are picked I cut them down to about 50-100mm high. They regrow from this fairly quickly. If they seem to be getting high and straggley you can cut them back by about half (about 30mm high) and end up with a shorter but thicker bush ( and more gooseberries ) Plenty and regular water but not waterlogged and a frequent dose 10-3-6 fertilizer
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15 Aug 13, John (Australia - temperate climate): Hello - if you know anyone with any bushes just get 4 or 5 of the gooseberries, squash them and put them in the garden with a light covering of soil - they will spring up very soon. Thats how I keep about 8 plants growing all year. When you have picked all the gooseberries, cut the bush down to about 50-100mm high and it will sprout up again, year after year if the frost does not kill it off.Usually they will self seed from the gooseberries that fall off and are not picked up.
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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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GardenGrow

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Your comments and tips

GardenGrow

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Your comments and tips

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