Cape Gooseberries

Anybody growing them this year or in the past?

 

I had them in the past, kept it in the greenhouse in a pot , it was huge, I used to eat them while I was in the greenhouse, my husband didn`t like them.

 

I'm growing the poisonous variety as a present for the last Mrs Zigs

 

yes I have grown before when I was a teenager

Kept in the greenhouse and fed tomato food , late to produce fruit but at the time all my family amazed how exotic it looked and tasted .

Have you plants as I think seed you have left it to late Yvonne

 

Hi guys

I started some seeds in March and my plants are now about 1 foot high. I was going to plant them out on the allotment, or should they stay in the greenhouse? I have about 10 plants so not got a lot of room for them in there.

 

I grew some last year in a polytunnel, despite being started very early they grew over 2m high, but were very late in producing hardly any fruit and wont bother growing again.

 

Hi Yvonne

Stay in the greenhouse if possible dont give them a high nitrogen feed you will end up with all leaves , so tomato food is ideal

 

I get them self seeding on my allotment, but that way you dont get any fruit.
A plant, planted out with the outdoor toms usually gives me fruit in sept/ oct time.

I cant find anyone else that likes them, I like the taste, but not keen on the masses of seeds.

 

My favourite fruit
Love them, grew them one year, in the gh, they got so big I couldnt justify growing them again Oh and kids don't like them, unfortunately they overrule what grows

 

I have a few plants in my conservatory. They are about 2 foot high and I really didnt expect them to flower this year, but they have and they have turned into the fruits now, so I will see what comes of them. I did put one outside but its half the size of the others. The indoor ones seem healthy enough. I think I will go with the traditional UK green gooseberries though next year.

 

I've tried these several times in the past. The one I usually grow produces a highly pubescent, branching plant that produces quite small husks and berries. The plants died completely in winter.

The last couple of years I've been growing a variety that I purchased from 'The Range'. It behaves like a perennial, producing masses of none branching stems stems similar to its relative the Chinese Lantern. The plants have survived being frozen outdoors in a pot but sadly I've never got them to fruit. The potted plants have always died back from dehydration in summer before the fruit had set! I'm going to plant them out this year do it will be interesting to see what they are like.

 

Grew some physalis from seed two years ago. Not much fruit the first year and overwintered one. Cut is right back to about 6 inches the main shoots. Got loads off it last year and grew it outside in a pot. I also sewed a few more last year and kept them cut back so no real fruit but overwintered a few and planted them out this year in large pots. They are coming along steady now. Have a few lanterns on them. But best one is the old one which has now been cut back and overwintered twice! Going a treat in big pot outside the conservatory (below)

 

This is mine, planted them from seed this year. Seems a fair amount of lanterns to me.
I had to open one to see out of curiosity and it was marble size. Hopefully I will get some good fruit. I did plant one outside but its tiny and has very few and small lanterns on it.

 

I have three plants that were sown late. Currently about 10 inches high and all leaves.

Should I leave them in their individual pots, circa 6 - 7 inches in diameter or put all three into a grow bag or or or.

I don't have a glass free house, but I have a tall green plastic grow home and a short clear plastic grow home. Windowsil in the kitchen is full of chilli and pepper plants.

 

As they are a bit late this year I would leave them in those 6-7inch pots and cut the branches back every 2-3 leaves to encourage the plant to keep side shooting. Cut the side shoots back every 2-3 leaves also a few times then leave it alone. You will get some fruit late on if the weather is ok in autumn. At the end of the year before frosts cut it all back to about 8 inch all over and keep frost free over winter and repot in a large 12inch container/bucket next spring. You will get masses of lanterns next year