cape gooseberries

can these be grown sucessfully in the UK? have read that they are similar to growing tomatoes? presumably they ahve to go in a green house

 

I grow them, start them early in the greenhouse, then plant out in a really warmspot.
You should get some ripe fruit late summer/ autumn.
I overwinter a plant or two, and plant them out in late spring, that way they are stronger plants to start with.
To get a really good crop a greenhouse would be the best option, but the plants are rampant under glass, and one plant would (I assume) be massive given the luxury of glass.

 

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a115/Durdells/
Scan10003.jpg Are these Cape gooseberries !

 

Physalis, they grew like a weed in my neighbours front garden, my daughter giving a helping hand to pull them out.

 

I grew one plant in th G/H in 06. It got to 6' tall !
The crop wasn't great though - and the first frost killed it.
The berries were smaller than shop bought ones, and not quite as orange.
Worth trying though......

cheers,
Dave

 

Rosietu, they look a bit too orangey to me, I think they are pyhsalis but the ornamental kind.

Probably this.
http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=10158

 

I agree with Pete - ornamental physalis. Cape gooseberries have green, and later brown 'lanterns'.
I grew a couple of cape gooseberries in our polytunnel two years ago and they were rampant and also a bit too tart for our tastes.

 

If you remove the fruit late autumn and keep it in its lanterns in a single layer, in a cool place, they last all winter.
I think I still have a few from last year, and still edible.
They are a bit sour but improve with keeping, although I cant imagine eating a whole plate full.

 

Aha orangey you say...well I have just discovered the
edit colour thingy on this new computer that picture was taken late 60s don't think people ate em then !
very pretty in dried flower arrangements.
As a cook I have dipped them in boiled sugar very tasty the crunch of the sugar with the sharp centre makes for a morish morsel :D

 

If it was physalis peruviana rosie, it would not have survived the winter, especially in the sixties, its not winter hardy.
Physalis alkekengii var franchetii is more or less totally hardy in the UK.
Be carefull its in the nightshade family.