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
    S                  
        T              
        P              

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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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29 May 14, Richard (Australia - temperate climate)
I just received seeds from rangeview seeds and have sown them. Will grow them in my greenhouse for a start
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23 May 14, Frank - Albany WA (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
grows well in well tilled free draining soil . I have a few plants which are growing voraciously one close to 2mts high which i have to prune every 3-4 weeks. I like to go out and just pick and eat 10 -20 'berries' straight off the bush- different flavors depending on the ripeness f the berries.
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07 May 14, Allie (Australia - temperate climate)
I just bought seeds from Fair Dinkum Seeds (fairdinkumseeds dot com). Now to try growing them...
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30 Apr 14, Cher (Australia - tropical climate)
They are so very hardy and tolerant of weather extremes. I've grown them in many areas of Australia, mostly Queensland, and my latest offerings have just survived a drenching from cyclone Ita and are looking great. The harvest is always eaten straight after picking!
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24 Apr 14, archie archive (Australia - temperate climate)
On a West facing balcony in Perth I planted a Cape Gooseberry I bought around September last year. It has been slow growing in its 40cm pot (but it is at least growing unlike the one I bought in 2012 which reached 30 cm and had three fruit). It began setting fruit about six weeks ago and has suddenly spurted - it is over 1.5 mtrs tall (above the pot soil level), bushing and is setting many fruit with many more flowers. My concern is that it is now only a couple of months to the cold weather and I wonder if the fruit will ripen in time and if the plant will over-winter. I remember picking fruit from my Grandfather's self-sown bushes many years ago in Kelmscott but cannot remember which season that was.
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23 Apr 14, elissa (Australia - temperate climate)
All those people looking for seeds I got mine from theseedcollection.com.au
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15 Apr 14, Marion Joli (Australia - temperate climate)
Does anyone know how these plants handle frost?
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02 Apr 14, Diane Elliot (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have saved seeds from my late parents' home. I am so glad to know that Eden Seeds will save me if they are too old to grow. I also used to raid the plants every season.
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12 Apr 14, David Bullock (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Diane, good luck with your seeds, have you planted them yet &/or have they struck? My parents passed away years ago & the house was sold, didn't think about saving seeds then, as almost every second person had them in there back gardens, never thinking that the metre high variety would almost become extinct. Colleen
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06 Mar 14, Colleen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My Father always had cape gooseberries in his garden & I have fond memories of rummaging beneath the metre high bushes to pick up the ripe fruit that has dropped, so bought myself one. It has grown into a straggly climber approx 2 1/2 metres tall & no matter how I prune it I can't control it. Also the fruit doesn't fall when ripe, in fact they can't be easily pulled of the vine but need to be cut. Nursery people don't know what I'm talking about & I only have a small area to plant out. Hope you can help.
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Have a cape gooseberry going on 3 summers now. Not much fruit in first year, bucket load in 2nd summer, now bucket loads in 3rd summer. Red spider mites would attack it from about March through to start of winter, but we just cut it back to about 20cm from base and the spider mites disappear heading into the winter. Noticed about a month ago after the hot weather hit, that alot of new flowers would just fall off at the slightest touch. Put this down to lack of water, so we placed sugar cane mulch to about 6 inches thick and out to a radius of about a meter, then stretched shade cloth over the mulch and pegged down (to keep the blackbirds from destroying the mulch). Under the mulch cover we also placed weaper hose and had this going for a few hours each day, and problem soon resolved with loads more flowers and setting fruit.

- Brad

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