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 S S S S
                T T T T
              P P P P P

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in Australia - temperate 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 10°C and 25°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 100 - 150 cm 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

25 Oct 11, Tom newby (Australia - temperate climate)
Just seen your comment about sending some seeds if supplied with self addressed envelope. Are your seeds organic and could I try some as they sound great and I can only plant organic plants here. Go the Gooseberry's..
02 Nov 11, Ken (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Tom, Yes, they were supposed to be organic, That's all I can tell you, I can't guarantee it. I got mine from Eden Seeds. Try them or send me an envelope as mentioned. Chers Ken
01 Sep 11, Deb (Australia - tropical climate)
I brought a cape gooseberry plant from Big W in Nambour Sunshine Coast for $10.00.
15 Aug 11, Renate (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can you grow gooseberrys from cuttings
14 Nov 11, Ken (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Yes you can..Ref> Google search Cape gooseberry from cutting
10 Jul 11, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have just bought a gooseberry bush from Bunnings, Tweed, Burleigh and Nerang all have them at only $10 so Im sure Brisbane Bunnings will stock them.
09 Aug 11, Bel (Australia - temperate climate)
Cape Gooseberry is an entirely different species to the Gooseberry bush you bought at bunnings. Cape Gooseberries taste like tiny cherry tomatoes and are from the tomatillo family, where as gooseberries are from similar hedgerow families to blackberries. The bush you bought will produce very sweet, tart berries, but the cape gooseberry is quite different- and nice! Grab some cape gooseberry seeds from ebay, sprinkle a packet over your garden & go nuts!
27 Oct 11, Bill (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Quite right - it just shows the importance of scientific species names rather than only relying in unspecific English names. The European gooseberry is Ribes uva-ursi and closely related to black currants (Ribes nigra). However it seems to be difficult to differentiate these two totally different plants even at the nursery that produces them, as the Physalis peruvianas sold at Bunnings some time ago had the correct information about the plant, but a picture of R. uva-ursi...
07 Jun 11, (Australia - arid climate)
I've never staked them, but I suppose tying up the stems might help like staking tomatoes to keep the fruit off the ground. You could try putting wire mesh around the plants so the stems grow through the mesh for support.
06 Jun 11, Selwyn (Sel.) Hodgson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Are goosberries best grown with a "stake" support or is there a special "trellis" to keep them up off the ground? They are very straggely and fruit gets missed in the undergrowth. HELP! Regards Sel. Hodgson
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