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

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13 Mar 18, Jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
If you have any cape gooseberry seeds left. Or you can tell me where I could get some. Would like to try growing some.
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23 Oct 16, Amber (Australia - temperate climate)
I bought a seedling at Bunnings today for just $6 for a 20cm or so plant.
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30 Aug 16, Maria (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have just order Cape Gooseberries seeds from Australia Gardener-Beataricals packet of 30 seeds for $3.50
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22 Aug 16, Mary-Ann (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
green harvest Maleny has them ! have you tried their very tasty close relation Cossack pineapple also at green harvest - we are Dayboro so climate similar
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27 Aug 16, Leah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Bunnings have the seeds!
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29 Sep 16, Sue (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Yes, I just bought seeds from Bunnings. Could not believe my eyes! Whoever would have thought that Cape Gooseberry seeds would be sold in the shops!
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19 Jul 16, Rodney (Australia - temperate climate)
Do I have to prune them at all
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20 Jul 16, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I prune mine as it can get very large and leggy. Prune the top by 1/3 if it is tall, and the side shoots to keep it from spreading.I pick the fruit as it ripens and either freeze or partially cook, then adding more as they ripens till I get enough to make jam or chutney.
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29 Jun 16, Maeve Murphy (Australia - temperate climate)
I am in Dublin, Ireland. I have the golden berry plants in a greenhouse. Do they need to be sprayed against any pests?.
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03 Jul 16, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Maeve, they're pretty hardy, but might get some of the same pests as tomatoes (white fly, etc). I don't think you need to spray them until you see a problem.
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Showing 181 - 190 of 393 comments
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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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