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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06 Aug 18, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I have just picked my rambling cape gooseberry bush clean, anticipating some lovely jam. The berries are tiny. About the size of a small pea! Any hints so I might get fatter ones next year?
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09 Sep 18, Angela (Australia - temperate climate)
I grow the Aunt Molly variant /relative- also known as Ground Cherry. You don’t pick them. You wait till they fall and the case has turned papery and gather them from the ground. This happens very late in the season, seems to take forever. Highly recommend Aunt Molly.
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07 Aug 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Poor soil or growing conditions - the amount of sunlight etc. If you have a smaller weak plant then hit it up with some fertiliser or add some compost or manures around the plant for the next crop.
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02 Jul 18, PETER (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I purchase cape gooseberry seeds
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03 Jul 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Seed selling companies on the internet. Boondie - New Life Seeds - The Seed Collection Company.
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17 Jun 18, Carole (Australia - temperate climate)
My cape gooseberries are growing well in tubs and flowering and setting fruit. My problem is what looks like black jelly inside the lanterns (fruit) I don't know if it is from cucumber beetles or what it is. Any ideas what it is and how to treat it please. I had cucumbers which got decimated earlier in the season and have seen some striped orange beetles on the berry plants
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18 Jun 18, Mike L (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Pick a few and see what it is. We have cucumber fly here. Don't know about beetles. If fly try some sticky yellow fly catching cardbpard. Some of the cheap $2 shops stock it in Aussie.
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11 Jun 18, Glenis Greenwood (Australia - temperate climate)
In Gosford Cape Gooseberry plant just came up itself. A metre high now has flowers and lanterns some with normal fruit but some with distorted leaves and fruit. Looks healthy otherwise. Is it lacking something or too much fertiliser (blood and bone and maybe a bit of dynamic lifter ). Not a lot of sun. Next to little maples and azaleas in garden bed with bush type mulch
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13 Jun 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can't really help you - maybe being in the shade all day and staying wet most of the day due to overnight dew leads to some fungus and diseases. Plant some in a sunnier position next year. If leaves are nice and green it has sufficient fertiliser. If leaves are yellow it needs some fert.
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27 May 18, Jeannie (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Will it grow in full sun in Phoenix, AZ?
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Search -- edible.co.nz Full sun Shelter from winds and tolerates moderate salty marine conditions. Are frost tender and grows as an annual in colder regions. In warmer areas they will grow for several seasons producing seedlings to continue the plants. Frosts can burn the plants but will recover unless the frost was hard. Prune back after all frosts have passed. Cape Gooseberries will grow in a wide range of soils and pHs. Soil must be well draining. Plants will handle periods of drought but too much moisture could encourage fungal problems. Plant in early spring as this will help with an earlier fruit set, space 0.5-1.5 apart. In most situations Cape Gooseberries do not need any fertiliser. Unneeded fertiliser could result in lots of vegetation and little fruit. Pinch out new shoots to encourage bushy growth. Prune back hard in spring to encourage new growth for fruiting. Pests Very few problems unless the soil is too wet and causes fungal problems and rot. ------------------------------------------- if you are going to fertilise only put small amounts on. A 9L water can with a tablespoon or two of fertiliser - with a low N% with some P and K. Don't use the tomato fertiliser - far too much N. A suggestion - a little manure or compost mixed into the soil - compost or mulch around the plants will help cool the soil down in summer - also you will save water by doing this. With your high temperatures I would suggest you make a shade cover for summer - in Australia we have shade cloth - 50-70-90%. Find some cheap wood off cuts and make a frame - then nail the shade cloth to it. Or some black poly pipe about 25mm thick and make an arc over the plants. By the article the plants should only grow to a meter or so high.

- Mike

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