Your comments and tips

18 Mar 18, Susan (Australia - tropical climate)

Trying to raise cape gooseberry plant from seeds purchased from a seed bank. It’s been 4 weeks and nothing has appeared. How long does it take. Am I too impatient?

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25 Aug 18, Lucy (Australia - temperate climate)

I just had great success with seeds from last years fruit. As they are tiny seeds and prone to drying out I use old sour cream, yogurt, etc. tubs, pierce a couple of drainage holes in bottom, half fill with moist seed raising mix, sow seeds and then pop the clear lid on to keep moisture in. Approx. 4 weeks and the seeds have emerged, now I'm hardening off by having lid slightly off and opening a bit more each day.

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18 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - tropical climate)

2-6 weeks I read for germination. Warm moist soil. Use a light spray to wet the soil. Maybe cover with shade cloth.

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18 Jan 18, Stephanie Meggitt (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

We have an approx 12 month old cape gooseberry that has fruited really well. Looks like it is ready to be pruned now. Is it worth taking cuttings (would like a couple more bushes) and would I just put them in water till they shoot or is more required. Thanks

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19 Jan 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Give it a try - put about 8-10" of the vine in the water. Change the water each 3 days - it might take 2-4 weeks for roots to shoot. I'm doing Malabar Spinach at the moment.

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06 Jan 18, some one (Australia - temperate climate)

How long did u have to wait before taking cuttings. Mine are about 60cm high and just finished fruiting. But also from the mane stem only has 2 shoots about 40cm high

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30 Dec 17, Jason (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

My cape gooseberry has Black leaves all over and on the vey top they are green . Its currently fruiting seems to be growing well. Has direct sun light all day long .

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29 Dec 17, Denise Gravatt (Australia - temperate climate)

Bushes growing well, replanted them 2 years ago in same garden. Plenty of foliage, healthy, but no fruit. Venus Bay, Victoria, Australia. Would appreciate your comments please

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30 Dec 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Soil: The cape gooseberry will grow in any well drained soil but does best on sandy to gravelly loam. Very good crops are obtained on rather poor sandy ground. Irrigation: The plant needs consistent watering to set a good fruit crop, but can't take "wet feet". Sounds like Brad has it pretty much right - mulch and watering - not too much water thought - depends on how hot it is.

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28 Dec 17, Brad (Australia - temperate climate)

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.

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