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
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • 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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21 Jun 15, Dawn Phillips (USA - Zone 5a climate)
I'm in Ohio and my gooseberry bush loves this weather. Cold winters and warm summers. They are good grown in sun and partial shade.
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07 Oct 14, christine (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Hi there! Have been given one cape gooseberry fruit to enable me to grow from seed. My question is...ought I to wait till the yellow fruit dries totally before putting into soil or can I simply put the whole fruit into a plant pot and hope for the best??? I am keen to get it underway???
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30 Sep 14, GeeWhizz (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I found my 10cm tall plant growing in a car park last year in Raymond Terrace NSW while I was on holidays. Recognition of the plant came from my childhood (I am 60). The berries were a flaver-memory. I tenderly removed it as I just knew it was not going to survive where it was growing in a cement crack. I bought it home to SE Queensland and planted it in a pot where it still grows at over a metre high and a metre wide. I just love to eat the berries off the bush as I go about my garden. Moral; be aware of your surroundings and be prepared for what ever you might find. Happy Gardening and bless the rain every chance you get.
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22 Sep 14, (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Southern Highlands of NSW and am wondering what growing conditions the gooseberry likes .
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18 Oct 14, Ange (Australia - temperate climate)
My cape gooseberry grew like a crazy thing and produced loads of fruit in decent sunlight late in a sydney winter when nothing else in the garden looked very happy to be alive. Doesn't mind cold wet conditions but not sure about frost. I'm coastal so frost not an issue. Good luck. Cape gooseberry jam is the best thing!
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22 Sep 14, Suzanne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a lovely bush growing with lots of big fruit, but there are lots of oval shaped pale yellow beetles with black stripes which congregate on the bush and lay clusters of tiny yellow eggs on the undersides of leaves. These then apparently develop very quickly into fat squishy larvae which just demolish the leaves. Can anyone identify the beetle and advise how I can beat them other than by pulling them off every day and stomping on them?
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02 Aug 15, Terry (Australia - temperate climate)
Try throwing wood ash over the plant - it works for pear slug - so may work for these bugs too.
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24 Oct 14, Robin (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The beetle is the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittata, - kill any beetles, eggs, larvae as soon as possible - I sprayed my plants with pyrethrum to good effect but you still need to be very vigilant as numbers build up very quickly if you do not look every day - good luck!
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13 Sep 14, Rose (Australia - temperate climate)
My two new Cape Gooseberry plants, still in small pots, have yellowish spots on their leaves. Does anyone know if this is normal or is it a sign of fungal development? If so what would be the best fungicide to use?
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06 Sep 14, Christian (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, Could you let me know where you are and if possible to pick up some seeds. I have just returned from Portugal where they were used in salads and like to try and grow. [email protected] if you can help
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Showing 381 - 390 of 558 comments
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Hello, I'm researching information on growing this plant and this site has the most, however after reading all the comments I am a little confused. could somebody clarify some bits please? 1) Most comments and tips agree on that the plant doesn't need any fertilizer but some speak about potassium and manure. If I use whatever is suitable for tomatoes will i hurt the plant or just get a lot of vegetable growth but no fruits? 2)Last year I grew 4 plants and managed to destroy two of them by over-watering (I had them all in pots so i guess draining was the issue). I live on a Greek island and the summer here is pretty hot while we get no frost during winter (the entire month of July passed with temperatures in the range of 30-43C). I grew two more from cuttings planted on the ground and they all seem to do well though I'm experimenting on different sun exposure. The plants I have in pots are under direct sun light for the most part of the day (10 hours min.) while the ones on the ground are under partial sun exposure (4-6 hours a day) though the latter are approximately 1m tall while the first are up to 2m. My problem is that I do not get any blossoms at all. There's plenty of them on the plants but they never get to grow into flowers, as soon as they get thick as a needle they seem to burn out. Do I need to water the plants twice a day or add fertilizer? Last year the plants were less than 1m tall and I got only a single flower which of course couldn't turn into fruit (but at least it was a flower :) ) so I thought I was off to a good start but obviously I'm doing something wrong.

- George

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