Physalis

Jayar

AKA Cape Goosberry
I got a couple of these half price in Poundstretcher today. Anyone grown them before and do you have any advice for me?
Ta muchly :beer:

Kay_Peel

Snap, Jayar! I bought one today too and I've been looking up some care instructions on the Tinterwebby.

I'll summarise what it says: If you can grow tomatoes outside, then you can grow cape gooseberry. It will grow to six foot in the right conditions during its first season and will produce copious amounts of fruit. If you live in cold, wet places (yep, that's me) cover with a fleece or polytunnel to get it going, or grow in a greenhouse/porch. It does well in a big pot near a warm wall. It won't survive a frosty, snowy, freezing winter, so either bring it inside (er....when it's 6' tall?) or cover it with a fleece.

Sounds like a challenge, Jayar. Let me know if you find out any tips as you go along.

Anyone else got any advice for the two of us, please?

kay

Jayar

Well I def cannot grow tomatoes outside - though I'm going to have a trial this year - but that's another story. So it sounds like the greenhouse in a big pot for this guy
Hey, just had a thought, we can be physalis pals:rotfl:

Tinder_2

I am sure my Mum had these in the garden when I was growing up. Anyway.. I have 4 growing from seedlings in my plastic greenhouses. Hope they do OK out!! But they're nowhere near garden ready yet.
La

nodwah

Jayar, I once grew these in my dad's greenhouse in Renfrewshire and they really were as easy as tomatoes but very very prone to whitefly.
Can I ask was it seedling that you got in poundies?

angelavdavis

I grew these successfully a few years ago in my greenhouse in London. From memory, the plants reminded me of pepper plants. They were dead easy - no particular special treatment required.

Jayar

Nodwah - I haven't really examined it yet, but my first impression is that it looks a bit like a dry twig in among some dry compost - ooooooerrrr!

nodwah

Hmm, you sure it's not the ornamental lanterns thingy?
i'm off to bed - must stop staying up past midnight on this bloomin site

morg_monster

one tip is to make sure you always pronounce the word very carefully... :-)

Kay_Peel

Very true, Morg-monster. :lipsrseal
Just to clarify then - Jayar and I are a couple of physalists not :beer:

kay:D

mjr600

Unless you are in the South I wouldn't try them outside, they like it hot.