Cape Gooseberry

Guest · Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:08 am

Thought I'd try my hand at these to add something other than rasps and strawbs to the table.

They seem simple enough to grow, south facing on a hot patio I guess they would be ok outdoors even here in Yorkshire.

Have you grown them and were they any good ? I seem to think some supermarkets sell them but they are an arm and a leg.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

pigletwillie · Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:14 pm

My sister grew a cape gooseberry in her greenhouse last year for the first time. She produced a beautiful plant about 18 or so inches high and the fruit it bore was simply delicious. Not only that, it is such a lovely plant to look at. I was so impressed that I have bought 2 packets of seeds to grow my own this year. I probably will only grow about 4 as they will take up a bit of room in our polytunnel. My sister bought hers as a small plant from the garden centre.

Good luck with yours Guest. We'll have to compare notes. I am going to set my seeds this weekend.

Mrs Piglet

arthur e · Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:16 pm

25years ago I grew cape goosberry in Lossiemouth here in the north east of Scotland, 1 plant in a 6*8 ft greenhouse as an experiment, they were so good I entered them in the Lossie flower show and got a first for the most unusual fruit.I've since tried to grow them in my pollytunnel 25 years later but just seem to get masses of greenery lots of flowers but no fruit to talk of, don't know where i'm going right or wrong, the OH just gets them from TESCO et al when there past there sell by date just as there getting tasty.

Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:30 am

I'm going to try them this year for the first time. It will be interesting to see how we get on in different parts of the country.

GUEST · Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:41 am

This will be my third year growing them, and I can hugely recommend it. They make THE most superb jam, that, quite frankly, you couldn't 'afford' if you were to buy the fruit to make it from the supermarket.
And growing your own, you know what you have and haven't put on them ....

I've got three that have germinated this year out of five (oh yes, BIG grower me.... ! ooh, I'm scared !)

All I would say guys is that come the 'end of the season' they'll wanting to be ripening under cover, wherever you live !!
I live in the South/South West, and I grow mine in huge pots. You can then lug them into the greenhouse later in the year when the weather turns nasty to finish ripening.

I wish you HUGE success,
and Good Luck !

Allan · Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:08 am

This seems to tell the whole story

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/mort ... berry.html
When we grew them in a polytunnel they were fiddly and not worth their keep. However, good luck to anyone who can prove otherwise.
Allan

Guest · Tue May 02, 2006 8:42 pm

Hi I Planted 8 in the hope that half woulg germinate. I now have 8x12 inch plants. Has anyone any idea how to tell if they'll be 18" or 6 ft!!!

Please.

Should've kept the packet.

Worried of Yorkshire

Wellie · Fri May 05, 2006 9:55 pm

Hey 'Worried of yorkshire' !

I can only suggest what I would do if I were in your shoes...
If I'd been bothered in the first place to grow a cape goosegog knowing that is MIGHT reach 6ft, I'd keep potting it on into bigger pots until I could sit it in its final pot....

To be perfectly honest, I'd stick my neck out and say you've got a six footer on the way.....
If they've made THAT kind of growth in a short while I think they're highly unlikely to be growing only 18" in the whole of the summer months to come, eh?!

My three are between 9" and a foot right now, and REALLY bushy. I'm expecting simply GREAT things no less from them, or there will be trouble..............!

Lots of luck,
Wellie

Sat May 06, 2006 2:03 pm

I sowed a packet of seed and now have 2 trays of seedlings (despite having given several potfuls away already). There's thousands of them. If anyone wants to chance them surviving the journey, please PM me and I'll post some to you.

Sat May 06, 2006 2:13 pm

Could you take me some to Malvern please?

Sat May 06, 2006 4:51 pm

Certainly. :lol:

frantony · Mon May 08, 2006 10:05 pm

We live in notts and had 1 cape gooseberry given to us, It took over our small greenhouse (8x6) but my young lad loved them so much we have about ten this year, one for him at home with his mother, and the rest with us, luck has it we also have a 20ft poly and a 20x17 fruit cage and a 20x 17 glasshouse but we still need more room!!!!!

Wellie · Mon May 08, 2006 10:53 pm

Hey Arthur !

Were they in the ground, or in pots in your polytunnel?
I have no basis for anything but 'gut-feeling' on this one, and I reckon they're like Aubergines, and prefer to have their roots restricted a bit (like Figs) ?
Certainly worth a try I'd say.....?
They're VERY expensive in the shops.
Lots of luck,
Wellie

seedling · Mon May 08, 2006 10:53 pm

Tigger, May I also have some cape gooseberry at Malvern please?.Thank you in anticipation Seedling

lizzie · Wed May 10, 2006 12:04 pm

I have some of these that the fabulous Tigger sent to me after my little greenhouse fiasco. As a few of us are growing them for the first time, perhaps we could keep each other posted on how our plants are getting on and any problems that we come across.

Thanks for the link Allan. I've bookmarked it as a point of reference. Very informative.

I think i'm going to be enjoying this season even more than the last ones.

I love this growing lark, fabulous

Cape Gooseberry

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