Kitchen Garden Forum

I'm already thinking about next year's exotic "thing to grow". Has anyone had any success with the edible cape gooseberry? In the greenhouse? or outside? Do they ripen well in this country (I'm on the south coast) ?

Only asking as we went to a posh restaurant yesterday and my desert was decorated with them and were delicious.

Yes, they do very well, but I grow mine in the greenhouse border. It makes a large plant and needs support. The fruits ripen over a long period and keep for ages.

I've grown them before and only being only a few miles from you, you should be fine. The issue I've had for the last couple of years is germination though. The excellent years were direct sowings, but that failed last year and this year my pot sown & direct sown didn't do anything. They are delicious - maybe I've found my sweetcorn's bed new inhabitant! Weather permitting! Mine did not get large enough for support but were prolific!

Westi

If you let any ripe ones fall on the ground you get seedlings coming up all over. I've found a few self sown ones growing in the garden too. They aren't winter hardy up here though.

Hi PP!

Maybe that is the solution to my germinating problem, could buy some and throw them down where I want them to grow!

As a by, every time I see your location I misread it as Stockbridge, i.e. in Hampshire. I did it reading your post up to the point about winter hardiness. Words, memories & the brain's interpretation is strange at times.

Westi

Yes Westi, 560 ft above sea level at the foot of the Pennines. A bit chilly in winter here, lots of snow and late frosts.

I hope your seeds grow next time. You never know throwing them about might work:)

I've just planted some physalis seeds in a little windowsill hydroponics unit. Have tried and failed before but maybe this time will be better. I'll let you know...

We had a packet of free seeds I seem to recall from the magazine two years ago. Only one plant germinted for me last year and I plantedit out in a south facing border where it bore a lot of fruit, some of which obviously dropped, self seeded and survived in the ground over the past winter.

This year I,ve had about eight seedlings grow from them, all of which I,ve planted out and they're are bearing small fruits so obviously they're worth trying.