Are cape gooseberries ok outside?

[Guest]

Just wanted to check if anyone has in the past grown cape gooseberries/ inca berries/ physalis plants outside for summer successfully. I have a plant that has gotten a bit big and ideally I would like to kick it out but not at the cost of losing it. It def. can't stay in the gh.

Thanks as always

[Scarlet]

I have heard of peeps growing them outside but Ive always grown them indoors. They need a long growing season and fruit late on and so far our weather hasn't been great. They are huge plants, mine often reach the GH roof. Personally I wouldn't bother for the small crop you'll get before the frosts.

[muddled]

You can grow them outside, down south, in a sheltered position, in a long hot summer.

This summer is neither long or hot.

So no. They won't set and ripen fruit outside this year....I'm not even sure how many fruit we'll get in greenhouses if the light levels stay this low!

[Guest]

TY both you have confirmed my thoughts. It was an overwintered plant so plenty of fruit on. I will have to keep it in the utility. The chillies seem to prefer it in there at the moment compared to the gh so it might not be a bad move.

[the big lebowski]

oh dear i have 20 plants that i started from seed and dont have a greenhouse at the mo as i have had to move house ,a sheltered spot you say ? i have a fruit cage with netting over it, would the netting altho not ideal stop the wind lowering the temp enough to get a crop ? i take it i wont as much as in a gh but i`d like to get somthing before i fill up the space in the there that i could have used for somthing else ,cheers

[MarkPelican]

I grow them both in the greenhouse and outdoors over the summer. The ones in the greenhouse in general do better but I've always had fruit outdoors. At the moment my outdoor plants (which are overwintered and brought outside when they had fruit set) are being battered by the wind and rain but seem ok. The ones in the greenhouse (also overwintered) don't seem as vigorous for some reason. This years seeds are presently only 6 to 9 inches tall but growing rapidly.

[the big lebowski]

thanks mark ,mine are about the same size with leaves the size of my hand do you have any probs with slugs eating them ? they are v busy this time of year and it annoys me when i loose courgette or pumpkins but i think i`d have a "falling down" moment if i went up the plot and they had been eaten ,cheers

[Baldy]

I've been growing them in GH and (when the summer is nice enough) outdoors basically as perennials. Can;t say I've ever noticed the slugs paying the plants any attention - might have been different when they were seedlings but I can't remember that far back...

[muddled]

Slugs are partial to the leaves this year (not been a problem before) but the flowers and the 'lanterns' appear to be untouched....I'm not sure the slugs know the fruit is in there!

[Baldy]

Slugs are partial to the leaves this year (not been a problem before) but the flowers and the 'lanterns' appear to be untouched....I'm not sure the slugs know the fruit is in there!

They know everything muddled... they know everything...

[MarkPelican]

thanks mark ,mine are about the same size with leaves the size of my hand do you have any probs with slugs eating them ? they are v busy this time of year and it annoys me when i loose courgette or pumpkins but i think i`d have a "falling down" moment if i went up the plot and they had been eaten ,cheers

Yes! Slugs do have them, I usually lose half of the plants even with slug pellets but that seems to be true of most things and I live with it.