Physalis (Cape Gooseberry) Cultivation

[menai_terrace]

Hello to this wonderful font of useful knowledge,

I've got two beautiful healthy Physalis (Cape Gooseberry) plants just coming into flower.

I have two quick questions: -

1. Should I be pinching out the side-shoots as in tomato cultivation?

2. Do I need to give the flowers a helping hand in fertilisation with a paintbrush (as they are currently in a small plastic greenhouse with few insects to help) or will they sort themselves out?

Thanks for any help at all, hard to find specific info about these plants (which are beautiful if anyone has a spare corner in a greenhouse btw)...

...in eager anticipation, Kerry x

[Snadger]

I did an experiment last year, pinching and not pinching............the plant that was NOT pinched grew and fruited the best!

[zazen999]

When you say small greenhouse - these plants can grow to about 5 feet tall and wide.....

[Snadger]

I think there is a dwarf variety also Zazen? Mine is 6 foot high now and still growing........it's laden with lanterns though!

[NOG]

I treat them like Tomato plants.

[menai_terrace]

OK - I think I'll leave them to continue as they are and not pinch out - hopefully form more of a bush than a 6ft tall plant!! I'll keep them in smaller pots to control their size as well.

Regards the flowers - do the require external pollination, i.e. insects or me with a paintbrush, or will they be ok on their own??

Thanks once again to all x

[Snadger]

OK - I think I'll leave them to continue as they are and not pinch out - hopefully form more of a bush than a 6ft tall plant!! I'll keep them in smaller pots to control their size as well.

Regards the flowers - do the require external pollination, i.e. insects or me with a paintbrush, or will they be ok on their own??

Thanks once again to all x

I just let mine get on with it!

[bluemoon]

I never pinch out the side shoots and never muck about with a paintbrush and I've always had huge crops - far too many really as only I like them

[helanuels]

Can I just ask, if I want to save seed from shop bought ones, do I do the same as I did with my tom seeds? Let them ferment in a glass of water and drain till clean then dry on a plate?
Thanks grapes!
Hx

[bluemoon]

Fermenting seems a little over the top. Just pick them out of the fruit and dry them on kitchen paper, then fold the paper and put it in an envelope to store. The paper can be torn with an individual seed on it and the whole piece sown, the attached bit of tissue will just rot and won't harm the seedling.

[murphy99]

I received an e-mail from plants-by-post offering me 3 of these plants for 1p + postage. I didn't really think about what I would do with them just that they were a bargain, something different and worth a try... having seen this thread and how big they can grow not sure where I am going to put them now.. oh well maybe i should do some reading to see what I have let myself in for