Topic: cape gooseberry

[little pud]

Hi all, has anyone grown these cape gooseberry things b4, been told can only grow in greenhouse but slight problem there as 'I dont have one'. can they be grown outside??
thanx
kev.

[saddad]

Whereabouts are you?
 :-\

[northener]

I've jusr bought seed from Alan Romans can't reember it saying anything about a greenhouse.

[GodfreyRob]

I've seen them grown successfully outdoors against a south facing wall here in Wharfedale (it was summer 2007 when I saw them).  They need quite a long growing season to set fruit and ripen properly so they might need to be started off inside and planted out when (if!) it warms up a bit.

[little pud]

Hi saddad, I am in milton keynes, I emailed some seed company and got the reply about got to be in greenhouse, got my seeds from tuckers seeds and must admit it dont say anything about being under glass on the pk but just wondered if anyone new much about them.
cheers.

[saddad]

I've only grown them under glass here. They get massive under glass... up to 10' tall and about 3' round... so not suitable for an8x6'... Rob reckons they will grow outside in yorkshire in a good summer so keep your fingers crossed...  :)

[debster]

mine grew really well last year considering the poor summer we had, not the biggest of plants but loads of fruit, im in the south west by the way

[little pud]

Thanx for all your input, mite as well grow a few see wot happens.
happy gardening.
kev

[northener]

Well finally got to taste one, lovely a bit like Grapefruit.

[saddad]

I'm pleased for you.. . :)

[northener]

Cheers Saddad. Been lucky though, i gave a lottie neighbouur a plant ,yesterday she asked if i had tried one, i told her they were horrible and i'm pulling them up. She went and got me one of hers a red one, ha ha i'd been trying green ones. Got hundreds that are waiting to ripen, do you reckon they will?

[saddad]

Mine are usually yellow when ripe... are you sure you don't have a tomatillo there?  :-\

[reddyreddy]

yup they should be yellow!

[shirlton]

I have only seen yellowy orange ones

[pookienoodle]

I planted some in the back garden of my old house,out of 4 plants one produced very orange fruit which turned red as they over ripened.
when I looked on the web it said this does happen sometimes.

[saddad]

I live and learn....  :-X

[pookienoodle]

there a few different varieties of physalis I believe,I am not sure how you tell the difference between them all.