Author Topic: Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis  (Read 1213 times)

Vinlander

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Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis
« on: August 17, 2018, 10:31:04 »
Forgive this re-post from 'Rain' - I realise this is immodest - almost as boorish as SHOUTING, but I think Physalis deserve their own thread. Especially as they are totally immune to the blight that must be coming soon...

One other curiosity. I like Inca berries and usually grow three or four bushes. They have grown well this year but are  perplexing because the plants have consistently produced very few flowers. Hence very few lanterns and little fruit. On one bush I tried pinching out to encourage bushing but it made no difference. Has anyone else noticed an effect like this. I had assumed they would love the heat and grow like the blazes and was looking forward to a good crop. Well they have grown well but purely vegetative growth. Any advice or similar experiences would be gratefully appreciated.

Are your Inca physalis the perennial kind or the properly annual kind?

I'd recommend you grow both (though seeds of the true annual ones are harder to find*) - their response to weather is pretty different.

This year the annual ones have done much better outside than usual and I'm looking forward to a good crop from larger than normal bushes (though I started late -  the "year of no spring" meant my first batch of seedlings failed, and I'm mainly relying on transplanted volunteers).

Are your perennial ones very like the shop version? I find their intense aroma unpleasant and only grow "Aunt Mollys" which have a delicious, much cleaner taste.

The Molly that survived the winter in my (draughty) polytunnel has been providing early berries for 2 weeks now, though its size and thuggish sprawl mean that I will be putting (water-rooted) cuttings in their own outsize cloche next year so I might be able to claw back 20% more space in the tunnel by 2020.

Are your perennial ones from seed? You'd be lucky to get fruit before September.

Are they older plants but outside? Same result.

Cheers.

* My Molly seeds were described as annual, and when they grew they obviously weren't and my response was :BangHead: but they turned out to be a real find! I still regard the annual ones as more important - earlier, less sharp, and though they are sweeter than most tomatoes (but smaller - like grape/currant ones) they are still the best substitute in a blight year. I was trying to buy them because mine seemed to be getting smaller - I thought a fresh selection would be better - hopefully this year may prove it unnecessary, as it's certainly the best since 2006 despite its problems.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

Vinlander

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Re: Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2018, 10:59:47 »
The annual ones are normally called Physalis pruinosa - but mistakes still happen.

Sowseeds ones look right, correct very slightly hairy look but still no mention of annual so no guarantee. The reviewer who's going to try and overwinter them is going to find out - if they are 'true' they will die.

Nicky's Nursery classes them as perennial, so risky - but it might just be poor research. Certainly Wikipedia is confused on the issue.

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

galina

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Re: Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2018, 14:05:17 »
The small ones have never been perennial here, too cold in the greenhouse clearly.  In the USA they are quasi perennial, because of self seeding, but that hasn't happened to me either yet.  I agree the little ones are nicer tasting, but they are harder to pick and of course quite a bit smaller.  Next time I'll grow them, I will dig some up and try to overwinter.  Thanks for the hint that this might work.  Anything for earlier fruit.  The tall ones are definitely perennial I had one plant for about 3 years and it grew huge.  Best harvest in the second year.  I got the seeds from a fruit that was on a piece of gateaux at a celebration.  No idea what the variety was.  I grew it again from its seeds and it died in its first winter without having produced a single fruit.  It was in the front of the greenhouse, whereas the first plant was in the back and therefore more sheltered.  Now that I know better, when I grow the big one again, I'll drape fleece over it in the greenhouse over winter.  :wave:

pumkinlover

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Re: Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2018, 08:45:47 »
In the light of this

Quote
I'm curious what is the difference between Inca berries and Cape Gooseberries?



Quote
Forgive this re-post from 'Rain' - I realise this is immodest - almost as boorish as SHOUTING, but I think Physalis deserve their own thread. Especially as they are totally immune to the blight that must be coming soon...

No it's not immodest- members would like more information - so well deserve a thread of its own!




Vinlander

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Re: Shameless duplication of my earlier post - Physalis
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2018, 11:50:58 »
The small ones have never been perennial here, too cold in the greenhouse clearly.  In the USA they are quasi perennial, because of self seeding, but that hasn't happened to me either yet. 

I get some 'annual ground cherry' volunteers - mostly from the polytunnel (from fruits I missed - mainly those taken by mice), but I also get a few later volunteers (and toms too) in my raised beds, thanks to them drying and warming much faster - I move the earliest outdoor ones in and also try a few bigger & older indoor plants outside where they will fruit if there's an indian summer.

I wouldn't grow the perennial ones without at least a cloche - certainly wouldn't expect fruit - but I sometimes have cuttings in pots so I bury the pots in the outdoor bed & hope they will bulk up and be hardier when I dig them for transfer to a windowsill for winter.

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

 

anything
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