Physalis questions

21 years ago

I started off some physalis seeds early in the year and now have a few plants, some of which have started flowering and forming husks, hooray! I am unsure of the variety, though, since the seeds were bought from Kings and they did not have the Latin name on the packet - only Cape Gooseberry. Leaves are heartshaped and velvety, and they haven't sprawled at all so far, so I'm not sure whether they would be physalis peruviana. The main stem has remained upright.

I have a few questions about taking care of them.

A couple of plants have a bit of veining and discolouration on one or two lower leaves - is this a virus and should I pick the leaves off?

I've also noticed that there are some sideshoots like tomato plants get - do they need pinching out or can they be left alone?

Also, (and this is well in advance of when I'll need it but I may as well ask), in winter I can either house them indoors in a warm centrally heated house on a west-facing windowsill, or in an unheated greenhouse. Which would be better for them, the increased heat from the house or the cooler temperature and higher light level in the greenhouse?

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Comments (5)

User
21 years ago
may be completely wrong but it sounds like yours is the mainly decorative physalis (Franchetti, or something like that) rather than the edible cape gooseberry. If so, they are completely hardy, look gorgeous but somewhat invasive. I am sure one of the many experts on gardenweb will sort out your query better than me though.
lori_londonuk
Original Author
21 years ago
I'm not too worried about invasiveness as they're in pots. I saw some franchetti on sale in my local garden centre today and it isn't the same plant - mine has more downy leaves and dark markings on the yellow flowers. So fingers crossed they will be decent-tasting.
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Yes, you are absolutely correct, it's not a Physallis at all, although it is a relative. What you have there is not a Cape Gooseberry, it's Nicandra physalloides, common name "Shoo-fly plant" This Physallis relative is native to S. America, grows up to six feet tall, and bears the dry, physallis-like pods you see on your plants. It' often grown as an ornamental, and the branches of pods, once dried, do make a nice accent in floral work. The plant itself is toxic, and can be used to make insecticide teas or powders similar to rotenone, or so it's claimed. However, when I've grown it, I've found it susceptible to whitefly, so I question how insecticidal it may be -- perhaps it depends on the pest species.
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Hi Tisiree- Glad this has been helpful. When I started doing fruit about 3 years ago, I really had no clue. I asked a lot of questions up here (and still do), and lots of people have really helped me along the wayÂ which is why I like to (try to) help others in areas that I think I can. There are some advantages of a redwood trellis. For one, I think it would be quite a bit less expensive. All the hardware in one of my trellises really adds up. RightÂ having the beds be assessable from both sides is key. I made this mistake with my original beds (both raspberries and blackberries), and so we often wind up walking on our very steep slope to get around the back. But, then again, with the layout of my yard, I didnÂt have a whole lot of choice, and might wind up doing it that way again. With the new trellis, I can easily walk around backÂ and I even made it just wide enough that I can run one pass with the mower. Well, my blackberry trellises are 8 feet high simply because thatÂs how high I can reach. (IÂm 6Â4"). But, I have heard of people making them much shorter. Because youÂre interested in maximizing your space, IÂd recommend making them as tall as you can reach comfortably. But, what I had meant was that DoyleÂs want 8Â of horizontal space (according to their planting instructions). This is a case of "do what I say, not as I do"Â because I have really only allowed for 6 feet for my DoylesÂ but, I could (and may) add a 2Â extension on the side of my trellis to make up for it. ItÂs hard to describe a gooseberryÂ sort of a mix of sweet and tart with the texture like a tough grape. IÂd say theyÂre good, but not as good as something like a ripe blackberry. Then again, the Pixwell variety I have is considered to be inferior in the flavor department. Hopefully my Hinnomaki which is coming in a month will taste better. Sure, if you plan it properly, you may be able to use your blackberries to shade the goose from the hot afternoon sun. Good luck with planning your shadows! I make my best planting decisions when I have a long time to think about them. If I try to rush a new idea the day before itÂs time to put it in the ground, I often donÂt make the best choice (variety, location, etc). Already thinking about what to add for next year! Good luck! -Glenn
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I have grown Cape Gooseberries (Physalis peruviana) for the first time this year. I treated them like tomatoes ie started the seed indoors and then planted out the young plants when no more frost was likely. The soil is clayey with liberal homemade compost and some manure. They get reasonable light but certainly not sun all day. They appear unaffected by any pests or diseases in my climate and have grown into 2.5 - 3 foot tall bushes. I have them about 2 feet apart. They do not sprawl particularly although I have given most of them a few twiggy prunings to relax against if necessary. They are flowering well and have many fruits forming. The gamble is whether they will ripen before the weather becomes too cool, gloomy and damp. Verdict - in my climate it is easy to grow the plants but the fruit crop is touch and go. I am curious as to whether it will overwinter for me as it is a perennial. I rather doubt it.
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anyanka
21 years ago
I've grown both types of physalis from seed. The edible one was fine when I kept it on a sheltered staircase, but a later one in a greenhouse got really bad mould (botrytis?) and had to be put out of its misery. It gets very big and needs something it can scramble up/be tied up to. I never pinched it out, but didn't have huge amount of fruit on it. The berries have a tendency to split open, so it probably needs very regular watering.
I've grown ornamental p. (Chinese Lanterns) this year; most of them got slugged as soon as I planted them out.
The edible Cape Gooseberry had fairly light green leaves, slightly fuzzy - whereas the ornamental one is darker and glossy. Please forgive the complete absence of gardening jargon; I'm sure there is a technical term for 'fuzzy' leaf...
Raphael 8 (Southern Scotland
17 years ago
1- What pot size (upper diameter, and mabe depth) would you recommend to grow a physalis peruviana?

2- What spacing would be best in a trough/planter?

I sowed seeds from fruit bought in a supermarket. They come from Colombia and are probably "physalis peruviana".

There is a very high density of (2 inches-high) seedlings in tiny (2 inches-diameter) pots (20-30 seedlings per pot).
I want to put some of them in a bigger pot (1 per pot) and others in planters. I have around 200 seedlings and would like to put as many seedlings as possible in each planter, as long as they are not too tight.

What will be the average plant high and diameter (plants are grown in a non-heated greenhouse, in Southern Scotland)?

Thanks
maxdom
17 years ago
I have orwn some physalis from seed, ( cape gooseberry) and I would like to know if they have to have the side shoots taken out like tomatoes and If they can be kept in an unheated greenhouse over winter, I would appreciate any advice, as I know nothing about them. Thanks.

Physalis questions

Comments (5)

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lori_londonuk
Original Author

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anyanka

Raphael 8 (Southern Scotland

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Physalis questions

Comments (5)

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lori_londonukOriginal Author

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anyanka

Raphael 8 (Southern Scotland

maxdom

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lori_londonuk
Original Author