I grew Cossack Pineapple, Aunt Molly's, Goldie and New Hanover side by side this year. Cossack Pineapple definitely tastes different from the others, but I preferred the taste of New Hanover the best. However, for yield Goldie was the clear winner. Also, New Hanover, Cossack Pineapple and Aunt Molly's all gave me lots of little pea sized fruit mixed in with larger fruit. New Hanover in particular had a huge variation in fruit size, with some fruit being large and others being tiny. Goldie was the only one that had consistent fruit size. So if you want yield and consistency, Goldie is best. For flavor, Cossack Pineapple and New Hanover were best, depending on your preference. Supposedly, Aunt Molly's is best for pies, but I didn't do any baking. I will be growing Goldie to sell at the farmer's market next year, but I might throw in a plant or two of New Hanover for myself to snack on. Cape Gooseberry is in the same family as ground cherries, but it is very different in flavor and the plant also grows differently. The berries have a really unique taste and I highly recommend putting a plant or two in the garden.

Under ideal conditions, ground cherries drop when ripe, and those are the ones which are eaten. They should never be picked off the plant. If ground cherries fall from the plant prematurely (the green ones) they will not ripen further with time... green ones stay green. Premature drops can be caused by dry soil, rough handling, strong winds, or heavy rainfall. A couple days of strong thunderstorms knocked many of mine down this week. Green ground cherries should not be eaten. They won't kill you, but will likely cause upset stomach if you eat too many. I've eaten a few half-ripe ground cherries mixed with ripe ones, and had no ill effects. Its worth mentioning that while the green ones should not be eaten, the seed within is mature. If the green ones are thrown on the ground, many seeds will germinate the following Spring... maybe even hundreds. That's why I never have to plant them. ;-) ....(The same can be said of tomatillos.) Other than cutting off a branch that was in the way, I've never trimmed ground cherries; but I don't see why not, as long as it is less than 1/2 of the plant.

Can you give us a botanical/Latin name Nancy? If you're talking about Physalis edulis, a small relative of the tomatillo family: I let them ripen on the vine until they're yellow. Most get eaten while I'm in the garden. I bury the ones the birds get to first in one place, mark it, and have seedlings for next year. Surplus? Substitute for apples in any pie recipe, but I'm not sure about acid/pectin content when making jam.

HEAT. I had a hard time germinating ground cherries to the point where I called the company I bought seed from. They advised that ideal germination temperatures were 75-85F, much warmer than room temperature. they also said to barely cover the seeds with soil - just a little bit, 1/8 inch max. I put a heating pad under my tray and had seedlings come up within a week. they are tiny and take a while to get going. The good news is that once you get a good crop, they will volunteer in your garden and you can just transplant those seedlings to where you want them. they are much better at planting themselves than we are. Good luck!