GreenlyHow to grow Physalis
Physalis peruviana · cape gooseberry, goldenberry
Warm-season berry grown from seedlings, producing papery husked fruits. Not frost‑tolerant; needs a long sunny season to ripen.
Quick facts
| Type | Berry |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil pH | 6–6.8 |
| Frost | does not tolerate frost |
| Soil for sowing | from 15 °C |
| Germination | 10 days |
| Seedlings ready | 35 days |
| Sowing to harvest | 110 days |
| Where it grows | Greenhouse, Open ground, At home |
When to plant
Sow for seedlings about 6 weeks before planting out.
Plant out in open ground about a week after your last spring frost, once the soil is warm.
In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.
The first harvest comes about 110 days after the shoots appear.
Care
Greenhouse
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 18…25 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 3 days | 18…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 3 days | 18…30 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 2 days | 18…30 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
Open ground
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 18…25 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 4 days | 15…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 4 days | 15…30 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 3 days | 15…30 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
At home
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 18…25 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 2 days | 18…26 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 2 days | 18…27 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 1 days | 18…27 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 14 days into the stage |
Growing notes
Light
At least 6–8 hours of direct sun daily; fruit set drops in shade.
Soil
Well‑drained, moderately fertile soil with compost; pH 6.0–6.8.
Care
Water evenly at the base to avoid cracking; ripe fruits often drop inside their husks. Stake or cage plants to keep branches upright. Harvest when husks turn brown and fruits are firm‑soft.
How to tell it is ripe
- The papery husk has dried to a beige, paper-bag colour.
- The berry inside the husk is golden yellow to orange.
- Ripe fruits drop to the ground in their husks, so look under the plant.
- Taste one: a ripe berry is sweet with a mild, grape-like tartness.
- Gather fallen and loose husked fruits every few days and eat only fully golden berries, since unripe ones are toxic.
Pests and diseases of Physalis
- White mould (Sclerotinia)
Sources
Figures cited from these sources.