Cape gooseberries- new to me.

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mumofstig

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Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« on: June 04, 2015, 10:57 »
They seem very slow growers, they're only about 4in tall, so far.....how big do they get?

I have some 11in wide x 9in deep pots for them how many should I plant in each?


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Mark's Sussex Allotment

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2015, 11:23 »
Mine arent really getting going either, but I know they do get about 5-6 foot tall eventually.
When weeding, the best way to know if its a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull it.

If it comes out easy, it was a valuable plant !

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mumofstig

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2015, 11:29 »
Just 1 per pot then  :lol:

Maybe I'll only grow the 2 best ones on - in case they do grow ginormous  ::)

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surbie100

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2015, 11:32 »
They grow huge in the ground, and multi-stemmed from the base. A small pot might restrict their growth a bit. Mine are 2 inches tall but they grow very quickly when it warms up.

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Baldy

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2015, 11:34 »
If this is seed from the seed circle then the potential is gi-bloomin-normous... I had one plant in a morrison's flower pot and it would have reached the roof of the GH if I'd let it. It spread to take over about 1/3 of my 6x4 and was positively dangerous to the poor old toms that were in there. I kept it well watered and fed it chicken poop granules but it wasn't mollycoddled. I should have weighed the fruit I got from it - loads of the stuff.

I managed to overwinter it and its out in the garden this year - not growing so much put has got some flowers on so I'm hoping for some fruit from it again.

I per pot. Maybe chance a plant or two outside as well if the weather gets warm...

Pip pip,
Balders


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mumofstig

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2015, 11:38 »
Oooh! Thank you.

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sunshineband

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2015, 16:07 »
Oooh! Thank you.

Thank you indeed -- I have twelve plants in a very sheltered spot at the plot, which are about a foot tall. They may need staking if they grow like Baldy's one  :ohmy: :unsure:
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Baldy

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2015, 16:39 »
I suspect they'll be less rampant outdoors...
    but you never know  ;)

Pip pip,
Balders

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sunshineband

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2015, 16:42 »
I suspect they'll be less rampant outdoors...
    but you never know  ;)

Pip pip,
Balders

Hadn't thought of that -- you could well be right!

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mumofstig

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2015, 16:46 »
Baldy, just in case they're a success - where did you overwinter it? Cold greenhouse or indoors?

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Baldy

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2015, 20:15 »
Cut it back to about a foot high and then left it in a cold greenhouse.
Just occasionally watered it.
It was a fairly mild winter here and/or I might just have been lucky with it. i seem to recall reading that they are perennial in their native environments, so maybe North Devon = South America in some respects  ;)

Pip pip,
Balders

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vet

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Re: Cape gooseberries- new to me.
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2015, 20:59 »
Grew some several years ago, had quite a warm summer and they grew into a good sized bush.
Have kept some going in the garden against the house wall and was surprised to find that they came through the winter.  I managed to store the fruit as we had so much and we had some at Christmas and the New Year. Delicious  :tongue2:


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