Cape Gooseberry

[VirginVegGrower]

Well they're wrong!

We shall see! Did you get dead foliage and chop it, or just leave them. It may be the difference between growing outside to under glass. As per Feral's post.

[RedThorn]

Day of the triffids comes to mind with cape gooseberries....

[ancee]

VVG how big are they at the moment? I got some seeds off vc from the seed swap, they've just come through and are only teeny, just 2 little seed leaves so far. I had 3 from Mr Wong, they are a bit, well, boring at the moment, probably about 10cm across - if that, and have been for weeks. But they are outside in the garden - as the instructions said they would be fine. Who needs instructions on packets anyway - I just ask on here!

[veggiechicken]

We shall see! Did you get dead foliage and chop it, or just leave them. It may be the difference between growing outside to under glass. As per Feral's post.

I just left mine to die back, new shoots grow from the "dead" stems and from the base. When its obvious what is going to grow, I cut off the dead bits. When my plant finally died the base of the stem was as thick as my wrist, and it was growing in 4" depth of soil. Never tried growing them outdoors so can't tell you whether they'd survive or not.

[Scarlet]

I left mine to die back in the GH, the chickens used it as shelter over the winter so I wasn't expecting them to come back. The door was open and a couple of panes of glass were missing.
When I eventually chucked the chickens out I cut all the dead twigs to ground level.
Here's a pic, not sure if you can Make it out? There is last years dead woody stump cut at ground level and 4 new shoots from around the base have shot up.

[VirginVegGrower]

VVG how big are they at the moment? I got some seeds off vc from the seed swap, they've just come through and are only teeny, just 2 little seed leaves so far. I had 3 from Mr Wong, they are a bit, well, boring at the moment, probably about 10cm across - if that, and have been for weeks. But they are outside in the garden - as the instructions said they would be fine. Who needs instructions on packets anyway - I just ask on here!

Mine are about twelve to fourteen inches high now. Several sets of leaves coming off. Think they were 3" plants when Bins and I had a plant swap.
I've planted mine in the polytunnel but I was considering putting them outside.

[binley100]

Not just me then

hrum hrum .........your poly is slightly bigger than my lottie gh .......

Mine are about twelve to fourteen inches high now. Several sets of leaves coming off. Think they were 3" plants when Bins and I had a plant swap.
I've planted mine in the polytunnel but I was considering putting them outside.

I've chucked one outside today .......we'll see what happens .

[VirginVegGrower]

hrum hrum .........your poly is slightly bigger than my lottie gh .......



I've chucked one outside today .......we'll see what happens .

That may be so, but you haven't got a massive crowd of carrots behind yours, waiting in an already rammed bus queue, I suspect.
Guess who has!

[binley100]

Nope .........that's cos we ate them for dinner

[redser]

I grew one in the tunnel last year and never again. The fruit was lovely but it grew massive. About 5 foot each way and hit the roof so I had to stop the various shoots. It just took so much space and light. With so many stems it was like its own jungle, so it was impossible to get to fruit at the sides and in the back. Upshot was that lots of stuff started dying off against the tunnel plastic and the plastic started turning green. Maybe I should have contained it better but the thing ended up depressing me until i finally took the loppers to it and said bye bye.

[VirginVegGrower]

I grew one in the tunnel last year and never again. The fruit was lovely but it grew massive. About 5 foot each way and hit the roof so I had to stop the various shoots. It just took so much space and light. With so many stems it was like its own jungle, so it was impossible to get to fruit at the sides and in the back. Upshot was that lots of stuff started dying off against the tunnel plastic and the plastic started turning green. Maybe I should have contained it better but the thing ended up depressing me until i finally took the loppers to it and said bye bye.

OMG

[redser]

That was just my experience please don't be put off but maybe be aware of how it can get out of control. If you pick the fruit at the right moment they really are lovely.

[Paulieb]

Last couple of years I've grown mine in the good old Morrisons flower buckets in the GH, and each time it has only got to about 4ft high and 4ft spread. Still produced lots of fruit, but perhaps being in a smaller pot has limited it.

Also generally to harvest I just collect the fruit once it has fallen from the tree. As its in a papery husk it stays fairly unblemished.

I did leave last years plants in the GH but I thought they'd died so chucked them out in Jan, and then this year I couldn't get any to germinate from my batch of seed!?!?!, so will just have to enjoy my remaining jam and wait till next summer!

[binley100]

OMG

Wot she ^^^^said ......two in a 6x4 gh was probably not a good idea .....

[VirginVegGrower]

Wot she ^^^^said ......two in a 6x4 gh was probably not a good idea .....

I am blaming you because you didn't tell me