Cape Gooseberry is a very sweet, fruity and tastefull berry. It originates from Southern-America or Latin-America, but is grown and eaten all over the world. It's also used in a lot of restaurants as an edible and joyeus ornament. The orange-yellow, little, round berries are ripe when the casings turn from green to brown and dry and see-true. This plant produces a lot of berries.
The plants can overgrow anything and grow very large. The plant needs a lot of light, warmth and shelter against the wind. Give the plant a firm and sturdy support when the berries start to grow. These berries can be eaten as a healthy snack, as a very healthy sweet, in desserts and in an exotic salad. Non hardy perennial. Height: 120-150 cm.
Indoor sowing: middle of March - middle of April
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp. : 22 - 27 °C
Sowing depth: shallow
Plant distance: 30 - 40 cm
Transplant outdoors: middle of May (after Ice-Saints)
Plant position: very sunny - sheltered
Harvest period: end of July - end of October
Sow indoors in a seeding tray filled with moist potting soil from the middle of March. Sow sparingly and shallow and don't cover the seeds. Because Cape Gooseberry is a light germinator. These seeds need a lot of light and warmth to germinate. Put the seeding tray in a propagator. Don't pre-seed earlier because then the seedlings become too long, weak and slender. Keep the seeds warm, light and moist. Transplant the seedlings to individual pots when they have a second leave pair. Let them grow on on a temperature of about 15 °C. Harden them of in the beginning of May for about 10 - 14 days. Put the pots with the seedlings outdoors during the day and place them indoors in the evening. After about 14 days, You can plant them outdoors. Put the seedlings on a very sunny and sheltered spot.
You can plant the seedlings outdoors on a very sunny, warm and sheltered plot, after the last frosts. According to some, it's better not to plant the Cape Gooseberries in a greenhouse or hothouse. Cape Gooseberry needs a firm and sturdy support. The fruits are ripe when the green casings are brown, dried and transparent. The fruits inside are beautiful yellow-orange, soft and very sweet and fruity.
