How to grow cape gooseberries

Frost-tender · Nightshade family

When to sow and plant

Start indoors 11 March – 15 April
Plant out 6–20 May

Frost-tender: everything 17 days later, so it only goes outside once there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years.

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

Start indoors: 3–8 weeks before the last frost (Hudson Valley Seed Company: Cape Gooseberries)
Plant out: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (RHS Plant Finder: Physalis peruviana (F), Cape gooseberry)

Good and bad neighbours

We don’t know any sourced neighbours for this plant yet.

Crop rotation

After the nightshade family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years.

The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.

At a glance

Family: Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Frost: Tender to frost
Spacing (row × plant): 90 × 45 cm (35 × 18 in)
Plants per m²: 2.5
Life cycle: Annual

Questions and answers

When can I plant out cape gooseberries?

Plant out, average for Germany: 6–20 May. That is the date after which there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant cape gooseberries?

90 × 45 cm (35 × 18 in) (row × plant), according to Purdue NewCROP: Cape Gooseberry (aus Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates, 1987).

How long a break do cape gooseberries need in the same bed?

After the nightshade family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years. The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

Sources

Show 6 sources

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.