GROUND CHERRIES

 

 

Ground Cherries are not cherries 🙂

 

These belong to the nightshade family, similar to capsicums and tomatoes.

They are also known as husk tomatoes or sweet tomatillos.

Another common name that is confusing, is “Cape Gooseberries” (Physalis Peruviana), which really is a type of ground cherry that shared the “gooseberry” name and originated in Peru.

These plants were brought to Cape of Good Hope by immigrants, thus the name “Cape” and they are not gooseberries.

Whether soil or liquid base, they shared the same preferences or conditions as tomatoes plants.

However, I much preferred these plants over tomatoes for the following reasons –

 

Flowers are self-pollinating

Fast Growing ( about 50 weeks to fruit from seeds in liquid base

Tidy (no suckers)

Short and low plants ( see picture below)

Easy to grow in soil or liquid base

 

 

Depending on the varieties, ground cherries’ taste can be interesting, as varied as pineapple to citrus.

Some even claimed a slight undertone of strawberries!

This description was what sparked my curiosity to grow them for this journal.

 

TYPES OF GROUND CHERRIES

Yantar Ground Cherries (Russia, rare)

Strawberry Ground Cherry ( Peru, citrus tasting)

Yellow Husk

Cossack Pineapple (sweet pineapple taste)

Mary Niagra (sweet starfruits taste)

Pineapple Ground Cherry

Yellow Nightshade

Goldenberry (larger plant, taller than 3 feet, lesser but larger fruits)

 

Seeds AVAILABLE IN SHOP – Cossack Pineapple & Mary Niagra

 

GERMINATION NOTES

Strawberry Method was used – surface sowing, moist soil, and warmth.

Our seeds were sowed on June 7 2019 at 2 pm and they germinated 5 days later on June 12.

Germination rate was excellent.

All the seeds we sowed germinated.

 

 

Seedlings grew very fast. Roots length was almost 2 cm long before true leaf showed.

 

 

LIQUID BASE in KRATKY method (non circulating hydroponic)

 

 

 

It was a sprawling plant with over 10 fruits in a small juice jug by 2 months old, August 10.

 

 

FLOWERS

Tiny flower buds showed on July 15 and within the day they blossom.

 

 

 

 

FRUITS

These flowers self-pollinated on short plants, only 13 cm on the top side and yet, bore numerous fruits by themselves.

 

Each fruit has a paper-like husk similar to Chinese lanterns or tomatillos plants.

 

 

They grew rapidly within days.

 

 

Several fruits on a single branch can form in the bigger size reservoir.

 

 

As fruits ripen, the paper-like husk becomes “drier”.

 

 

The fruits will fall off the plant when it’s done fruiting.

 

TIP – Grow these plants where the dropped fruits can be easily spotted and picked up

 

 

 

 

When it fell from the plant, the husk covering the fruit is dry and thin.

 

 

These fruits are very tasty and sweet, the taste is similar to sweet star fruits.

 

 

The fruits can be sweeter and more pineapple tasting if we keep it longer off the plant, in the paper husks as they ripen more.

The color of fruits of this variety should be more yellow rather than green.

Perhaps, next time, when the family and I are no longer impatient to taste them!

 

 

FLOWERS to FRUITS Stages

 

This plant managed its fruiting progress without much help from humans. This is how flowers changed to fruits on their own.

First flowers head will turn to face downwards and fruits formed after petals shrink.

 

 

 

 

 

TIP – Bigger reservoir, bigger fruits.

 

 

 

Two sizes of fruits observed in slimmer to larger volume reservoirs.

 

In a smaller reservoir, some fruits will self abort or unable to complete the fruiting process.

These fruits tasted sour even after the husk became dry.

 

 

 

TIP – Wider Netcup (minimum number 4 size) is needed to support the thick stem.

Netcup + sponge or seeds (limited stock) available for sale

 

 

 

 

SOIL Based Ground Cherries Stages

Seeds were sowed on July 21 at 7.30 am and germinated on July 28.

 

 

 

 

The sprawling characteristic of the plant made it looked like 2 plants but it is the same plant above.

 

 

Just barely over a month old, a flower showed. As this plant was outdoor, ants are on the plant as well.

 

 

Fruits formed on their own under the leaves. As the pot was a huge one (150 litre), most of the fruits were fully developed.

 

 

Regrettably, heavy rain fell the plant before we could harvest these fruits and we have to re-start from seeds.

 

 

The Second Generation from seeds of our parent plants re-start on October 8 2019, in both hydroponic and soil.

 

 

Liquid base Kratky plants –

 

 

Grow lights supplement the short afternoon sun length.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soil-based a little closer to home rather than faced full elements in outdoor gardens.

This time at the balcony.

Lesson learned – partially grown in the sheltered balcony over entirely outdoors.

 

 

 

 

The stem seems to need some support else it has the tendency to flop in strong wind.

 

 

 

Conclusion

This is a thrilling plant to grow and an immensely rewarding experience.

Seeds to harvest period are fast, about 2 months only.

They like water and seem to grow better in moist medium and tolerate heat very well.

Size of pot or reservoir should be larger, else the fruits self abort and not formed properly. Such fruits would be sour tasting.

Based on our liquid-based observation, this plant had more fruits and was taller than soil-based plants.

 

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES & OBSERVATION

Plants in KRATKY (non-circulating hydroponic) yield one harvest before frailing

Leaves will yellow after harvest

Fruits can be harvested and let sit with husk attached to ripen

Ripe fruits are yellow and sweeter

Grows better when shelter from our torrential rain

Likes water

Tolerates sun or heat well

Fruits bearing stage is about 6 months, thereafter plant will die