Gooseberry Bushes

Gooseberries are a much loved favorite fruit and are perfect for all gardens. Better suited to cold weather than most fruit bushes these plants are not only hardy but they are also self-fertile. If you are short on space the gooseberry is an excellent candidate for container growing and will produce a large amount of fruit compared to its size.

How to grow

By following a few simple instructions gooseberries are easy to grow and very rewarding. If you cannot position your plants straight away ensure plants are well watered and keep them in a cool but bright space temporarily.

Position

Gooseberries enjoy being planted in sun to partial shade and as these tolerant plants thrive in cooler climbs you should consider this when planting. If you are intending to grow your plant in a container you should ensure that plants are kept cool and well watered.

Soil

Although these plants are very tolerant with regards to climate, they are quite specific about the type of soil they enjoy. A free draining but moisture retentive soil is ideal as this will allow plants to obtain enough moisture without becoming waterlogged. By adding plenty of well-rotted garden compost or multi-purpose compost you can achieve these conditions. You may also wish to consider adding horticultural grit or sand to increase drainage further.

Care

The main considerations when caring for gooseberries are watering, feeding and fruit protection. Firstly, Gooseberries enjoy a moist soil and this is especially important around the time when fruits are developing. For ease you may wish to consider installing an irrigation system or if you are growing plants in containers incorporating Water Beads in to compost will benefit plants. Secondly, plants require little in terms of feeding and an application of well-balanced fertilizer in the spring and then later in autumn will benefit plant growth and will be all that is required. Finally, birds and small mammals can be very problematic and you may need to consider protecting plants. Netting plants or growing them in a fruit cage will help to ensure that the maximum amount of fruit can be harvested.

Harvesting

Gooseberries for cooking can be harvested as early as May. Gooseberries for eating will be ripe from July onwards. Pick fruits with your thumb and forefinger.

Top Tip

Prune out dead wood or crossing branches in late winter. You may also wish to prune central stems to increase the flow of air through the plant which will help protect it from disease.

Cape Gooseberry Golden Berry Little Lanterns

A more compact Cape Gooseberry, Golden Berry Little Lanterns is suitable for containers on the patio, or for growing the greenhouse. Produces abundant 'Chinese Lanterns' with delicious small orange fruits.

Cape Gooseberry Golden Berry Pineapple

A dwarf Golden Berry with branching stems and a bushy habit. Golden Berry Pineapple is best grown under glass, producing succulent pineapple flavored fruits enclosed by a papery husk, looking like Chinese lanterns. Huge crop of fruits throughout late summer/autumn. Golden Berry Pineapple can also be grown outdoors in a sunny, sheltered site.

Gomphocarpus Physocarpus Hairy Balls

A slender, deciduous shrub, often treated as an annual. Quick and easy to grow, producing stems of insignificant flowers that magically transform into unusual translucent , soft, spiny balloons. Adds fun to borders and cut flower arrangements.

Gooseberry

A superb traditional variety that is easy to grow with good disease resistance and heavy crops of fruit. The ruby-red, medium-sized gooseberries are sweet when ripe with a tangy outer skin. The fruit is perfect for bottling and preserves, but if left to ripen fully can be used as a dessert gooseberry too. Garden care: Prepare the ground well before planting. Remove all weeds and dig in plenty of well-rotted manure into the area. Space at 1.5m intervals and once planted, apply a mulch of well-rotted manure every spring, as well as a nitrogen and potassium fertilizer. Make sure the plant is watered in dry weather and net the bushes to protect the fruit from birds. In the first year, prune shoots back by half to three-quarters to an outward-facing bud in winter. After that prune out weak and older branches only.

Gooseberry Captivator

A thornless variety producing almost spineless plants, making harvesting of the deliciously sweet, medium to large, purplish-pink berries a delight. Plants show good resistance to mildew and leaf spot. Ready to harvest from late May onwards. Occasionally a few spines will appear on young wood. Captivator is very cold hardy having originated in Canada.

Gooseberry Hinnonmaki Yellow

Spreading bushes produce a heavy crop of medium sized greenish-yellow fruits with a unique flavor. Unlike other gooseberries they have a delicious aromatic flavor with a hint of apricot. We have found that from the second season each bush will produce over 3kg (over 6lb) of fruit and will keep on producing this amount for many years to come. Ready to harvest from June to mid July.

Gooseberry Invicta

One of the heaviest cropping varieties available producing almost twice as much fruit as other varieties. The flavorsome green fruits stay firm and retain their shape when cooked, making the best pies and preserves you’ve ever tasted. Excellent mildew resistance, ready to harvest from late May onwards. We have found that from the second season each bush will produce over 3kg (over 6lb) of fruit and will keep on producing this amount for many years to come. Bred in Great Britain.

Gooseberry Pax Bush

A full flavored red dessert gooseberry with virtually spine-free canes for trouble-free picking. Vigorous bushes are tolerant of mildew and give high yields of berries that you can eat fresh or use in pies jams and wine.

Gooseberry Xenia

These gorgeous, large, deep red-skinned gooseberries have an exceptionally sweet flavor when picked ripe towards the end of June. The highly attractive and abundant fruits are produced on strong, upright, mildew-resistant bushes with almost spine-free stems, making harvesting easier. Xenia is one of the best new gooseberry introductions of recent years!

Try our Water Beads

Blue Water Beads

Use Blue Water Beads to match or contrast with your décor. Place them in a clear pretty bowl or decorated plate with an upturned rim. Mix with other contrast colors from your overall color scheme to pull this together as a centerpiece. It will be a real conversation starter!

Clear Water Beads

Use Clear Water Beads when you just want the delivery system without making a color statement. Mix clear Water Beads with a color to create a lighter effect. Layer them with other colors to provide more visual interest.

Green Water Beads

Use Green Water Beads as a nice understory for potted plants, or a neutral color in a clear vase with a multi-colored bouquet. Layer with Clear for a lighter touch.

Melon Water Beads

Use Melon Water Beads to enhance the color of pink or red flowers, or contrast with white ones.

Orange Water Beads

Use Orange Water Beads to spice up a room. This color works well with Southwest style decorating. Layer them with Teal and Clear for a truly stunning display.

Pink Water Beads

Use Pink Water Beads for a light touch of color to complement pink flowers or contrast with white or purple ones. Put them into a clean candle jar with a tight fitting lid and decorate a little girl’s room.

Purple Water Beads

Use Purple Water Beads in urn-shaped vase as an addition to a contemplation nook. Purple is the color of spirituality and calm, so let these beautiful Water Beads become a focal point for your meditative or prayerful practice.

Teal Water Beads

Use Teal Water Beads to complement aqua and teal colored flowers – like those interesting dyed carnations! Combine with orange and white for southwest style decorating. Combine with clear to remind you of Native American turquoise and silver jewelry.