The popular orange fruit needs a little special care. You can find out everything you need to know about watering, fertilizing and maxing out the physalis here.
The physalis (Physalis peruviana) - also called Cape gooseberry or Andean berry - is now also conquering gardens in our latitudes. The nightshade plant (Solanaceae) from South America not only enchants with its fluffy soft leaves and delicate flowers. Above all, the fruity, delicious taste of the fruit makes physalis so popular. Although the Andean berry is quite undemanding and easy to care for, there are still a few points to consider in order to maintain he althy plants and the richest possible harvest. In this article you will find out what you should consider when caring for the Physalis plant.
Caring for Physalis: Proper Watering
The physalis only withstands drought for a short time. Therefore, it should be watered regularly so as not to stress the plant too much. This can be necessary up to twice a day in midsummer, especially in sunny locations, which are best suited for the plant. This is not least due to the fact that the physalis loves sandy locations, which, however, can hardly hold water. It is best to water the Cape gooseberries vigorously in the morning before the midday heat and, if necessary, again in the late afternoon. With physalis in a pot, it is worth using a saucer that catches excess water that the plant absorbs when needed. However, if the water has been standing for several days without the physalis using it, you should pour it out to avoid root rot.
Pruning Physalis
In annual cultivation, Cape gooseberries do not have to be pruned, otherwise fruit and flower formation may suffer. However, it may be necessary to pinch off excess side shoots. You can find out more about the physalis in the following paragraphs.
In perennial cultivation, the physalis is cut back by about half before being transferred to winter storage. This encourages branchingand flowering in the next spring and also makes wintering easier.
Tip: During the winter, instead of the whole physalis plant, only cuttings can be cut and rooted. In this way, you not only propagate your Physalis, but the young plants will bear fruit much earlier next summer than freshly sown plants.
Fertilize physalis: with what and how often?
The physalis is a medium eater in terms of the supply of nutrients. But what is the right fertilizer for Physalis? Mineral fertilizers with a high, soluble nitrogen content, such as blue corn, are not suitable for Physalis cultivation. These promote shoot growth too much and only a few flowers form. When planting out, you can mix a dose of compost into the existing soil and put it in the planting hole.
A predominantly organic long-term fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, is also worked into the surface of the soil or pot substrate directly when planting the Physalis . Through regular watering, the fertilizer is quickly converted by the soil organisms. Two months later you can repeat the fertilization with a lower dose. Similar to tomatoes, physalis also have a high potassium requirement, which is optimally covered by our tomato fertilizer. The nutrients contained are released evenly and slowly. This prevents over-fertilization and gently supplies the plant with essential nutrients. If the physalis is kept in a pot for several years, you can mix the fresh substrate with the fertilizer granules when repotting the physalis in a larger pot and thus ensure the nutrient supply in the long term.
Tip: A mulch layer made of plant residues, such as lawn clippings or crushed nettles, has countless advantages for the physalis: it prevents the growth of weeds, at the same time keeps moisture in the soil and serves as a Basis for new humus build-up. Please do not forget to spread some nitrogen-rich fertilizer directly under the mulch layer. Otherwise nitrogen will be temporarily fixed due to the breakdown of the mulch material and will no longer be available to your physalis.
Exhaust Physalis
When it comes to using the physalis plant to the full, gardeners are divided. Some let their plants grow wild, others stingy with the Cape gooseberrya tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) from. Depending on growth strength and density, cutting out Andean berries is useful or not necessary. Because excess side shoots can reduce the air circulation between the many parts of the plant and hardly get any light for photosynthesis.
In any case, always use a sharp knife or pruning shears, which you disinfect before and after pruning a plant. In this way, no pathogens such as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) are transferred from one plant to the next. If the lowest side shoots are lying on the ground, you should cut them off completely because of the risk of rotting. If your physalis grows vigorously and produces fruit, but which hardly gets any sunlight or air, it is advisable to pinch the plant. With bushes that grow too densely, the risk of fungal infestation is increased after rain and high humidity due to slower drying. Therefore, remove the inward-growing shoots: this will allow light and air to reach the inside of the plant again. The fruits are then often even larger and tastier.
However, you should not overdo it when pruning, otherwise the plant will be stimulated to strong growth and initially form fresh shoots and no more new flowers and fruits. Gentle pinching can be repeated after a few weeks to remove newly formed shoots.
Summary Physalis:
- Disinfect cutting equipment, such as knives and secateurs, before and after each plant.
- Remove all shoots lying on the ground.
- Remove inward growing side shoots if the growth is too dense.
- Be thrifty and use it several times at intervals of a few weeks.
Physalis has yellow leaves: what to do?
If the physalis gets yellow leaves, this can be due to a lack of nitrogen. In this case, the older, i.e. the lowest leaves turn yellow and fall off. Here we recommend quick fertilization with an organic liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable fertilizer. This is applied together with the irrigation water and thus reaches the roots of the physalis directly. Yellowing can also occur due to too much moisture or even waterlogging, mostly in pot cultures. Therefore, it is best to ensure good drainage when planting and empty full saucers if the water lasts longer than a dayit says. Incidentally, in autumn the leaves fall off naturally and turn yellow to brown. Now you should think about overwintering the Physalis.
Support physalis with a trellis
Tall Physalis varieties should be supported with one or more stakes or a metal ring. They should also be tied up in wind-exposed locations outdoors. Bushy growing Andean berries usually do not need any support in places sheltered from the wind.
Diseases and Pests in Physalis
If the physalis is cultivated under optimal conditions, i.e. in a sunny, airy location with well-drained soil and a good supply of nutrients, it is only slightly susceptible to diseases and pests. In the spring and during the frost-free hibernation, aphids multiply rapidly, but they only have to be combated if the infestation is severe. In unfavorable weather, for example a lot of moisture and high temperatures at the same time, gray mold and mildew can occur. Infested plant parts should be removed and disposed of in the household waste, not on the compost.
Care for physalis in the pot
Physalis in a pot or window box requires the same care as physalis in a bed. The decisive steps in pot culture are the choice of the right plant substrate and the right planter. You can learn what to look out for in our article on planting Physalis.
Care for Physalis: Everything at a glance
Here we have compiled the most important points for the care of the Andean berry:
- Water the physalis regularly, at best in the morning.
- When planting and repotting, add mainly organic long-term fertilizer, replenish after about two months.
- Careful but regular pinching increases fruit size and prevents fungal attack.
- Support and tie tall varieties.
- Prune the physalis shoots back by about half in October before overwintering and repot the plant in spring. Propagation by cuttings is also possible.
By the way: If you want to cultivate the plant for several years, i.e. overwinter the physalis, it must be cut back in October and placed at 10 °C. In the spring it is then transferred to a larger pot with fresh soil and nutrients. You can read more about this in our special article.