Physalis, a herbaceous and fast-growing plant from the Andes, has been enjoying increasing popularity in Germany for several years. Known as the Andean berry, the plant is relatively easy to grow and will delight gardeners with bountiful harvests of up to 300 of their delicious berries - per bush.
Physalis - annual or perennial?
If you would like to grow the uncomplicated Andean berry and therefore buy a seed packet, it will usually say "annual". This information can also often be found in horticultural literature. So it's hardly surprising that most gardeners are unaware that it's actually a perennial plant. Physalis can easily live between eight and ten years and bear fruit every year - provided you ensure sensible overwintering. Accustomed to the subtropical climate, the Andean berry does not tolerate frost.
Advantages of overwintering Physalis
Physalis should ideally be overwintered at temperatures between 10 and 12 °C and not too dark, and the large, bushy plant takes up a lot of space. In addition, it grows and bears a lot of fruit within a year with little effort - so why should you put the Physalis in the winter quarters? The reason for this is quite simple: the older plant will start fruiting much earlier the next year. If you can harvest a one-year-old Physalis from August at the earliest, but more likely from September, overwintered old plants often develop the first ripe fruits as early as July.
Overwinter Physalis properly
Proceed as follows when overwintering the plant:
- From around the end of September / beginning of October, slowly reduce the amount of irrigation water.
- Do not fertilize potted plants from the beginning of September.
- Harvest all ripe berries.
- You can leave green berries on the bush, they will ripen later.
- If the plant is too tall, prune it back about one to two thirds
- Place the Physalis in its winter quarters by mid-October at the latest.
- This should not be warmer than 12 °C (maximum up to 15 °C) and not too dark.
- If sprouts grow, you can cut them off without worrying.
- Water moderately, do not fertilize.
From around the middle to the end of January you can water the plant more frequently again and slowly get used to more light. However, she can only go outdoors after no more night frosts are to be expected. Physalis definitely belongs outside during the vegetation period, because it is too dark for it indoors.
tips and tricks
If you have little space, but still want to overwinter your physalis, then you don't need to put the whole plant in the winter quarters. It is enough to take one or more cuttings and overwinter them.
IJA