Most gardeners cultivate physalis as an annual like tomatoes or peppers. Hardly anyone knows that the plant can be up to eight or even ten years old - and also flowers and bears fruit much earlier in the year than annual plants. Perennial physalis, however, tend to proliferate, which is why pruning is usually essential.
The physalis is perennial, which is why pruning is very good for it
Proper care for annual physalis
On the other hand, if you don't want to or can't overwinter your Physalis, then pruning is usually not necessary. However, be careful not to fertilize the plant too much, because then it will put more of its energy into growing instead of developing fruit. However, it becomes problematic if the summer is too short or you sow the plant too late: In these cases, the fruits may not ripen. With a bit of luck, the physalis will ripen - as long as they are not too green.
cut cuttings
If you would like to do without annual sowing, but do not have the space to overwinter an old plant, you can instead easily cut cuttings in autumn and pot them in a small planter over the winter. Cuttings do not take up too much space and sprout again very quickly in the spring. For cuttings, it is best to take fresh shoots directly from the leaf axils, which should be about 10 to 15 centimeters long.
Cut back perennial physalis
Older physalis plants can grow up to two meters high and more than one meter wide - so they are difficult to overwinter in a pot culture without pruning. In addition, the plants grow very densely, so that a regular ventilation cut is useful. You have several options:
1. Cut the plant back by at least half in autumn and only leave a strong main shoot a little longer. It also doesn't hurt if the plant has no more leaves - it will sprout again from its rhizomes in the spring.
2. You prune the plant back as desired in late winter.
tips
Physalis tends to wilt, especially when there is a lack of light, which is why you should remove the corresponding very thin shoots regularly (and at all times). These shoots rob the plant of too much strength.