- Cape gooseberry is not hardy
- Overwintering physalis - different ways
- Cut the lantern flower back to the roots
- tips and tricks
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Just like the related tomato, the physalis does not necessarily have to be overwintered. However, this measure has some advantages, because older plants flower earlier and therefore ripen much faster.
Cape gooseberry is not hardy
The Cape gooseberry (also known as the Andean berry), better known by its generic name Physalis, is not hardy, in contrast to the Chinese lantern flower that is also native to us. The plant, which originates from the South American subtropics, does not tolerate any frost and should therefore be brought indoors by mid/late October at the latest and only placed outside or planted out again when no more frosts are to be expected.
Overwintering physalis - different ways
There are several options for overwintering the Physalis, whereby a bright and cool room - around 10 °C - is considered optimal. However, not every gardener can meet these conditions, but fortunately physalis are quite undemanding. If you don't have that much space, you can simply cut cuttings instead of the whole plant and place them in a planter.
Overwinter physalis in a bright place
It is optimal if the physalis can stay in a bright and cool place over the winter. If necessary, the plant can also overwinter in warm rooms, but then it needs a lot of light (plant lamp!) as well as plenty of water and occasional fertilizer. In addition, the humidity should be kept as high as possible so that pests such as B. spider mites or white flies have no chance.
Overwinter physalis in a dark place
On the other hand, if the physalis has to overwinter in a dark place (e.g. in the basement or in the garage), you should cut it down to the roots. It will sprout again in spring because the plant multiplies via its rhizomes (= root runners).
Cut the lantern flower back to the roots
In contrast to the Cape gooseberry, the lantern flower can stay outside in winter. To do this, cut the plant down to the roots and cover them with a thick layer of bark mulch. The lampion flower is also very likely to sprout again in spring.
tips and tricks
Unfortunately, green physalis only ripen when it is warm, which is why - if the plant still has a lot of unripe fruit hanging - you should first place the plant in a warm room. The berries will continue to ripen even without the sun, because the temperature contributes to the ripening process of the Physalis.
IJA