Difference between revisions of "Gooseberry"

From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
 
(crfg)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{Taxobox
+
__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
−
| color = lightgreen
+
| name = ''Ribes uva-crispa''
−
| name = Gooseberry
+
| common_names = Gooseberry
 +
| growth_habit = deciduous shrub
 +
| high =    <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
 +
| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
 +
| origin =    <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
 +
| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
 +
| lifespan = perennial
 +
| exposure = full sun, semi-shade (in hot summer areas)
 +
| water = regular
 +
| features = fruit
 +
| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
 +
| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
 +
| usda_zones =    <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
 +
| sunset_zones = 1-6, 15-17, 34-43 for best fruit
 +
| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Stachelbeeren.jpg
 
| image = Stachelbeeren.jpg
 +
| image_width = 200px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
 
| image_caption = cultivated Eurasian gooseberry
 
| image_caption = cultivated Eurasian gooseberry
−
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
+
| regnum = Plantae
−
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
+
| divisio = Magnoliophyta
−
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
+
| classis = Magnoliopsida
−
| ordo = [[Saxifragales]]
+
| ordo = Saxifragales
−
| familia = [[Grossulariaceae]]
+
| familia = Grossulariaceae
−
| genus = '''''[[Ribes]]'''''
+
| genus = Ribes
−
| species = '''''R. uva-crispa'''''
+
| species = uva-crispa
−
| binomial = ''Ribes uva-crispa''
+
| subspecies =  
−
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
+
| cultivar =  
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{commons|Ribes uva-crispa}}
+
'''Adaptation''': Gooseberries grow best in summer humid, cool regions with great winter chilling. In California they are fairly productive in the coolest parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, the outer Coast Ranges and coastal northern California. They are probably not worth trying in southern California. except at high elevations. With proper attention gooseberries can be grown in containers.
  
−
:''See [[Cape Gooseberry]] for a tomato like fruit''
+
'''Growth Habit''': Gooseberries are deciduous shrubs, fast growing under optimum conditions to 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The plant is suitable for training as a standard. American types have weeping stems that will root wherever they touch the ground and can be invasive. Annual growth is in a single flush in spring. The roots are superficial, fine and easily damaged by frequent cultivation.
−
The '''Gooseberry''' ''Ribes uva-crispa'' ([[synonymy|syn.]] ''R. grossularia'') is a species of ''[[Ribes]]'', native to [[Europe]], northwestern [[Africa]] and southwestern [[Asia]]. It is one of several similar species in the subgenus ''Grossularia''; for the other related species (e.g. North American Gooseberry ''Ribes hirtellum''), see the genus page ''[[Ribes]]''.
 
  
−
Although usually placed as a subgenus within ''Ribes'', a few [[taxonomist]]s treat ''Grossularia'' as a separate genus, but since [[hybrid]]s between gooseberry and [[blackcurrant]] (e.g. the Jostaberry) can be cultivated, this seems inappropriate. The subgenus ''Grossularia'' differs somewhat from currants, chiefly in their spiny stems, and in that their [[flower]]s grow one to three together on short stems, not in [[raceme]]s.
+
'''Foliage''': The buds perk up early in the spring, dotting the stems with green when most other plants are still tawny. The leaves are alternate, single, deeply lobed, and glossy dark green (European types), or pale to gray-green and sometimes finely pubescent (American types). The stems are thin, becoming woody, with a large thorn at each axil. American gooseberry stems are densely bristly, with one or more additional thorns at each axil. Leaf size and number are reduced under heat or light stress, and are easily burned by intense sunlight. Plants that have been subject to drought may make a new growth flush after deep irrigation. If the roots are lost, regrowth will wait until the following spring.
  
−
[[Image:Gooseberry1.jpg|thumb|left|Gooseberry (variety Jewettà) - watercolour 1894]]
+
'''Flowers''': The inconspicuous flowers, green with pink flushed petals, open in early spring. They are borne laterally on one-year old wood and on short spurs of older wood. The flowers are self-fertile and pollinated by wind and insects, including bees. Each flower bud opens to yield from one to four flowers, depending on cultivar.
−
==Growth Habit==
 
−
The gooseberry is a straggling [[shrub|bush]] growing to 1-3 m tall, the branches being thickly set with sharp spines, standing out singly or in diverging tufts of two or three from the bases of the short spurs or lateral leaf shoots, on which the bell-shaped flowers are produced, singly or in pairs, from the groups of rounded, deeply-crenated 3 or 5 lobed leaves. The fruit is smaller than in the garden kinds, but is often of good flavour; it is generally hairy, but in one variety smooth, constituting the ''R. uva-crispa'' of writers; the colour is usually green, but plants are occasionally met with having deep purple berries.
 
  
−
==Range==
+
'''Fruit''': The fruit, borne singly or in pairs at the axils, is a berry with many minute seeds at the center. A gooseberry may be green, white (gray-green), yellow, or shades of red from pink to purple to almost black. Fruits of the European gooseberry may be very large, like a small plum, but are usually 1 inch long, less in width. American gooseberry fruits are smaller (to 1/2 inch), perfectly round, all becoming pink to wine-red at maturity. Skin color is most intense in full sunlight. Berries generally drop when overripe. The fruit has a flavor all its own, the best dessert cultivars as luscious as the best apple, strawberry or grape.  
−
The gooseberry is indigenous in Europe and western [[Asia]], growing naturally in [[alpine climate|alpine]] thickets and [[Rock (geology)|rocky]] [[Forest|woods]] in the lower country, from [[France]] eastward, perhaps as far as the [[Himalaya]]. In [[Britain]] it is often found in [[copse]]s and [[hedgerow]]s and about old ruins, but has been so long a plant of cultivation that it is difficult to decide upon its claim to a place in the native flora of the island. Common as it is now on some of the lower slopes of the [[Alps]] of [[Piedmont (Italy)|Piedmont]] and [[Savoy]], it is uncertain whether the [[ancient Rome|Romans]] were acquainted with the gooseberry, though it may possibly be alluded to in a vague passage of [[Pliny the Elder]]'s ''[[Pliny's Natural History|Natural History]]''; the hot summers of [[Italy]], in ancient times as at present, would be unfavourable to its cultivation. Abundant in [[Germany]] and [[France]], it does not appear to have been much grown there in the [[Middle Ages]], though the wild fruit was held in some esteem [[Pharmacology|medicinally]] for the cooling properties of its [[acid]] juice in [[fever]]s; while the old [[English language|English]] name, ''Fea-berry'', still surviving in some provincial dialects, indicates that it was similarly valued in Britain, where it was planted in gardens at a comparatively early period.
 
  
−
[[William Turner]] describes the gooseberry in his ''Herball'', written about the middle of the 16th century, and a few years later it is mentioned in one of Thomas Tusser's quaint rhymes as an ordinary object of garden culture. Improved varieties were probably first raised by the skilful gardeners of [[Holland]], whose name for the fruit, ''Kruisbezie'', may have been easily corrupted into the present English vernacular word. Towards the end of the 18th century the gooseberry became a favourite object of cottage-horticulture, especially in [[Lancashire, England|Lancashire]], where the working [[cotton]]-spinners have raised numerous varieties from [[seed]], their efforts having been chiefly directed to increasing the size of the fruit.
+
:''More information about this species can be found on the [[Ribes|genus page]].''
  
−
==Climate==
+
==Cultivation==
−
Of the many hundred sorts enumerated in recent horticultural works, few perhaps equal in flavour some of the older denizens of the fruit-garden, such as the ''old rough red'' and ''hairy amber''. The [[climate]] of the [[British Islands]] seems peculiarly adapted to bring the gooseberry to perfection, and it may be grown successfully even in the most northern parts of [[Scotland]] where it is commonly known as a "grozet"; indeed, the flavour of the fruit is said to improve with increasing latitude. In [[Norway]] even, the bush flourishes in gardens on the west coast nearly up to the [[Arctic]] circle, and it is found wild as far north as 63°. The dry summers of the French and German plains are less suited to it, though it is grown in some hilly districts with tolerable success. The gooseberry in the south of England will grow well in cool situations, and may be sometimes seen in gardens near [[London]] flourishing under the partial shade of [[Apple (Fruit)|apple]] [[tree]]s; but in the north it needs full exposure to the sun to bring the fruit to perfection. It will succeed in almost any [[soil]], but prefers a rich loam or black alluvium, and, though naturally a plant of rather dry places, will do well in moist land, if drained.
+
{{monthbox
 +
| color = IndianRed
 +
| name = <!--- type name of plant just to the right of the equal sign on the left -->
 +
| jan =
 +
| feb =
 +
| mar =
 +
| apr =
 +
| may =
 +
| jun =
 +
| jul =
 +
| aug =
 +
| sep =
 +
| oct =
 +
| nov =
 +
| dec =
 +
| notes =
 +
}}
 +
'''Location''': Gooseberries like morning sun, afternoon part-shade and buoyant air circulation. They are most productive in full sunlight but the leaves sunburn easily under California conditions. They can be grown in the high shade of fruit trees such as persimmon or on the north side of buildings. American gooseberry are much more sun tolerant. Plants collapse quickly when soil or air temperature exceeds 85° F.
  
−
[[Image:Stachelbeere_(Ribes_uva-crispa).jpg|thumb|red gooseberries]]
+
'''Soil''': Gooseberry plants are less finicky about soil acidity than most other small fruits, and tolerate a wide range of soils, except those that are waterlogged. Where summers are hot, bushes will grow better and produce better fruit in heavier soils, which retain more moisture and stay cooler. A thick mulch of some organic material also helps keep the soil cool. Sandy soils are less suitable for gooseberries because they dry out too fast.
−
==Propagation==
 
−
The varieties are most easily propagated by cuttings planted in the autumn, which root rapidly, and in a few years form good fruit-bearing bushes. Much difference of opinion prevails regarding the mode of pruning this valuable shrub; it is probable that in different situations it may require varying treatment. The fruit being borne on the lateral spurs, and on the shoots of the last year, it is the usual practice to shorten the side branches in the winter, before the buds begin to expand; some reduce the longer leading shoots at the same time, while others prefer to nip off the ends of these in the summer while they are still succulent.
 
  
−
When large fruit is desired, plenty of manure should be supplied to the roots, and the greater portion of the berries picked off while still small. If standards are desired, the gooseberry may be with advantage grafted or budded on stocks of some other species of Ribes, ''R. aureum'', the ornamental golden currant of the flower garden, answering well for the purpose. The giant gooseberries of the ''Lancashire fanciers'' are obtained by the careful culture of varieties specially raised with this object, the growth being encouraged by abundant manuring, and the removal of all but a very few berries from each plant. Single gooseberries of nearly 2 oz. in weight have been occasionally exhibited; but the produce of such fanciful horticulture is generally insipid.
+
'''Irrigation''': With their fibrous, shallow roots gooseberries are ideal for drip system. Keep the plants watered all season, since they will not regenerate buds or leaves lost from drought stress. Plants stressed for water are susceptible to mildew.
  
−
==Pests==
+
'''Fertilization''': Gooseberries have a high requirement for potassium and a moderate need for nitrogen, although excessive amounts of nitrogen promote disease, especially mildew. Between four and eight ounces of actual nitrogen per square yard strikes a good balance between growth and disease tolerance. The symptom of potassium deficiency is scorching of leaf margins. Deficiency can be avoided with an annual dressing of half an ounce of potassium per square yard. Gooseberry plants also have a fairly high requirement for magnesium, so if the soil is very acidic and needs lime, use dolomitic limestone, which supplies magnesium as well as calcium.
−
The bushes at times suffer much from the ravages of the [[caterpillar]]s of the gooseberry or magpie [[moth]], ''Abraxas grossulariala'', which often strip the branches of leaves in the early summer, if not destroyed before the mischief is accomplished. The most effectual way of getting rid of this pretty but destructive insect is to look over each bush carefully, and pick off the larvae by hand; when larger they may be shaken off by striking the branches, but by that time the harm is generally done; the eggs are laid on the leaves of the previous season. Equally annoying in some years is the smaller [[larva]] of the V-moth, ''Semiothisa wauaria'', which often appears in great numbers, and is not so readily removed. The gooseberry is sometimes attacked by the grub of the Gooseberry [[symphyta|sawfly]] (''[[Nematus ribesii]]'') of which several broods appear in the course of the spring and summer, and are very destructive. The grubs bury themselves in the ground to pass into the pupal state; the first brood of flies, hatched just as the bushes are coming into leaf in the spring, lay their eggs on the lower side of the leaves, where the small greenish larvae soon after emerge. For the destruction of the first broods it has been recommended to syringe the bushes with tar-water; perhaps a very weak solution of carbolic acid might prove more effective. The powdered root of white [[hellebore]] is said to destroy both this grub and the caterpillars of the gooseberry moth and V-moth; infusion of [[foxglove]], and [[tobacco]]-water, are likewise tried by some growers. If the fallen leaves are carefully removed from the ground in the autumn and burnt, and the surface of the soil turned over with the fork or spade, most eggs and chrysalids will be destroyed.
 
  
−
Spraying the plants with potassium sulphide has been found useful in fending off a variety of further parasites and fungi (such as the ''American gooseberry mildew'') which may attack gooseberries specifically.
+
'''Pruning''': A gooseberry bush is usually grown on a permanent short "leg" of about six inches, from which the bush is continually renewed with new shoots arising at or near ground level. Allow stems to grow for 4-5 years, then selectively remove oldest stems to make room for new shoots. Snap off any branches that form along or below the six-inch leg. Thorns make harvest tedious, so pruning is done to open up the bush and make picking easier. The plants may be grown as standards or cordons, but this requires a lot of care and the fruit often sunburns.
  
−
Like other ''Ribes'', the gooseberry serves as an alternate host for [[Cronartium ribicola|white pine blister rust]], which can cause serious damage to [[Pinus classification|white pines]]. For this reason, there are laws against gooseberry cultivation in some places.
+
'''Harvest''': Average yield from one gooseberry bush is between eight and ten pounds of fruit. Gooseberries used for culinary purposes such as tarts, etc. are usually picked underripe. A classic gooseberry concoction is a fool, made by folding cream into the stewed fruit. For dessert purposes, however, the fruit must be fully ripe.  
  
−
==Etymology==
+
===Propagation===
−
The first part of the word has been usually treated as an [[Etymology|etymological]] corruption either of the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] word ''Kruisbezie'' or the allied [[German language|German]] ''Krausbeere'', or of the earlier forms of the [[French language|French]] ''groseille''. Alternatively the word has been connected to the [[Middle High German]] '''krus''' (curl, crisped), in Latin as ''grossularia''. However, the [[New English Dictionary]] takes the obvious derivation from ''[[goose]]'' and ''[[berry]]'' as probable; the grounds on which [[plant]]s and [[fruit]]s have received names associating them with [[animal]]s are so often inexplicable, that the inappropriateness in the meaning does not necessarily give good grounds for believing that the word is an etymological corruption.
+
The ease with which gooseberries propagate from cuttings depends on the cultivar. Generally, American cultivars are easier to root than are European cultivars. Take hardwood cutting in early fall, even before all the leaves have dropped. The presence of a few leaves actually enhances rooting. Make the cuttings about a foot long, but do not include tip growth, dip the base in hormone and pot in ordinary soil. Keep in part shade for the first year. Tip layering is a surer method of propagation, though a single bush furnishes far fewer layers than cuttings. If intended for training as standards or cordons, strip all buds off, cutting below the soil line. Seeds require moist stratification, just above freezing, for three to four months. The plants commence bearing in 5 years from seed and 2 years from cuttings.  
  
−
==Other fruits called gooseberries==
+
===Pests and diseases===
−
As well as the other species in the subgenus ''Grossularia'', two other unrelated plants are sometimes termed 'gooseberry'.
+
Aphids commonly attack young leaves, distorting them. Spider mites are common in summer; spray immediately after harvest and thereafter on a regular schedule. The clear-winged borer lays its eggs on stems in April. The larvae hatch and bore into the central pith down to soil line and emerge to pupate in the fall. An infestation is usually detected only after the stem wilts and dies. Borers will spread and generally causes loss of whole planting without quick control. Cut out affected stems, search for others and spray. The gooseberry sawfly is present in the Pacific Northwest but has not yet been detected in California. Its small green worms will hollow out the berries, leaving an empty husk.
  
−
The fruit called the "Cape gooseberry" is produced by the species ''[[Physalis peruviana]]'' in the family [[Solanaceae]], native to the Andes.
+
Ribes species are host for White Pine blister rust, which causes few problems for gooseberry, but is lethal for 5-needle pines, including California natives such as Western Pine (Pinus monticola) and Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana). Gooseberries are banned in counties where these pines are grown for lumber. Botrytis and Anthracnose can cause rot of leaves and loss of young growth, particularly stems lying on the ground or splashed during irrigation. Gooseberry mildew is a common problem, affecting both European and American types. It is worst in coastal fog, on drought-stressed plants, or where irrigation is by overhead sprinkling. Keep plants turgid, never stressed for water between irrigations. Benomyl spray before flowering and after harvest should control it. Roots are susceptible to both Oak Root fungus (Armillaria mellea) and Phytophthora.  
  
−
The fruit called the "Chinese gooseberry", now more commonly known as [[Kiwifruit]], is produced by the species ''[[Kiwifruit|Actinidia deliciosa]]'', in the family [[Actinidiaceae]]. As its name implies, it was originally cultivated in [[China]], but was taken to [[New Zealand]], where [[cultivar]]s were selected, and the fruit renamed Kiwifruit. These are now grown in many areas, and marketed worldwide under that name - though the older name is sometimes still seen in [[Australia]].
+
==Cultivars==
 +
The European gooseberry is the classic gooseberry of cookery and and desserts. The American gooseberry is smaller, adapted to more demanding cultural conditions and more productive, but without much character and generally inferior for all purposes. As the European can be grown in all Californian conditions suited for the gooseberry culture, the American is not recommended. Market demand for American gooseberries is static, while appreciation for the true European berry is growing. Experimentation with European types is limited under California conditions, and many cultivars have been introduced in recent years. Only those with proven production are described. Growers in unsuitable climates, looking for a substitute for gooseberry, should consider the Jostaberry or Buffalo Currant (Ribes aureum). See: Currants.
  
−
The "Indian gooseberry" is produced by the species ''[[Indian gooseberry|Phyllanthus emblica]]''.
+
===AMERICAN GOOSEBERRY===
 +
* '''Glenndale''' - Origin USDA, Glenn Dale, MD, 1932. Ribes missouriense X R. grossularia. Bush very tall, fountain shaped, generally rooting at tips. Prolific production of very small, dark red to purple berries. Tolerates bright sun, was bred for growers at extreme southern limit of gooseberry culture.
 +
* '''Oregon Champion''' - Hybrid from cross of Crown Bob with Houghton. Origin O. Dickinson, Salem, 1876. Bush tall, weeping but rarely rooting at tips. Stems bristly, spiny. Begins growth very early. Somewhat tolerant of Armillaria. Prolific, fruits small, acid, hard and green when commercially harvested, becoming bland, sweet, greenish yellow upon maturity. Most common of gooseberry cultivars; another cv. 'Mountain' is often sold for it by unscrupulous nurserymen. 'Mountain' is more vigorous, sprawling, fruit brick to deep red.  
  
−
[[Category:Accessory fruit]]
+
===EUROPEAN GOOSEBERRY===
−
[[Category:Saxifragales]]
+
* '''Careless''' - Origin Britain. Bush spreading, tending to few branches. Few thorns. Rather prolific. Fruits yellow, rather elongated, becoming brown where sunburned, rather bland. Used for cooking in Europe; quality is higher in USA.
 +
* '''Early Sulphur''' - Syn. Yellow Rough. Origin Britain. Bush slow growing, susceptible to Armillaria. Slow to come into bearing. Fruits somewhat pear-shaped, deep yellow, smallish, with few bristles. Flavor very good.
 +
* '''Hinnonmakis Yellow''' - Hybrid from Finland, somewhat resistant to mildew. Fruit ripens midseason with a smooth, yellow skin. Fruit size is variable, excellent flavor.
 +
* '''Telegraph''' - Bush short, rather skimpy. Quite productive of outstandingly large, yellow fruits of fair flavor. Berries resist sunburn. Grown for size.
 +
* '''Whinham's Industry''' - Origin Britain. Bush slow growing. Fair production of round yellow berries, with many innocuous violet-red bristles, giving an overall red color to fruit. Flavor good.
 +
* '''Whitesmith''' - Origin Britain. Bush very dense, requires thinning to permit harvest. Somewhat tolerant of Armillaria. Fruits scattered throughout bush, medium, round to oval, pale green to white when ripe. Good flavor.
 +
 
 +
==Gallery==
 +
 
 +
<gallery>
 +
Image:Gooseberry1.jpg|Gooseberry (variety Jewettà) - watercolour 1894
 +
Image:Stachelbeere_(Ribes_uva-crispa).jpg|red gooseberries
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
*[http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/gooseberry.html CRFG Gooseberry Fruit Facts]
 +
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
 +
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
 +
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
 +
 
 +
==External links==
 +
*{{wplink}}
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Categorize]]
 +
 
 +
<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->

Revision as of 20:26, 22 April 2009


cultivated Eurasian gooseberry


Plant Characteristics
Lifespan: ⌛ perennial
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ full sun"full sun" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property., semi-shade (in hot summer areas)"semi-shade (in hot summer areas)" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ regular"regular" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Features: ✓ fruit
Sunset Zones: 1-6, 15-17, 34-43 for best fruit
Scientific Names

Grossulariaceae >

Ribes >

uva-crispa >


Adaptation: Gooseberries grow best in summer humid, cool regions with great winter chilling. In California they are fairly productive in the coolest parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, the outer Coast Ranges and coastal northern California. They are probably not worth trying in southern California. except at high elevations. With proper attention gooseberries can be grown in containers.

Growth Habit: Gooseberries are deciduous shrubs, fast growing under optimum conditions to 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The plant is suitable for training as a standard. American types have weeping stems that will root wherever they touch the ground and can be invasive. Annual growth is in a single flush in spring. The roots are superficial, fine and easily damaged by frequent cultivation.

Foliage: The buds perk up early in the spring, dotting the stems with green when most other plants are still tawny. The leaves are alternate, single, deeply lobed, and glossy dark green (European types), or pale to gray-green and sometimes finely pubescent (American types). The stems are thin, becoming woody, with a large thorn at each axil. American gooseberry stems are densely bristly, with one or more additional thorns at each axil. Leaf size and number are reduced under heat or light stress, and are easily burned by intense sunlight. Plants that have been subject to drought may make a new growth flush after deep irrigation. If the roots are lost, regrowth will wait until the following spring.

Flowers: The inconspicuous flowers, green with pink flushed petals, open in early spring. They are borne laterally on one-year old wood and on short spurs of older wood. The flowers are self-fertile and pollinated by wind and insects, including bees. Each flower bud opens to yield from one to four flowers, depending on cultivar.

Fruit: The fruit, borne singly or in pairs at the axils, is a berry with many minute seeds at the center. A gooseberry may be green, white (gray-green), yellow, or shades of red from pink to purple to almost black. Fruits of the European gooseberry may be very large, like a small plum, but are usually 1 inch long, less in width. American gooseberry fruits are smaller (to 1/2 inch), perfectly round, all becoming pink to wine-red at maturity. Skin color is most intense in full sunlight. Berries generally drop when overripe. The fruit has a flavor all its own, the best dessert cultivars as luscious as the best apple, strawberry or grape.

More information about this species can be found on the genus page.

Cultivation

calendar?
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
Notes:

Location: Gooseberries like morning sun, afternoon part-shade and buoyant air circulation. They are most productive in full sunlight but the leaves sunburn easily under California conditions. They can be grown in the high shade of fruit trees such as persimmon or on the north side of buildings. American gooseberry are much more sun tolerant. Plants collapse quickly when soil or air temperature exceeds 85° F.

Soil: Gooseberry plants are less finicky about soil acidity than most other small fruits, and tolerate a wide range of soils, except those that are waterlogged. Where summers are hot, bushes will grow better and produce better fruit in heavier soils, which retain more moisture and stay cooler. A thick mulch of some organic material also helps keep the soil cool. Sandy soils are less suitable for gooseberries because they dry out too fast.

Irrigation: With their fibrous, shallow roots gooseberries are ideal for drip system. Keep the plants watered all season, since they will not regenerate buds or leaves lost from drought stress. Plants stressed for water are susceptible to mildew.

Fertilization: Gooseberries have a high requirement for potassium and a moderate need for nitrogen, although excessive amounts of nitrogen promote disease, especially mildew. Between four and eight ounces of actual nitrogen per square yard strikes a good balance between growth and disease tolerance. The symptom of potassium deficiency is scorching of leaf margins. Deficiency can be avoided with an annual dressing of half an ounce of potassium per square yard. Gooseberry plants also have a fairly high requirement for magnesium, so if the soil is very acidic and needs lime, use dolomitic limestone, which supplies magnesium as well as calcium.

Pruning: A gooseberry bush is usually grown on a permanent short "leg" of about six inches, from which the bush is continually renewed with new shoots arising at or near ground level. Allow stems to grow for 4-5 years, then selectively remove oldest stems to make room for new shoots. Snap off any branches that form along or below the six-inch leg. Thorns make harvest tedious, so pruning is done to open up the bush and make picking easier. The plants may be grown as standards or cordons, but this requires a lot of care and the fruit often sunburns.

Harvest: Average yield from one gooseberry bush is between eight and ten pounds of fruit. Gooseberries used for culinary purposes such as tarts, etc. are usually picked underripe. A classic gooseberry concoction is a fool, made by folding cream into the stewed fruit. For dessert purposes, however, the fruit must be fully ripe.

Propagation

The ease with which gooseberries propagate from cuttings depends on the cultivar. Generally, American cultivars are easier to root than are European cultivars. Take hardwood cutting in early fall, even before all the leaves have dropped. The presence of a few leaves actually enhances rooting. Make the cuttings about a foot long, but do not include tip growth, dip the base in hormone and pot in ordinary soil. Keep in part shade for the first year. Tip layering is a surer method of propagation, though a single bush furnishes far fewer layers than cuttings. If intended for training as standards or cordons, strip all buds off, cutting below the soil line. Seeds require moist stratification, just above freezing, for three to four months. The plants commence bearing in 5 years from seed and 2 years from cuttings.

Pests and diseases

Aphids commonly attack young leaves, distorting them. Spider mites are common in summer; spray immediately after harvest and thereafter on a regular schedule. The clear-winged borer lays its eggs on stems in April. The larvae hatch and bore into the central pith down to soil line and emerge to pupate in the fall. An infestation is usually detected only after the stem wilts and dies. Borers will spread and generally causes loss of whole planting without quick control. Cut out affected stems, search for others and spray. The gooseberry sawfly is present in the Pacific Northwest but has not yet been detected in California. Its small green worms will hollow out the berries, leaving an empty husk.

Ribes species are host for White Pine blister rust, which causes few problems for gooseberry, but is lethal for 5-needle pines, including California natives such as Western Pine (Pinus monticola) and Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana). Gooseberries are banned in counties where these pines are grown for lumber. Botrytis and Anthracnose can cause rot of leaves and loss of young growth, particularly stems lying on the ground or splashed during irrigation. Gooseberry mildew is a common problem, affecting both European and American types. It is worst in coastal fog, on drought-stressed plants, or where irrigation is by overhead sprinkling. Keep plants turgid, never stressed for water between irrigations. Benomyl spray before flowering and after harvest should control it. Roots are susceptible to both Oak Root fungus (Armillaria mellea) and Phytophthora.

Cultivars

The European gooseberry is the classic gooseberry of cookery and and desserts. The American gooseberry is smaller, adapted to more demanding cultural conditions and more productive, but without much character and generally inferior for all purposes. As the European can be grown in all Californian conditions suited for the gooseberry culture, the American is not recommended. Market demand for American gooseberries is static, while appreciation for the true European berry is growing. Experimentation with European types is limited under California conditions, and many cultivars have been introduced in recent years. Only those with proven production are described. Growers in unsuitable climates, looking for a substitute for gooseberry, should consider the Jostaberry or Buffalo Currant (Ribes aureum). See: Currants.

AMERICAN GOOSEBERRY

  • Glenndale - Origin USDA, Glenn Dale, MD, 1932. Ribes missouriense X R. grossularia. Bush very tall, fountain shaped, generally rooting at tips. Prolific production of very small, dark red to purple berries. Tolerates bright sun, was bred for growers at extreme southern limit of gooseberry culture.
  • Oregon Champion - Hybrid from cross of Crown Bob with Houghton. Origin O. Dickinson, Salem, 1876. Bush tall, weeping but rarely rooting at tips. Stems bristly, spiny. Begins growth very early. Somewhat tolerant of Armillaria. Prolific, fruits small, acid, hard and green when commercially harvested, becoming bland, sweet, greenish yellow upon maturity. Most common of gooseberry cultivars; another cv. 'Mountain' is often sold for it by unscrupulous nurserymen. 'Mountain' is more vigorous, sprawling, fruit brick to deep red.

EUROPEAN GOOSEBERRY

  • Careless - Origin Britain. Bush spreading, tending to few branches. Few thorns. Rather prolific. Fruits yellow, rather elongated, becoming brown where sunburned, rather bland. Used for cooking in Europe; quality is higher in USA.
  • Early Sulphur - Syn. Yellow Rough. Origin Britain. Bush slow growing, susceptible to Armillaria. Slow to come into bearing. Fruits somewhat pear-shaped, deep yellow, smallish, with few bristles. Flavor very good.
  • Hinnonmakis Yellow - Hybrid from Finland, somewhat resistant to mildew. Fruit ripens midseason with a smooth, yellow skin. Fruit size is variable, excellent flavor.
  • Telegraph - Bush short, rather skimpy. Quite productive of outstandingly large, yellow fruits of fair flavor. Berries resist sunburn. Grown for size.
  • Whinham's Industry - Origin Britain. Bush slow growing. Fair production of round yellow berries, with many innocuous violet-red bristles, giving an overall red color to fruit. Flavor good.
  • Whitesmith - Origin Britain. Bush very dense, requires thinning to permit harvest. Somewhat tolerant of Armillaria. Fruits scattered throughout bush, medium, round to oval, pale green to white when ripe. Good flavor.

Gallery

  • Gooseberry (variety Jewettà) - watercolour 1894

  • red gooseberries

References

External links


Retrieved from "http://gardenology.mywikis.net/w/index.php?title=Gooseberry&oldid=23558"