Growing Ground Cherries: Tips and Tricks for Success
Asked by SunnyDaze42
I'm new to growing ground cherries and had a single five-gallon pot on my deck this summer. It did really well, producing about a dozen husked fruits a day. However, with the cooler weather starting here in Pennsylvania, production has slowed down considerably. I have a few questions:
- Once the plants mature, can they produce fruit year-round if kept in a warm environment?
- I've noticed some empty husks—could this be a sign that squirrels or birds are snacking on them?
- Do I need to regularly fertilize my ground cherries in pots?
- Should I consider pruning and trying to overwinter them, or maybe clone them from cuttings? It was a challenge getting the seeds to germinate indoors, as I didn't realize they require a lot of heat to sprout.
- Also, I started a few big pots of Peruvian Golden Berry plants later in the season—will they keep producing fruit until the first frost?
Answers
Ground cherries can be perennial if you keep them warm enough, so they do have a chance of producing year-round in warmer settings. As for the empty husks, it could be critters getting to them or possibly a pollination issue if the weather hasn’t been ideal. They do need regular fertilizing if you want to keep them fruitful long-term—think bi-monthly granules or bi-weekly liquid feed for best results!
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