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Physalis - when can I harvest

tony williams2tony williams2 Posts: 286
in Plants

Hi, I tried to grow this last year without a lot of luck, just a few short straggly plants but this year they are doing brilliant, have around 15 x3ft high stalks with between 3-5 lanterns on them, which are all green - do you know when they will change colour and can be harvested - they are in a cold greenhouse. thanks, Tony.

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  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,300

    I'm expecting mine to go brown with an orange fruit as I've seen n the shops but it seems a slow process. Tomatoes are ripening round them and the physalis have looked the same for ages. It's my first try.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • waterbuttswaterbutts Posts: 1,214

    They seem to turn in a sudden rush for me. One day all green, the next orange and then a few days later papery brown. The Duke of Rutland's pheasants usually get to them before I do.

    I hope you have those plants well contained within your flowerbed. They spread underground like wildfire. I even found them coming up between the paving. A bit of a thug is our old physalis.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,300

    do they spread wb? I thought they were annuals. Mine are in pots so they won't take over the world



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,300

    looked them up. they're tender perennials.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • addictaddict Posts: 659

    There ia an ornamental one that is hardy and spreads like the clappers. Looks the

    same but the fruit isn't edble.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,300

    I've got that one addict and until this year it has spread like mad. this year it's shrunk and hardly any flowers.

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LavandeLavande Posts: 171

    I was told to plant mine in a shadier area to slow down the spread and it seems to have worked.  I have a very shady area at the side of the house where I don't mind too much rampancy - although I have to rip out periwinkle every year - it's like a triffid.   I think it will be another couple of weeks at least before my physalis are orange but they are  a lovely shape at the moment. 

    addict wrote (see)

    There ia an ornamental one that is hardy and spreads like the clappers. Looks the same but the fruit isn't edble.

    I think I have the ornamental oneimage

  • waterbuttswaterbutts Posts: 1,214

    I'm totally confused now. I got edible ones in a bag from a friend. Put some out for the birds and got the rampant thugs as mentioned above. They are growing at 600 feet above sea level, have been for several years, produce edible fruit (when I can wrest it from the pheasants) and are taking over the flowerbed.

    I'd keep an eye on them and don't trust them.  There are waiting for world domination...

  • addictaddict Posts: 659

    Then count yourself lucky Waterbutts lol I wouldn't mind a rampant one if I could eat it!

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,300

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/physalis-edulis/2407.html

    this is what I'm growing to eat and what I thought the original post was about

     

     

    http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/physalis-alkekengi-var-franchetii/classid.3446/

    this is chinese lanterns which i don't eat but maybe you can

     

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
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