About
This deep red gooseberry suitable for culinary and edible use, fairly disease resistant and almost thornless, just a few on new growth. Self-fertile. White flowers appear March to April and steady picking of the fruit begins in July. A deciduous shrub with a spreading bushy habit and mid-green lobed leaves.
About the genus
Ribes can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes spiny, with simple, usually palmately lobed leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped, solitary or racemose flowers borne in spring or summer, followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
Growing conditions
SunlightFull shade, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Shrubs
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden
Care notes
CultivationGrow gooseberries in a moist but well-drained soil that has been improves with organic matter. Mildly alkaline (chalky) soils are tolerated. They can be grown as goblet-shaped bushes or cordons. Water well as fruits swell and keep the base of the plants weed and grass-free. See gooseberry cultivation for more growing advice
PruningPrune gooseberries in winter and summer
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to gooseberry sawfly, capsid bug, birds, squirrels and aphids can be problematic
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to American gooseberry mildew and gooseberry leaf spot can cause problems