About
A green culinary cultivar of gooseberry that has some resistance to mildew and leaf spot. It crops heavily and has quite good flavour. Very vigorous with a spreading habit and large thorns. Young shoots can be damaged on exposed sites. A mid-season gooseberry, fruiting slightly earlier than 'Careless'.
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 sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, South-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Fruit Edible
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesMixed borders, hedging, foundation planting.
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. Further gooseberry cultivation advice
PruningPrune gooseberries in winter and summer
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings in winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to Gooseberry sawfly, capsid bug, birds, squirrels and aphids
Disease resistanceAmerican gooseberry mildew and gooseberry leaf spot can cause problems