About

Pax' is a red, mid-season, dessert gooseberry; a vigorous, somewhat spreading bush with few thorns, which crops well and has quite a good flavour.

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
AspectSouth-facing, West-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 usesCottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants

Care notes

CultivationGrow in a moist but well-drained soil that has been improved with organic matter. Mildly alkaline (chalky) soils are tolerated. 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 as goblet-shaped bushes, standards, fans or a cordon
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings in winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to gooseberry sawfly, capsid bug, birds, squirrels and aphids
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to American gooseberry mildew and gooseberry leaf spot, though this cultivar has some resistance to both