Warning! Gooseberries may be hazardous! You all know I am more of a plant collector than anything else. It grows, I want it. I am getting away from this mentality now, but still I have many green things growing that I might not otherwise have gotten if I were not such an avid plant collector. Gooseberries are one of those things. Gooseberries you say? Are you kidding? They taste so good and are fun to grow! Yes, it is all true, but did you know they have thorns? Big thorns! And, they spread like crazy too.
I suspect the spreading may be the self seeding of the gooseberries. And they are probably self seeding since I never seem to get around to picking all the red ripe smallish gooseberries in time to enjoy them in the house. That is really my problem and not the gooseberries problem.
See the volunteer below? I had several of these last year, dozens in fact. These do not even take into account the fact that wherever the stems touch the ground, they root and form a new plant. Can you say gooseberries galore?
I had several volunteers in fact, that I dug them and shared them with many of my friends and my family. I do hope you all are enjoying them, but I must warn you-they get big and they make more and they have thorns! Why am I warning you, because I never knew this when I added the gooseberries to my garden.
A friend's mother in law gave me about 5 plants in one gallon pots several years ago. Those gooseberries sat for more than one year in those pots before I finally got around to finding a spot for them. That particular spot is in the way back garden, behind Mr. Fix-it's garage. It is a circular raised garden where I grow fruits and veggies that cannot fit into my regular vegetable garden. Gooseberries share the space with everbearing strawberries. Now how perfect can that be? The birds and the chipmunks sure do feast on all the berries! Well, that is okay for the gooseberries, since I have gooseberries galore....in the garden....just beware of those thorns.
P.S. I finally picked them this year. Probably because I am blogging now and made a public commitment that I would, not sure. But I plan to make gooseberry jelly and can you say yum!? Don't worry, there'll still be gooseberries in the garden for the chipmunks and birds as I could not get them all due to the thorns. Gooseberries taste kind of like a bland blueberry in case you were wondering.
Yes, I can say yum. I love gooseberries, but was unaware of their side effects. Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Tina,
ReplyDeleteIf you find any caterpillars on them you might have rare Gray Commas in your garden, doubtful unless you are close to a native population of them. Fun read !!!
I love gooseberries but my bush is very slow to produce. One berry last year! About 8 this year. Yours must be very happy where it is
ReplyDeleteWe had some Gooseberries growing in our garden in Spardorf. The German name is Stachelbeeren --the name certainly describes it well!
ReplyDeleteMorning Tina,
ReplyDeleteI had some gooseberries when in N.C. brought them here--they never did anything & finally died. I've wanted to try again, did not know they had thorns. Some states do not permit them something about some kind of pine tree. Will have to rethink about them now.
Hi Anonymous, Skeeter, Dawn, Jean & Nina. I do hope you all have a perfect day for whatever you have planned.
Me, I'm having eye surgery.
MMMMM!!! I'm excited to see your gooseberry jam results!! I've never had a gooseberry or gooseberry jam, but I'm betting it's delish!! I had no idea they were such a pain. I hate things with thorns!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's good to publically commit to things on the blog, it definitely makes me follow through.
They might work well on an espalier for easier access to more fruit! I've never had a gooseberry, are they closer to blueberries or grapes in taste?
ReplyDeleteMorning Tina, I've never grown gooseberries but I have a similar problem with raspberries. The birds have planted them all around my house, I feel like Sleeping Beauty with the thorny moat growing around her castle;) Well maybe not the beauty or the caste part... Anyway, raspberries aren't as thorny as gooseberries but it's unpleasant to reach down to pull a weed and have a finger impaled.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
ACIL, They are sure good-thorny though-ouch.
ReplyDeleteRandy, I'll look for some caterpillars today. Since I've been reading your blog I find I pay better attention to butterflies, but still can't ID half of them.
Helen, I believe these are the American type of gooseberries. They root everywhere. There are varieties that are slower. Maybe that is it? These actually grow in part shade and do seem happy but I find you can't hardly kill them. A good thing for me. I hope you get so many you don't know what to do with them next year.
Janet, Yup! Perfect name indeed as they sure do stick (stach) you! They are fun to grow though. I enjoy them-as do the birds.
Lola, You are right! These are banned in some states and it is something to do with a disease or fungus or virus. I can't remember but I read that somewhere. It might be too hot down there for them?
Lzyjo, They are sure fun but yes, gotta deal with thorns:( I haven't completed the jam yet but still have those plans....
Dave, I think they are closer in taste to blueberries than grapes. My berries are smaller so maybe it's a bit harder to tell. They are good though. Very edible once purple. Not so when green.
Marnie, Oh yes I can picture your moat. Too cute. I simply love raspberries-way more than gooseberries, but we need to get rid of those thorns for sure.
Everyone have a great day! We got nearly 3 inches of rain so it is wonderful here.
Tina, I was just wondering about the taste...glad you mentioned it... the thorns too! I've never seen them. Your birds and chipmunks are lucky!
ReplyDeleteI love gooseberry jelly. My grandma used to take me to pick them in the wild of Northern Cal. and I loved it, thorns and all. Any berry good for jelly makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd lost mine when I planted them outside but they are coming back now and are doing well, I may of made a mistake and planted them in the veggie garden, next to the rubarb.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a gooseberry Tina. They must not grow in Texas--I never see them at markets either. Yes, make jelly! Yum--love jellies and jams!
ReplyDeleteganz herzliche Grüße von Kathrin
ReplyDeleteI was just about to ask what thet taste like LOL. I've never heard of them before. --Randy
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to pick gooseberries somewhere and make gooseberry pie. I remember it being rather tasty, but very tart unless you added lots of sugar. Not a fruit I would plant on purpose...now if those were raspberries, I'd brave all the thorns they had!
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! Careful around the thorns.
ReplyDeleteCameron
My 3 that you brought up and planted for me are doing well. They made it thru our harsh Maine winter last winter and look great and still small but growing and I can see thorns already but no berries as of yet. Maybe next year if none come this summer. Not that we have had any summer yet.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Lola and take it easy for a few days.
I've never tried gooseberries.
ReplyDeleteWe have so many wild blackberries here, I feel your pain (literally) with regard to the thorns.
Hi Tina -yum yum yum! your gooseberries look great --my bushes are doing okay -still too young to produce any berries yet.
ReplyDeleteHi Lola --best wishes on the eye surgery. (hugs) from all the anonymous kiddos and me.
Hi Skeeter, Dawn, Jean and Nina -have a great day! It felt wonderful this morning --nice and cool for a change:) Ciao
I knew none of these things about gooseberries. They look a little like currants with those stripes on them. It's nice that you have enough for the wildlife and you.
ReplyDeleteTina, that looks and sounds yummy, but does look dangerous! H.
ReplyDeleteThe Gooseberry Pie someone mentioned sounds familiar - maybe my Grandma use to make it. But I don't remember anything else. Sounds like you have plenty for everyone - you, friends, critters. LOL I had just decided this little pot of strawberries was so nice that I'd do a trough or something up high (heard about rabbits wiping them out) until Diane told me the other day the deer ate every strawberry, leaf, stem EVERYTHING IN SITE. So much for that plan! I don't really want to spray things I'll be munching on.
ReplyDeleteTina, You are wrong about nothing killing them. I killed mine! :( Let me rephrase that, I planted mine in the wrong spot. The spot was too soggy with the winter and spring rain falls and now not even a stem remains of the gooseberry. My Bad... Sigh... My dad put his in a pot and it is on the deck. I forgot to point it out to you when you stopped by for a visit while I was there. He will baby it until it gets larger then put it into the ground. Sort of like you did with your first plants...
ReplyDeleteHumidity is back today and calling for rain. I watered real well yesterday but would like for the rain to fall on the grass as I did not water it and it would like a drink...
Lola, Good Luck with your surgery! Get well soon...
Anonymous, enjoy the nice day with the kiddos. I am still eating sweet candy’s and reliving my childhood. hee hee…
Oh thanks for the warning about these Tina! Good for you finally planting them, then finally picking them. Is jelly all they are good for? The thorns are a big minus to me, and the space. The everbearing strawberries are even getting the evil eye from me at the moment since the rabbits ate them all. Not earning their keep in the limited space.
ReplyDeleteFrances
We use to pick these at my Great Aunt's house and she would give a like a .25 cents a quart, lol. They do taste good though. Thanks for the warnings though incase I ever try growing some berries. :)
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that it's like picking any berry with thorns, the taste is worth the occasionally snagged hand! gail
ReplyDeleteLola, Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEveryone, thanks so much for your comments. Please forgive me if I don't respond individually. It's been a long day in the garden...
I have never eaten a gooseberry but do recall seeing them growing up north at my Uncles farm. I will have to give them a try.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing. Grow things to collect them rather than use them for the food they grow. I recently resisted a blackberry relative, even though it had great golden foliage, since I knew I'd have this very problem. I'm still learning what I will and won't follow through on.
ReplyDeleteTina, hope you get a good rest. I never try goodseberry, probably will add one in my garden next spring.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar problem with wild blackberries here in NW FL--lots of thorns and persistent spreading. I don't let them get a foothold in the yard, but I enjoy the ripe berries when I find them on a walk!
ReplyDeleteLots of good info on gooseberries. I didn;t know they were such prolific growers. But they sure look good in that bowl. Have fun with the jam. I know how wonderful it will taste this winter if it lasts that long. :)
ReplyDeleteWell I have learned something new. I always thought that gooseberries only liked cooler climates, not the South. I remember eating them in Quebec City at the farmer's market in the old town. I not sure ours were ripe, very tart!
ReplyDeleteAh ok! So this is what's growing in my neighbor's backyard and slowly creeping toward our fence! I may have to sneak a few to see what they taste like.
ReplyDelete