How to Grow and Care for Ground Cherries

Ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa) are not well known despite their long history in North America. The popular heirloom variety, Aunt Molly’s, has been cultivated by Pennsylvania Germans since the 1800s. They are easy to grow in the garden with minimal pest and disease problems.

Their small, yellow-orange fruits have a sweet-tart flavor similar to pineapple with a faint background flavor of tomato. Ground cherries are part of the same plant family, Solanaceae, astomatoes.

Because the fruit grows inside a husk that has a faint resemblance to a tomato when green, it is also called a husk tomato. Despite their common name, the plants are unrelated to true cherries (Prunus spp.).

Ground cherry plants look like small, sprawling shrubs with bright green leaves and toothed edges. They sport yellow flowers in the summer before bearing fruit in the late summer to early fall wrapped in a papery husk, much like their relative, the tomatillo.

Plant ground cherries in the spring. As annuals, they have a fast growth rate and complete their life cycle in one season. Before planting, note that all parts of ground cherry plants except the fruit are toxic to people and pets.

How to Plant Ground Cherries

When to Plant

The plants can either be started by seed indoors about six to eight weeks before your projected last frost date in the spring or outdoors after the threat of frost has passed.

Selecting a Planting Site

You can easily grow ground cherries in traditional garden beds, raised beds, or containers. Make sure any planting site gets lots of sunlight and has well-drained soil. Check the area for taller trees and shrubs that might shade your ground cherries too much during the day.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Ground cherry plants should be spaced at least 2 feet apart. Young plants should be planted at the same depth they were in their previous container. Seeds should be planted only about 1/4 inch deep.

A support structure, such as a tomato cage or stakes, can help prevent the plant from flopping over under the weight of the fruits.

Ground Cherry Care

Light

Ground cherries do best in full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days. They can tolerate a bit of shade but this will likely cause them to produce fewer fruits.

Soil

These plants aren’t overly picky about their soil type. However, they grow best in well-drained soil rich in organic matter with a slightly acidic pH.

Water

Ground cherries like fairly moist soil and need approximately an inch of water weekly. Dry conditions can cause the plants to drop their blossoms without producing fruit. Plan to water at least once a week if you haven't gotten any rainfall—and potentially more often in very hot weather.

Temperature and Humidity

Ground cherries have good heat tolerance within their growing zones. They do best in temperatures of 55°F to 65°F and can cope with temperatures rising as high as 85°F. However, frost can kill the plants.

If you live in a cooler climate and frost threatens your ground cherries before the fruits have ripened, cover your plants with row covers or even a large piece of fabric to protect them.Humidity typically isn’t an issue for these plants.

Fertilizer

Ground cherries thrive in soil amended withcompost.If necessary mix an organic fertilizer specifically for fruits and vegetables into poor soil.

Pollination

Ground cherries self-pollinate and will attract bees and other pollinators to the garden.

Types of Ground Cherries

There are a few varieties of ground cherries, including:

• 'Aunt Molly's': This is the most commonly available variety with an upright, bushy growth habit.
• 'Cossack Pineapple': This variety has a distinct tangy-sweet flavor, much like a pineapple.
• 'Goldie': This variety is quite similar to ‘Aunt Molly's’ except it is slightly more low-growing and spreading.

Ground Cherry vs. Tomatillo

Ground cherries and tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) have similar features. They are often confused because tomatillos are often referred to as Mexican husk tomatoes whereas ground cherries are called husk tomatoes.

Both are part of the same genus with fruits growing in papery husks. However, ground cherries are typically smaller than tomatillos. Ground cherries are yellow or orange and tomatillos are green.

Ground Cherry vs. Gooseberry

Another member of the Physalis genus is the Cape gooseberry, also known as goldenberry (Physalis peruviana).

Cape gooseberries are unrelated to European gooseberries but very similar to ground cherries. The names are often used interchangeably. The stems of the plant are stiffer than those of the ground cherry and not prostrate and sprawling but more upright.

Harvesting Ground Cherries

The ground cherry is typically harvested from the ground and not straight off the plant.

Each plant produces around a pint of fruit per growing season, during late summer into fall. When the fruit is ripe, the husk dries up, turns from green to tan, and drops from the plant with the fruit still inside.

Some growers place cloth or containers under their plants to catch the fruits and make harvesting easier.Try to pick up the fallen fruit often. If it's left on the ground and breaks open, you might have ground cherry seedlings pop up everywhere.

Ground cherries are often used fresh in salads, cooked into sauces, made into preserves and jams, and added to salsas. You can also eat them as a snack. They are kept refrigerated for up to two weeks and frozen in an airtight container for several months.

Warning

All parts of the ground cherry plant, except the fruit, are toxic to people and pets. Unripe cherries have the highest level of toxins, so do not eat them until the fruit is ripe enough. Seek help immediately if a toxic part is consumed.

How to Grow Ground Cherries in Pots

Growing ground cherries in a container allows you to move the plant into sufficient sunlight to protect it more easily from severe storms that might damage your crop.

Be sure to choose a container that is at least 8 inches deep for the plant’s fairly large root system. The container should have drainage holes. An unglazed clay container is ideal to allow excess soil moisture to escape through its walls.

Propagating Ground Cherries

Ground cherries are typically propagated via seeds but can be grown from cuttings. This is an easy and inexpensive way to start a new plant. The best time to take a cutting is in the late spring to early summer. Here’s how:

1. Take a 4- to 6-inch stem cutting, and remove any foliage on the lower half.
2. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
3. Plant the cutting in a small container with drainage holes filled with soilless potting mix. Place the cutting in a warm spot with bright, indirect light.
4. Keep the growing medium consistently moist but not soggy, and roots should form in a couple weeks. Once you see new growth on the stem, you’ll know it’s ready for transplanting.

How to Grow Ground Cherries From Seed

To start your ground cherries from seed indoors, plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in an organic seed-starting mix. Plant them in biodegradable seed cells that you can place in your garden without transplanting the seedlings.

Keep your seeds in a warm spot between 75°F and 85°F and make sure the soil stays consistently moist but not soggy. The seeds should germinate in about two weeks. Keep the seedlings by a sunny window, and maintain soil moisture until your area is past its last frost date.

Take your seedlings outdoors for progressively longer stretches for about a week to acclimate them to the direct sunlight before planting in your garden.

To start plants outdoors, wait until your spring temperatures are reliably warm. Then, plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in your garden soil, and lightly water them daily to keep the soil moist until they sprout.

Potting and Repotting Ground Cherries

An organic potting mix for fruits and vegetables works well for potting ground cherries.

You generally won't have to repot your plant during the growing season unless you are transplanting a young plant from a small container into something larger. If that's the case, plant it at the same depth it was in its previous container, and fill around it with potting mix.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Ground cherry plants are typically hardy against pests and diseases, more so than tomatoes and tomatillos. However, they still can struggle with some of the same issues as their cousins.

Specifically, whiteflies, flea beetles, hornworms, and cutworms might attack the plants, especially if they are weakened during a drought. Fungal issues can occur if there’s poor air circulation around the plants but proper growing conditions can prevent these issues.

From: thespruce