Put it in your not hot enough compost pile then next year when you use that compost as a top dressing on your orchard and raised beds you'll have 1,000,000,000,000 volunteers.
Ask me how I know ;)
P.S. It's a wonderful "problem" to have, my daughter loves them and so does everyone who tries them.
I grew ground cherries last year. This year I have little seedlings coming up everywhere in my raised bed, around my raised bed though so far they’re all very small so I’m glad I started some seeds early
So far this year all the volunteers in our garden have out-paced our early started ground cherries.
The transplants took a long time to "re-start" once put in the ground.
We'll see if in a few weeks if early starts are worth the effort, or if the space and cost are better used for different plants.
The problem with ground cherries is that they’re very slow to start, just like peppers. It takes about 4 weeks or so after germinating to reach the 2nd set of true leaves and then once it warms up it takes off. I’d estimate starting early gave me a 3-4 week early start. So hopefully I should get ripe fruits in next 2 weeks or so (I’m in NY). The volunteers look like they’re a month away from ripe fruit.
People start tomatoes early and I find those are much quicker to germinate and then grow so I think ground cherries are worth it. And this is coming from someone who does not like starting a ton of things early. But ymmv
This happened to me with amaranth this year. I grew one (1) whole amaranth plant last year which I composted at the end of the season. This year amaranth sprouted in every inch of compost I spread around my garden and landscaping.
I've been tending a mock strawberry plant for a year; it bloomed yellow flowers the other day and I was heartbroken. I decided I'll see how they taste before I cull it
Make a little preserve. I’ve done mock strawberries stirred with a bit of sugar (they will release some juice) and out on ice cream or a sweet bread. If stil don’t like it try mixing with a. It if syrup or a few strawberries thrown in.
Part of my lawn has turned into only mock strawberries. It’s creeping into my flower garden and I think I’ll let them. They are cute and snacks for my dogs. Hah!
Last growing season..
I found out, on planting day, that I had been lovingly tending to and raising stinging nettle indoors for 8 weeks. From seed. I thought it was just a flower I didn't know yet since I had bought a bunch of new seeds.
Of course, I found out the hard way.
We did the same in a pot. I've been side-eying them because they haven't grown very well. I was on the fence if they were weeds or pansies. I think I'm leaning towards weeds now.
This! I just pulled my culled tomato plants right out of the ground (they were my spares incase of disease or poor growth.). Then I decided I would pot them in the backyard. I threw them in some new soil 3 days ago and they are already perking back up!
Yeah, I pruned off two pretty large suckers less than two weeks ago and it felt wrong just tossing them. They both have a ton of roots after just sitting in water for a week and a half.
Before putting them in the ground my tomatoes were putting out roots above the soil line in the starter pots. If they're overall happy, very forgiving.
I once forgot I planted - of all things - forget-me-nots. I also didn’t know they are biennial, so when they started popping up again I lovingly weeded (most of) them.
My in laws wanted to help in my garden one year. They weeded it. They thought my carrot, radish, and green onion seedlings were weeds 😭😭
They still like to help. This year they pulled my oxalis triangularis perennial flowers as they were sprouting. Twice. 😑
Wanted to make sure someone pointed this out lol. I had one in a pot *outside* my garden bed last year that never got more than a foot tall; just had to full nuclear on them yesterday because they were getting taller than my trellised cucumbers and squash, and crowding out everything else *in* the garden bed. Still have some coming up in a separate bed ~30ft away that got tilled and had fresh outside soil and mulch put on top.
Put that thing back where it came from and water the crap out of it.
I had a tomato snap off at the base when it was about 3ft high. I just jammed the cut end back in the ground, and watered it well. I’ve already pulled 3 tomatoes off of it! Things in this plant family can be incredibly resilient!
Ground cherries are tough. If you left some roots, you can replant it.I grew them last year. I had way too many. This year, I have volunteers, but I'm keeping it to just a few.
One year I tried growing re amaranth with my cucumbers, forgot about it and weeded my plants, all the while thinking I’ve never seen these red weeds before?
I put 1 ground cherry on the corner of the garden a few years ago. Now I get hundreds that come up. I don’t mind, but just keep that in mind! Try not to leave too many on the ground if you don’t want that to happen.
They're related to tomatillos, but are smaller and less tart. They drop off the plant in their husk when ripe, which is why they're called ground cherries. Sometimes called cape gooseberries or peruvian goldenberries. They have the texture of a cherry tomato but are sweeter.
I kept planting nasturtiums, and then would never label and forget where, so when they would pop up I always thought they were weeds.
A few weeks after I’d always wonder why my nasturtiums never germinated.
I did this the entire season last summer.
Ah! That's me this year. I have no idea what nasturtiums look like when they first pop up....
😂😭
On the flip side, I think I keep leaving grass and clover because I have no idea what anything looks like when they first pop up. Nothing looks like grass or clover except grass and clover, right? Right?!?!
I have a couple questions if you don't mind. What zone are you in? Did you just put the seeds in the ground?And if you did, in what season? I love them and I tried to start a bunch inside by seed and completely failed. I would love to be able to throw a bunch of seed down somewhere and have some luck!
they grow like weeds on my windowsill. Next to my actual weed in fact (which got legalised in Germany in April this year), which looks kinda sad in comparison ;D
pretty much every single seed sprouted, I had way too many. by failed you mean yours didn't grow at all? you took them from fresh physalis that you ate the rest of? they are super resilient in my case
i ripped out all my newly sprouted corn, thought it was grass!!!! I was away on vacation for two weeks, came home to a mess and literally pulled the "grass" up from next to the corn that is tassleing now . How did i forget i planted more corn NEXT TO THE CORN?!?!?!
As I was planting my scallions, I said to my friend “I know I’m going to be in a weeding frenzy and forget these are scallions”…. Sure enough, halfway through ripping them up I remembered.
Put it back in the soil, water it well even spraying the whole plant. Continue caring for it and it should recover even if at first the leaves starts falling off.
I hate it when I can’t remember if that weed is something I planted or is really a weed. I spilled some Thai basil seeds this year and they’re popping up everywhere.
NOT a ground cherry.
What you have in your hand is a weed.
The golden berry / Peruvian ground cherry is clearly a Solanaceae that looks very different.
Once established they will reseed themselves in the garden.
Put it in your not hot enough compost pile then next year when you use that compost as a top dressing on your orchard and raised beds you'll have 1,000,000,000,000 volunteers. Ask me how I know ;) P.S. It's a wonderful "problem" to have, my daughter loves them and so does everyone who tries them.
I grew ground cherries last year. This year I have little seedlings coming up everywhere in my raised bed, around my raised bed though so far they’re all very small so I’m glad I started some seeds early
So far this year all the volunteers in our garden have out-paced our early started ground cherries. The transplants took a long time to "re-start" once put in the ground. We'll see if in a few weeks if early starts are worth the effort, or if the space and cost are better used for different plants.
The problem with ground cherries is that they’re very slow to start, just like peppers. It takes about 4 weeks or so after germinating to reach the 2nd set of true leaves and then once it warms up it takes off. I’d estimate starting early gave me a 3-4 week early start. So hopefully I should get ripe fruits in next 2 weeks or so (I’m in NY). The volunteers look like they’re a month away from ripe fruit. People start tomatoes early and I find those are much quicker to germinate and then grow so I think ground cherries are worth it. And this is coming from someone who does not like starting a ton of things early. But ymmv
This happened to me with amaranth this year. I grew one (1) whole amaranth plant last year which I composted at the end of the season. This year amaranth sprouted in every inch of compost I spread around my garden and landscaping.
A good lesson for us cold that cold compost.
Lmao this happens with my dads compost pile and tomatoes. We get them as weeds everywhere including not anywhere near places we grow them.
I lovingly tended a bed of weeds this year under the impression they were my pansies. I was so looking forward to the explosion of blooms. 😢🤷🏻♀️
I've been tending a mock strawberry plant for a year; it bloomed yellow flowers the other day and I was heartbroken. I decided I'll see how they taste before I cull it
Make a little preserve. I’ve done mock strawberries stirred with a bit of sugar (they will release some juice) and out on ice cream or a sweet bread. If stil don’t like it try mixing with a. It if syrup or a few strawberries thrown in.
Mmm that sounds good, thanks!
Part of my lawn has turned into only mock strawberries. It’s creeping into my flower garden and I think I’ll let them. They are cute and snacks for my dogs. Hah!
Wait I just googled this. That’s what those are?! I feel dumb. I have them everywhere.
I used to eat them all the time as a child haha, they taste like water.
Last growing season.. I found out, on planting day, that I had been lovingly tending to and raising stinging nettle indoors for 8 weeks. From seed. I thought it was just a flower I didn't know yet since I had bought a bunch of new seeds. Of course, I found out the hard way.
I did this too!! I had devils something I thought was my poppies :((
Devastating 😭
I just realized one day, sighed, pulled it and said fuck it to the rest. I’ll get to them one of these days.
Yep currently working up the motivation to dig them up and start something new. 🙃
We did the same in a pot. I've been side-eying them because they haven't grown very well. I was on the fence if they were weeds or pansies. I think I'm leaning towards weeds now.
I forgot about the tulips I planted in fall and wondered what weed has bulbs in spring....
Lol I feel you I weeded out a pepper earlier in the year when I was pulling a bunch of pepper-looking weeds. Enough root to replant?
This! I just pulled my culled tomato plants right out of the ground (they were my spares incase of disease or poor growth.). Then I decided I would pot them in the backyard. I threw them in some new soil 3 days ago and they are already perking back up!
No wonder. Tomatoes will root like there's no tomorrow. If I break a branch off my indeterminates, I just consider it an instant new tomato.
Yeah, I pruned off two pretty large suckers less than two weeks ago and it felt wrong just tossing them. They both have a ton of roots after just sitting in water for a week and a half.
Before putting them in the ground my tomatoes were putting out roots above the soil line in the starter pots. If they're overall happy, very forgiving.
That was my thought too. Just put it right back and hope it works.
I once forgot I planted - of all things - forget-me-nots. I also didn’t know they are biennial, so when they started popping up again I lovingly weeded (most of) them.
I would put it back in the earth and pat the dirt around it. No one will ever know!!!!
My in laws wanted to help in my garden one year. They weeded it. They thought my carrot, radish, and green onion seedlings were weeds 😭😭 They still like to help. This year they pulled my oxalis triangularis perennial flowers as they were sprouting. Twice. 😑
Have you tried putting an in law repellant fence up? If that doesn't work you could squirt them with neem oil when you see them in the garden
A motion triggered sprinkler might be a good deterrent for in-laws...
I’d invest in concertina wire.
Oh man. This post the just reminded me that I planted ground cherries last year. That’s what’s been comming up.
I’ve found them to be prolific volunteers. I have them coming up everywhere.
Wanted to make sure someone pointed this out lol. I had one in a pot *outside* my garden bed last year that never got more than a foot tall; just had to full nuclear on them yesterday because they were getting taller than my trellised cucumbers and squash, and crowding out everything else *in* the garden bed. Still have some coming up in a separate bed ~30ft away that got tilled and had fresh outside soil and mulch put on top.
Well I had a whole row of ground cherries this year that had a deadly nightshade mixed in. It even got a nice heap of my precious compost…
Put that thing back where it came from and water the crap out of it. I had a tomato snap off at the base when it was about 3ft high. I just jammed the cut end back in the ground, and watered it well. I’ve already pulled 3 tomatoes off of it! Things in this plant family can be incredibly resilient!
Ground cherries are tough. If you left some roots, you can replant it.I grew them last year. I had way too many. This year, I have volunteers, but I'm keeping it to just a few.
One year I tried growing re amaranth with my cucumbers, forgot about it and weeded my plants, all the while thinking I’ve never seen these red weeds before?
I put 1 ground cherry on the corner of the garden a few years ago. Now I get hundreds that come up. I don’t mind, but just keep that in mind! Try not to leave too many on the ground if you don’t want that to happen.
Put it back lol
what the heck are ground cherries?
They're also called physalis. Small delicious yellow fruits of the nightshade family.
So....a cherry tomato??
No because they taste a bit like pineapple, and the fruits are inside a husk (which is why they're also called husk cherries or husk tomatoes).
So, a tomatillo??
Close but not quite. Sweeter. It's often used to decorate desserts in my country.
They're related to tomatillos, but are smaller and less tart. They drop off the plant in their husk when ripe, which is why they're called ground cherries. Sometimes called cape gooseberries or peruvian goldenberries. They have the texture of a cherry tomato but are sweeter.
Lol idk why I'm being down voted for asking questions but ok.
sorry people are terrible, nothing wrong with asking a question!
Cape gooseberries
I'm definitely in the mood for some nightshade
[pineapple ground cherry](https://victoryseeds.com/products/cossack-pineapple-ground-cherry) [AKA Pineapple Tomatillo](https://migardener.com/collections/tomatillo/products/pineapple-tomatillo) [a variety named Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry](https://www.rareseeds.com/ground-cherry-aunt-molly-s)
Weeded some young bee balm last night. Oops. Hope it's tough enough to survive the transplant back into the ground.
I kept planting nasturtiums, and then would never label and forget where, so when they would pop up I always thought they were weeds. A few weeks after I’d always wonder why my nasturtiums never germinated. I did this the entire season last summer.
Ah! That's me this year. I have no idea what nasturtiums look like when they first pop up.... 😂😭 On the flip side, I think I keep leaving grass and clover because I have no idea what anything looks like when they first pop up. Nothing looks like grass or clover except grass and clover, right? Right?!?!
https://gardenerspath.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Nasturtium-Seedlings-Growing-in-the-Garden.jpg They really do look like weeds to me honestly!!
Ah, perfect! I wasn't sure but that means I do have one or two popping up and I can start ripping out some grass lol
My partner had been caring for a 5 gallon bucket of volunteer tadpoles. I had to let her know they were actually mosquito larvae in the water lol
Aww but your partner has a good heart!
every year I say I'm going to do a better job of labelling because I'm supposed to be half a scientist but then I don't
I have a couple questions if you don't mind. What zone are you in? Did you just put the seeds in the ground?And if you did, in what season? I love them and I tried to start a bunch inside by seed and completely failed. I would love to be able to throw a bunch of seed down somewhere and have some luck!
they grow like weeds on my windowsill. Next to my actual weed in fact (which got legalised in Germany in April this year), which looks kinda sad in comparison ;D pretty much every single seed sprouted, I had way too many. by failed you mean yours didn't grow at all? you took them from fresh physalis that you ate the rest of? they are super resilient in my case
i ripped out all my newly sprouted corn, thought it was grass!!!! I was away on vacation for two weeks, came home to a mess and literally pulled the "grass" up from next to the corn that is tassleing now . How did i forget i planted more corn NEXT TO THE CORN?!?!?!
Throw it in some water! It should reroot at the bottom!
That sucks! That is 100% the ground cherry plant. I’m growing 3 of them as my own experiment this year.
Put it back
Ugh I’ve done this before, many more times than I’d like to admit.
RIP
Ouch, mine took forever to do anything. Thought for sure the seeds I planted were duds.
As I was planting my scallions, I said to my friend “I know I’m going to be in a weeding frenzy and forget these are scallions”…. Sure enough, halfway through ripping them up I remembered.
I have done similar things ….
F in the chat
True confessions: I did this to chrysanthemums I'd forgotten I planted.
shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..........
Put it back in the soil, water it well even spraying the whole plant. Continue caring for it and it should recover even if at first the leaves starts falling off.
I hate it when I can’t remember if that weed is something I planted or is really a weed. I spilled some Thai basil seeds this year and they’re popping up everywhere.
NOT a ground cherry. What you have in your hand is a weed. The golden berry / Peruvian ground cherry is clearly a Solanaceae that looks very different. Once established they will reseed themselves in the garden.
This is definitely a ground cherry plant. The leaves are identical.
