'Captivator' Gooseberry Bush
Little red flavour bombs
Grown by John
South Downs National Park
Pre-order for delivery Mid December
Perfectly happy plants, or your money back
Specialist overnight plant delivery
The highlights
- Boasts tartness that mellows when cooked
- A variety with good disease resistance
- Use in fools, clafoutis and pies
- Harvest from July to August
Description
- An excellent red gooseberry variety with bulbous, juicy berries, perfect for eating fresh, using in desserts and even for making homemade wine
- This bush doesn't have many thorns or spines, which makes picking the delicious fruits a pain-free doddle!
- There's colour everywhere you look with this plant; delicate white flowers precede the appearance of the berries in the spring, whilst in the autumn, the deciduous foliage (which is green for most of the year) takes on orange and red hues
- Fully cold hardy and resistant to diseases like mildew, this is a fabulous choice for British gardens
- You can grow your gooseberry bush in a variety of ways, including as a bush, cordon or trained as a fan against your fence
- One of the Royal Horticultural Society's Plants for Pollinators, this plant will attract beneficial wildlife like bees to your garden
What To Expect
Supplied as:
Height on arrival:
Eventual height:
Eventual spread:
Tasting notes:
Time to first crop:
Flower colour:
Habit:
Hardiness:
Self fertile:
Uses:
Rootstock:
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How To Grow
Good pest and disease resistance
From a disease perspective, there may be issues with mildew and leaf spot, whilst on the pest side of things, aphids and capsid bugs can become an issue.
Water well when establishing
Regular watering throughout your plant's first growing season is advised, as this will help it establish better. Beyond this, watering will only be needed in hot, dry spells.
Full sun to partial shade
For the best fruit, plant your gooseberry bush in full sun. It will still grow well enough in partial shade, however.
Any moist, well-drained soil
Grows well in a range of soil conditions and even tolerates chalk soils. Good drainage is key, but you also want soil that's somewhat moisture-retentive. If your soil is particularly poor, then incorporate some organic matter just to enrichen it a bit.
Feed in spring
Apply a fertiliser that's rich in nitrogen (like blood, fish and bone) in the spring.
Planting Calendar
- Best time to plant
- Harvest
- Flower
South Downs National Park
Meet John
110 years' expertise free with every plant
You simply can’t buy better fruit plants and here’s why. John grows them outdoors, just like his family has done since 1908, so they’re more than a match for the UK weather. John only has time for the top performing varieties, meaning that you can be assured of a successful (and blooming tasty) soft fruit crop.
What customers say about us
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Growing with Roots
Good to know
Our plants are grown in the UK
Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.
Our plants are delivered overnight
Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 24 hours.
We're here to help at every step
We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team of experts.
Perfect plants, guaranteed
We’re confident that you’ll be delighted with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re perfectly happy.
Learn from our experts
The Best Soft Fruit Plants (as Chosen by Our Growers)
Digging deep to answer your questions
How do I know I'm getting quality plants?
All of our plants are grown in specialist nurseries with the highest standards of plant care and sustainability. We guarantee you'll love them as much as we do! Don't just take our word for it - we've got thousands of great reviews on Trustpilot.
When will I get my plants?
The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.
How will my plants be packed and delivered?
We send all of our orders through a courier network designed to handle plants. Specialist equipment ensures that no plants will be damaged during the packing process and every order is carefully finished and checked by plant-loving humans. Your plants will arrive in the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal to no plastic used.
Where do you deliver?
We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.
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