Ground cherries will be the “new to me” crop in this year’s garden. I like to plant one item I’ve never grown before, and especially one that I haven’t had much experience with in the kitchen. Ground cherries, also known as husk cherries, fit the bill.

I may have eaten a ground cherry but can’t recall the flavor. I am told it tastes “interesting,” like a tomato crossed with a strawberry or some tart fruit. Folks make jams or pies with these, and you can also add them to salads.

Growth Habit of Ground Cherries

I’ve seen ground cherries grown by my garden neighbors in my community garden, and from that experience I know that ground cherries have a bushy and sprawling growth habit, spreading up to 3-4 ft. Unless you have a large sprawling garden their growth, you’ll need to stake or cage them so they can grow vertically. Caging also keeps the fruits off the ground and away from munching insects like slugs.

Planting and Care

Plant ground cherries out in the garden or in containers once the soil has warmed to about 60F. They prefer a well-draining, loamy soil that has a neutral-ish pH, so around 6-6.8. Plant them about 2-3 ft. apart from each other—remember, they take a lot of space! Apply some mulch around your transplants, too. In addition to keeping soil moist and weeds minimal, it prevents dirt from splashing onto the fruit.

When it comes to watering, keep them consistently moist but not wet. Try to not let them dry out. As for fertilizing, they’ll do well with a dose of compost or a well-balanced fertilizer at the time of planting.

What about pests? Well, my nemesis the flea beetle is one of the ground cherries biggest pests, and others are aphids and cutworms. Using row covers over the plants will help protect the small plants and give them some time to bulk up, at which time they will not be as vulnerable to insects.

Harvesting

Ground cherries are ready in about 70-80 days after transplanting, if all goes well. You’ll know they are ripe because the paper husk will turn brown and the ½-3/4 in. fruits will start falling off the plant and onto the ground. Harvest them from the ground, not the plant! Why? Because all parts of the ground cherry plant are toxic except the ripe fruits! Isn’t that the craziest thing?

Keep the husks on the fruits once harvested and store them in a cool, dry place for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for longer.

Looking to start ground cherries from seeds? I found some at Seed Savers Exchange.