Perennial Berry · zones 3–6 · 18 varieties

Gooseberry

Name: Gooseberry growing data
Creator: GardenTrack

Ribes uva-crispa

Grossulariaceae — the same plant family as currant. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is a perennial berry for USDA zones 3–6. It wants full sun and pH 6–7 soil, with about 1 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 1–3 yr. Watch for gooseberry fruitworm and powdery mildew. Below: its full sourced profile from 6 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 3–6 — USDA USDA

Sun Full sun

Water Moderate

First harvest 1–3 yr

Mature size 3–5 ft

Spacing 36–60 in

Soil pH 6–7

Frost Very hardy

When to plant gooseberrytypical · zone 6b

Your zone

…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Growing

Flowering

Fruit set

Ripening

Harvest

Dormant

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow. We don't yet have the timing to place one stage (establishment), so it isn't shown rather than guessed.

Growing gooseberryevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones: 3–6
Sun: Full sun
Soil pH: 6–7
Soil texture: Loam, Well drained
Frost tolerance: Very hardy

No published figure for the temperature frost starts to hurt it and the temperature that would kill it. We looked — where a number is missing here it is missing from the research, not skipped. The crop’s frost and heat tolerance above still applies.

The plant

Mature height: 3–5 ft
Mature spread: 3–5 ft
Growth rate: Moderateest
Spacing in row: 36–60 in
Between rows: 72–120 in
Planting depth: 1 in
Container size: 15 gal
Support: Self-supportingest
Grown from: Transplant, Cutting, Layering

Water & feeding

Water needs: Moderate
Water per week: 1 in/wkest
Critical water: Fruit setest
Feeding: Moderate

Timing & fruiting

Years to first harvest: 1–3 yr
Chill hours: 1000 hrs
Pollination: Self fertile
Harvest cues: Fruit sizing, Fruit coloring

Edible parts per source: fruit.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first

PestsGooseberry fruitwormImported currant wormAphidsCurrant borerCurrant fruit flySan jose scaleSpider mites

DiseasesPowdery mildewLeaf spotAnthracnoseWhite pine blister rust

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

All 18 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked

Variety	Type	Habit	Days	Color	Size	Disease	What it is known for
Achilles	European		—	Red	Large
Amish Red Heirloom	Hybrid	Upright	—	Red	Medium	POWDERY_MILDEW
Black Velvet	Hybrid	Upright	—	Black			Raintree Nursery describes this asgives a heavy crop
Captivator	Hybrid		—	Pink	Large	POWDERY_MILDEW	Raintree Nursery describes this asno thorns
Careless Heirloom	European	Upright	—	Green		POWDERY_MILDEW LEAF_SPOT
Downing Heirloom	American		—	Green		POWDERY_MILDEW
Hinnomaki Red	Hybrid	Compact	—	Red		POWDERY_MILDEW	One Green World describes this asgives a heavy crop
Hinnomaki Yellow	Hybrid	Spreading	—	Yellow	Medium	POWDERY_MILDEW
Invicta	European		—	Green	Large	POWDERY_MILDEW	Raintree Nursery describes this asgives a heavy crop
Jeanne	Hybrid	Upright	—	Red		POWDERY_MILDEW WHITE_PINE_RUST	USDA Agricultural Research Service records this asgives a heavy crop
Leveller Heirloom	European	Spreading	—	Yellow		POWDERY_MILDEW LEAF_SPOT
Oregon Champion Heirloom	American		—	Yellow	Medium		One Green World describes this asgives a heavy crop
Pixwell Heirloom	American	Spreading	—	Pink	Small	POWDERY_MILDEW	Raintree Nursery describes this asno thorns · gives a heavy crop
Poorman Heirloom	American		—	Red		POWDERY_MILDEW	Raintree Nursery describes this asgives a heavy crop
Red George	Hybrid	Compact	—	Red		POWDERY_MILDEW
Tixia	Hybrid	Compact	—	Red		POWDERY_MILDEW	Raintree Nursery describes this asno thorns
Welcome Heirloom	American		—	Red	Small		Colorado State University Extension records this asno thorns
Whinham's Industry Heirloom	European	Upright	—	Red	Large	POWDERY_MILDEW LEAF_SPOT

Sources6 cited · 6 organizations

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Ohio State University Extension (Ohioline)
University of Maryland Extension
University of Minnesota Extension
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Utah State University Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 18 of the 22 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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