So I’ve picked out my Gooseberry varieties to try this year. I’m going with Amish Red, Black Velvet, Hinnomaki Red, Jeanne, Pixwell, Poorman, Glenndale, and Captivator. I’m planting them on a south facing slope in a north to south row along a curved fence line that will get mostly morning sun and afternoon shade. I would like to plant the larger varieties on the northern (and higher) side of the row but based on what I’ve found most gooseberries are given a 3-5 foot height description from sellers for all varieties with the exception of Black velvet on the bigger end (6 feet or more) and Jeanne on the lower end (3 feet). can anyone tell me size wise (height and width) what I should expect from these varieties?
1 Like
The location of the gooseberries are the pink dots along the fence line (red line). the yellow circle represents the drip line of the black walnuts on the property and the blue circles are drip lines of existing mulberry trees.
1 Like
Not sure gooseberries play well with walnuts ?
I planted some gooseberry 50ft from walnuts .
2 yrs looking sad . (Or dead .)
Can’t say it was from the walnuts .?
Not under the walnut , but maybe in the zone of roots .
May want some other opinions …
Anyone have long term good results of gooseberry with walnut ?
Gooseberries are very Juglone Tolerant as are all Ribes. they are included in the black walnut guild. I specifically chose them for their tolerance.
4 Likes
That’s why I am trying them as well- I have a large black walnut about 40 years old. I ended up with the same 3-5 ft size range when I searched, so hard to tell when planting. I ended up with Jeanne and if they made it from last year, Black Velvet. I am told the Hinnonmaki Red has more aggressive thorns, so I’d leave a bigger space just so you can negotiate around it. To some degree height can be controlled by pruning out older branches, this worked with my spirea and ninebarks. I keep them on the lower end of the range, hoping it works as well with currants and gooseberry.
how big is it?
I will rethink that exclusion then! I was told it was larger with aggressive thorns, so I never even looked at descriptions. Just never considered it. Where I would need to plant, I do not want many thorns. One section is more open, I decided on Jeanne.
Sounds about right to me. One Black Velvet actually got up to 8’ tall, when it was able to use a nearby tree as a trellis (I’m not sure such a long shoot would be self-supporting). Hinnomaki Yellow and Jeanne were small and both eventually died on me, though their fruit was the best of all. Most of the others are mid-sized (Hinnomaki Red, Poorman, Amish Red, and Glenndale), around 4’.
I haven’t grown Pixwell myself, but my grandmother had one when I was growing up. I think it was about 4’ as well. I just ordered a Captivator this year.
3 Likes
Thank you!
Was on Campobello island recently and came across these wild gooseberry growing completely prostrate. Not sure if it was the genetics or the site that drove this growth pattern (or both), but it was interesting to see them all flat to the ground. They were on a dune just beyond a beach.
5 Likes
How do you feel about the gooseberry varieties you choose to try?
Which is your favorite?
I have a Poorman fruiting and a black velvet that has no blooms so far…maybe next year?
Have not tried either yet.
My fruit are often stolen by critters before I can get to them. they have a fairly long hang time and I have them separate from my main orchard so I forget to check on the ripening at times. the fruit formed about a month ago, and I don’t expect them to get ripe until June or July
My black velvet showed great growth in the first few years but died last year, I’m assuming from drought. I never got fruit from it.
My pride and joy is the Glenndale. it has the strongest growth of all of my cultivars, heaviest fruit set, best drought tolerance, and the leaves turn a purple red in fall that is very pretty. I still have Captivator, Glendale, Pixwell and Poorman
1 Like
My glenndale is also a champ, it seems fairly erect except with all the rain and fruit set. The branches are very floppy but only 1 is in the ground.
When I planted it it was 1 cane with a basically like a spiral of stuff coming out the top. This year it shot up like 4 more canes, one of which is already about 4 ft high probably.
My poorman is also about 4 ft high but sat no fruit 
it did a ton of growth last year and basically 3x in size. (Was planted in spring)
Pixwell shoots out long canes but flops over like trailing raspberry, it’s like 2 ft high at most but like 5 ft canes
Hinn. Yellow is like maybe 8 inches to a ft tall … It has weak growth and has 4 berries. I don’t think it did any new canes from last spring
Black velvet is growing like crazy and new canes this year probably close to 3ft tall
My unknown (not BV) one is also about 3-4 ft high and erect.
A bunch of other ones went in the ground this spring so they tiny.
I have Black Velvet, Hino Red, Jeanne, Houghton, Captivator, and Pixwell.
Black Velvet is good.
Hino Red is good.
Jeanne has not fruited but neither of the two plants has very strong growth.
Houghton is OK
Captivator has not fruited
Pixwell sucks IMO
What is it that you don’t like about pixwell?
Hinnomaki red was on sale at Starks for $9.99 bare root free shipping recently.
My black velvet is bigger than my poorman, but the poorman has fruit and the black velvet didn’t even flower.
I heard Hinnomaki yellow is very good.
Have you ever tried poorman?
1 Like
Nothing really bad about Pixwell, I just didn’t care much for it. Others may like it. I have not tried Poorman. Gooseberry has a lot of taste variance in the varieties which is why I like them.
1 Like