Ground cherries, Chrysalis prunes, are little fruits wrapped in a husk. They have a hard to describe flavor, but there is the flavor of pineapple with a hint of tomato.
Ground cherries are hardy in the U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 8 through 11. We live in zone 4 and I often find them growing in my garden because they will self-seed back. My mother planted ground cherries when I was little. Every year, I would look forward to going out to the garden, finding them on the ground and eating my fill. You may want to dedicate a special area of your garden to the ground cherry. Otherwise, you may mistake them for a weed and pull them out.
People harvest ground cherries to make jams, pies, preserves, or wine. I simply enjoy eating mine straight from the garden. They taste so good with their tomato pineapple flavor. Unlike most fruit, ground cherries do not ripen until they fall off the plant and the husk is dry. The fruit starts out light yellow, but as it ripens, the color changes to a warm apricot gold.
You can sometimes find ground cherry plants at nursery garden centers, or you can buy a packet of seeds to plant. If you live in an area where the seasons are short, you might want to start the start the seeds indoors. Otherwise, sow the seeds directly into the garden when there is no danger of frost.
Prepare the Garden
In the spring, prepare the garden site where you want to plant your ground cherry seeds. Pick out an area with full sun exposure.
Remove all the weeds and grass growing in the garden area. Dig or til the soil to a depth of 8 to 12-inches. Amend the soil with 2 to 4-inches of organic compost and incorporate it into the ground. Ground cherries prefer to grow in a soil that is rich and well-draining, but they can do well in poorer soils too. Rake the soil to level it and to break up dirt clods. Pick up any rocks, sticks or other debris that is brought to the surface.
Sowing the Seeds
When all danger of frost is past it is time to sow the seeds into the prepared garden. I like to leave the soil alone for a few days to settle. This keeps you from losing the tiny seeds in the cracks of the soil.
Compact the soil slightly in the row before planting the seeds. I put a long board where I want to plant my seeds and then I’ll walk across it. This will compact the soil just enough without making it hard. Remove the board, so you can plant.
Place one or two seeds on top of the soil every 18-inches. By planting two seeds at a time, you will need to pull out one plant if both seeds germinate. I don’t like doing that, so I usually just plant one seed.
Barely cover the seed with soil. The seeds should be 1/8 to 1/4-inch deep. Mist the soil lightly until it is moistened. You need to keep the soil moist for the seeds to germinate. It can take 3 to 14 days for the seeds to sprout.
Pull any weeds that grow in the area. Water the plants, keeping the soil evenly moist for a bountiful harvest.
