AlleyCatStudio1 wrote:

Hello all --

I recently ordered two Gooseberry plants ('Invicta' and 'Hinnonmaki Red'
cultivars). I've read that gooseberries "collapse" when the air temperature
exceeds 85 degrees: I live about half a mile from the south shore of Lake
Erie, so the summers aren't like Arizona, but typically there are a few days or
weeks during the summer that exceed the 85-degree mark, and it's usually the
case where we get at least one week that goes into the 90's. So, I intend to
plant them in large containers so they can be temporarily moved indoors if
necessary.

It seems a shame, though, since that means they would probably not reach their
full size, and there's a spot on the north side of the house that would
otherwise be ideal for them. Is there another way to protect gooseberries
from high summer temperatures (e.g. covering them with wet fabric, etc. ?) Or
might these varieties survive a week of 90-ish temperatures anyways?


I'm not sure what you mean by "collapse". I had some Jostaberries for a
few years (they are a gooseberry x black current hybrid) and they grew very
well here in southern Minnesota, where the summers usually get in the 90's.
I finally pulled them out because they weren't very productive, but that
could have been because I couldn't tell how to prune them. They didn't
grow like normal gooseberries or currents, they were more bushlike. The
one year they did produce well the summer was unseasonably cool. That may
have been a coincidence. The plants never wilted, even when the
temperature would occasionally approach 100.

If you live near the Great Lakes, gooseberries should do fine.

Best regards,
Bob