Regulated in some states
This plant is listed as a noxious or regulated weed in parts of the US, where it may be illegal to grow. Check your state and local regulations before planting it.
Gooseberry
Ribes uva-crispa 'Pixwell'
fruitPixwell is the gooseberry for home growers: nearly thornless canes, abundant pink-to-purple berries that ripen mid-summer, and a name that means picked well (the fruit hangs on short stems below the branches, making harvest pleasant). Berries can be picked green for pies and jam, or left to ripen pink for fresh eating.
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Sun
partial shade
💧
Water
Every 3 days
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Harvest
~12 months
to first harvest
📊
Difficulty
easy
🌱
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
↔️
Spacing
4-5 ft in row, 8 ft between rows
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Planting Depth
Crown 1 in below nursery soil line
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Soil pH
5.8-6.8
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 7
When to Fertilize
Early spring before bud break
Fertilizer
Compost; 10-10-10 at 1 lb per bush if growth is weak
🌱 Growing Guide
Plant in full sun to part shade on well-drained moderately acidic soil amended with compost. Set bushes 4 to 5 ft apart with the crown 1 inch below the original nursery soil line; bury the lower buds to encourage new shoots. Prune in late winter to keep 6 to 8 main canes per bush, cutting out older 3-year wood. Cool roots love a heavy mulch of straw or shredded leaves. Pixwell tolerates partial shade better than most fruit, making it useful under tall trees.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first harvest
Jul 4 · Year 2
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Year 1
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Garlic — Deters aphids and may help suppress powdery mildew around the canes
- Tansy — Repels currant sawfly and Japanese beetles
- Comfrey — Mineral-mining mulch that returns potassium to surface roots
- White Clover — Living ground cover that fixes nitrogen and shades the cool root zone
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Watch for tiny green caterpillars on the undersides of leaves in early summer; hand-pick or treat with Bt before they strip the bush
Site for morning sun and good airflow; prune for an open vase; choose Pixwell or other resistant cultivars
Blast with water, encourage ladybugs, and avoid heavy nitrogen
Drape lightweight netting over the bush as berries blush pink
🌾 Harvest & storage
Pixwell berries ripen in mid-summer, turning from green to soft pink. Pick green for cooking (pie, jam, chutney) and tart pink for fresh eating. Strip berries gently off the short stems by hand; mature plants yield 5 to 8 lb. Pixwell continues bearing reliably for 15 to 20 years if pruned annually.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
About 44 calories per 100 g with 4.3 g fiber, 28 mg vitamin C (47 percent of daily value), and 198 mg potassium. Gooseberries are notable for vitamin E and the polyphenol gallic acid, which has been studied for cardiovascular benefits.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.