Phyllanthus Emblica Indian Gooseberry Tropical Plant
A wild deciduous tropical tree noted for its edible fruit and the ornamental qualities of its pale gray bark and feathery foliage. Over time it will reach a mature height of roughly 60 feet. The leaves are fern-like, oblong but narrow, up to 2 cm and the flowers are inconspicuous as they are green in color.
The flowers are bisexual and appear in clusters. Fruits are smaller in size with a diameter of up to 3 cm, in a greenish-yellow color that changes into orange-brown after maturity. The flesh is tart, juicy, and crisp.
All parts of the tree are useful, its leaves, roots, fruits, seeds, bark, and flowers are used to prepare a variety of items like juice, chutney, jam, infusions, lotions, concentrates, herbal teas, and other natural concoctions.
HOW TO GROW INDIAN GOOSEBERRY
Step 1
Soak seeds for 24 hours prior to sowing.
Sow into pots or a seed tray approximately 3mm deep into a well-draining soil mix or another well-draining medium. Moisten the medium but be sure that it is not wet and boggy as this will rot your seeds and result in no germination or unhealthy seedlings. If you have a mini greenhouse, use this to ensure moisture and humidity levels remain at their peak - if you do not have a greenhouse, cover your pots tray, with plastic kitchen wrap (glad wrap), this will create a homemade greenhouse.
Step 2
Place into a warm, well-lit position out of the direct sun and keep moist (but again not wet) for the entire germination process. For optimal germination soil temperatures need to be warm. Preferred temperatures for germination are between 20-25°C/70-80°F If you can not provide these temperatures, you may need to use a heat mat. Average germination time in optimal conditions will be 10-21 days.
Step 3
Once a few seeds have begun to germinate, you can peel back a small corner of the glad wrap to allow some airflow and help the seedling to adjust to the outdoor environment. Remove the rest of the plastic gradually over a week or so to avoid shock and prevent growth restriction on the quite fast-growing little seedlings.
Step 4
Seedlings can be repotted if necessary once they have at least two true leaves. Introduce gradually to full sun.
If planting into the garden wait until the plant is around a foot tall and don't
plant out until winter has passed, to avoid the plant having to deal with frost as well as transplant. Final position should be in full sun, however, they will tolerate some shade.
Please note: If you are planting out in cooler regions your Indian Gooseberry may lose it's leaves (become deciduous) over the winter but should green up again once the weather warms. Gooseberry trees can take 7-10 years to bear fruit.
Skip to content
