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Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm

Name: Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm
Brand: Greenleaf Garden Center
SKU: Ribescaptivatorbio13cm
Price: 10.0 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

€10,00

Quantity

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What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?

The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.

Historic Canadian hybrid · almost thornless · sweet red fruit

Ribes ‘Captivator’

Time to become the person who makes jam ‘from my own garden’ 🍯

Family: Grossulariaceae · Pot diameter: 13cm · organically grown · Height: approximately 45cm

Almost thornless
Dark-red fruit
Late harvest
Good mildew tolerance

Ribes ‘Captivator’ brings dark-red berries to long, arching stems with very few prickles. The fruit becomes sweet when fully ripe and is equally inviting for fresh picking, desserts or jam. Among the lobed leaves, reddish tones add warmth to the relaxed crown. It is a naturally elegant gooseberry that makes harvesting more approachable and the fruit border more interesting. The fruit hangs beneath the arching shoots, revealing small red groups as you come closer and look into the foliage.

Reddish berries add depth among the fresh green leaves, making a fruit border an attractive part of the garden. The relaxed curve of the branches suits natural planting, with the crop visible and easily reached from the path.

What makes it special

‘Captivator’ earned its name through almost thornless picking, vigorous open growth and rich red fruit.

Few spines

Most productive sections are effectively thornless, although a few spines may remain low on the crown.

Sweet when dark

Fruit changes from green to deep reddish purple and becomes noticeably sweeter as it softens.

Open historic bush

Arching canes create an attractive free form that remains accessible with selective thinning.

Why you will love it: It gives nostalgic red gooseberry fruit without the usual struggle with dense spines.

In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsA bright cool bed with room for arching canes and low support around the outer edge.

Planting position

Ideal position

Plant in sun or bright partial shade and allow about 1.2–1.5m around it. In hot climates choose morning sun so dark fruit ripens without scorching.

Colour & compatibility

Compatible combinations

Aromatic annuals and airy blue flowers attract pollinators beyond the bush’s open perimeter.

Borago officinalis — Blue flowers bring bees and the annual plant is easily removed when access is needed.
Anethum graveolens — Fine yellow umbels add height without heavy shade and attract beneficial insects.
Phacelia tanacetifolia — A small outer patch provides abundant nectar and deep blue colour before harvest.

Care at a glance

Light

Sun to partial shade; avoid fierce reflected heat.

Water

Deep watering when the surface dries, especially while berries fill.

Climate & hardiness

Excellent winter hardiness from its Canadian selection; late fruit mainly needs protection from extreme heat.

Safety

Wash fully ripe fruit before eating.

Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, watering, support, feeding and cultivar-specific prevention.

Soil & drainage

Choose fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral reaction. Keep the crown clear and mulch the outer root zone with organic material.

Watering

Water deeply when the surface dries, especially during flowering and while the fruit is swelling. Even moisture helps the thin skin remain supple.

Shape & support

Keep 6–8 arching main stems and use a low circular support only for outer canes that touch the ground.

Feeding

Each spring add mature compost and a balanced fruit-shrub feed according to its label. Excess nitrogen crowds the crown and delays wood ripening.

Heat protection

In very hot regions choose morning sun with light afternoon shade. Retain enough foliage around pale fruit to prevent scorching.

Prevent problems

Remove low laterals, water at the base and gradually thin the darkest wood so air moves beneath arching canes.

From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.

Pollination

‘Captivator’ is self-fertile and crops alone. Another gooseberry flowering at the same time may improve fruit filling.

When it ripens

It is a late cultivar, usually ripening from late July into August.

How to harvest

For sweet flavour wait until berries are deep red-purple and slightly yielding. Support the cane and twist the fruit gently.

Fruit protection

Lift low branches and place netting over a separate frame so it does not press on ripe soft fruit.

After planting: water deeply, keep canes above the soil and let the open natural shape develop before renewal begins.

Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantLate winter, before buds swell

When to prune

Prune ‘Captivator’ towards the end of winter, while the bush is leafless and before its buds swell. Crossing branches and the ages of the wood are easier to see then. Retain the productive framework and thin selectively, opening the centre to light and making fruit accessible without removing all the growth that will carry the next harvest.

‘Captivator’ makes long arching canes and fruits on short laterals carried by younger wood. Pruning opens the centre, lifts fruit from the soil and renews a few ageing stems each year.

Build

Building the goblet

Choose 5–6 canes opening in different directions and remove only low, broken or inward competitors.

Action: Choose 5–6 canes opening in different directions and remove only low, broken or inward competitors.

Retain: Keep healthy tips and a clear low centre.

Train

Productive arches

Cut one crossing branch at the base and shorten very low laterals above an outward bud. Lift heavy canes onto a low ring.

Action: Cut one crossing branch at the base and shorten very low laterals above an outward bud. Lift heavy canes onto a low ring.

Retain: Keep short fruiting spurs along younger wood.

Renew

Gradual renewal

Remove 1–2 of the darkest exhausted canes at ground level and retain the same number of strong new shoots.

Action: Remove 1–2 of the darkest exhausted canes at ground level and retain the same number of strong new shoots.

Retain: Keep 6–8 canes of different ages in an open goblet.

New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point

Clean tools

Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.

After harvest

Cut only broken tips or one exhausted lateral resting on the soil. Leave healthy foliage.

Do not do this: Do not shorten every arching cane to one height; this removes younger fruiting laterals and creates a crowded top.

Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.

Open crown

Strong green canes rise centrally and open towards the outer perimeter.

Short laterals

Small fruiting shoots form along the arching canes.

Dark late fruit

Red-purple berries hang beneath the foliage at a comfortable picking height.

Mature habit & dimensions

Mature form in 4–6 years

Height 1.2–1.5mSpread 1.2–1.5mOpen arching bush

Distinct basal stems, leafy side shoots and fruit attached to the branching framework.

Form through the seasons

Spring flowers · late fruit

Canadian selectionAlmost thornlessArching canes

Spring flowering

Small flowers appear on short side shoots of the woody framework.

Summer fruit

Fruit develops on side shoots among the leaves.

The two views follow the same natural growth cycle.

What to expect after planting: Strong green canes rise centrally and open towards the outer perimeter.

History & originCultivar originThe story behind its distinctive character.

‘Captivator’ takes us back to the Canadian gooseberry programme in Ottawa. Its development is dated to 1935 and its introduction to 1949 by the Central Experimental Farm. With European and North American genetic backgrounds, it connects the old gooseberry tradition with a more approachable harvesting experience.

Its distinctive combination is reddish fruit with greatly reduced thorniness. Long, arching shoots retain the bush’s natural character while allowing easier access to the crop. A selection with many decades of history thus continues to have a clear place in a modern small edible garden.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour

One berry from one flower

A gooseberry is botanically a berry. Its fleshy body develops from the ovary of one flower and encloses several seeds within a single outer skin. The lines visible on its surface do not divide it into independent little fruits. This structure differs from a raspberry, in which numerous small drupelets form one aggregate fruit.

Wood of different ages

The same bush carries long younger shoots alongside shorter fruiting shoots on older branches. Its woody framework continues living and branching after harvest rather than completing its whole life in two seasons, as a raspberry cane does. The age of a branch alone therefore does not tell us whether it has ceased to be productive.

Frequently asked questions

Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this exact cultivar.

01Does it need another plant?

No. It is self-fertile, while a second compatible cultivar may improve fruit filling.

02How large does it become?

Approximately 1.2–1.5m high and similarly wide, with long arching canes.

03Is it suitable for a container?

Yes, in a very large container with a low circular support and even watering.

04When is the fruit picked?

From late July into August, when berries are deep red-purple and slightly soft.

05Does it have any spines?

Very few. They may appear mainly low down and on older wood.

06When should it be pruned?

In late winter, removing 1–2 old canes at ground level and keeping an open goblet.

Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm — Care & Tips

📦 Your plant travels protected

Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.

Individual protection

Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.

Sturdy packaging

We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.

Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm

Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm

What makes it special

Few spines

Sweet when dark

Open historic bush

Ideal position

Compatible combinations

Care at a glance

Light

Water

Climate & hardiness

Safety

Soil & drainage

Watering

Shape & support

Feeding

Heat protection

Prevent problems

Pollination

When it ripens

How to harvest

Fruit protection

Building the goblet

Productive arches

Gradual renewal

Clean tools

After harvest

Open crown

Short laterals

Dark late fruit

Mature habit & dimensions

Form through the seasons

One berry from one flower

Wood of different ages

Frequently asked questions

Ribes ‘Captivator’ 13cm — Care & Tips

📦 Your plant travels protected

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