[NAFEX] Rust-resistant black currants

Richard Moyer ramoyer at gmail.com
Sat Jan 13 22:22:14 EST 2007


Mark wrote:
Hello, I'm considering planting a 25' row of black currants this spring to
be used primarily for homemade wine.  I was wondering if anyone had any
advice as to the best rust-resistant varieties to plant?  I have a few white
pines a couple hundred yards away...  Do the rust-resistant cultivars match
the old-time varieties in flavor?  Black currants and red raspberries are
the only small fruits we are increasing this year.

Mark,
We have 40-50 row feet of European Black Currants.  Our kids can't get
enough of the jam and waffle sauce, have asked that I put out more.

Agreed that *Titania* is very disease resistant.  But both Ed Mashburn and I
have noticed that the fruit can become slightly bitter on older plants, at
least on older canes.  But still much better than Consort.  I cut out all
older Titania canes last year, and did not notice the off flavor this year.
Will try same again this season.  Titania very mildew and rust resistant.

Check the Corvallis Grin website
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=11353
Click on 'Rust Resistant Cultivars'
Among these:
*Consort*, *Crusader* and *Coronet* are variously noted to be quite inferior
to the traditional European black currants, hence are a poor introduction to
this fruit.  Whitman (link below) graciously notes their 'strong' flavor,
which to me is decidedly worse than the slight bitterness noted in some
Titania fruit above.
*Doch Siberyachki (Daughter of Siberia)* has strangely shaped fruit some
years for us, but is the first to break dormancy and the first to ripen,
which spreads out the picking.  A heavy yielder for us with good flavor.
Buds already broken now, but all of these very cold hardy.
*Minaj Shmyrev *may be the only rust resistant one you can find commercially
from a number of nurseries, while avoiding the three Cs above.  Pretty good
flavor.
*Lowes Auslese* , *Willoughby* both with inferior flavor, in my experience,
to the two above and below.
*Risager* and *Polar* both very good flavor, though Polar may still be
patent protected and therefore hard to find.  Whitman describes Risager as
"weasly plants".

Lucille Whitman's nursery in Salem, Oregon, offers a range of Black
Currants:  http://www.whitmanfarms.com/ProductList.asp?ProductCategoryID=24

Hope the above helps.
Richard Moyer
East TN
A few Cornus mas buds opening, will probably have a few blooms tomorrow.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/private/nafex/attachments/20070113/ef66621b/attachment.html 


More information about the nafex mailing list