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  • From: Roger Weeks <rjweeks70 AT comcast.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: Wonderberries
  • Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 10:22:01 -0700

The botanical name is solanum burbankii. As the name implies it was a product of Luther Burbank. Seed Savers Exchange has this description:

"(Solanum Burbankii) Bred in the early 1900s by Luther Burbank, who called it Sunberry and lamented it being renamed Wonderberry by the dealer who purchased and introduced it. Critics immediately claimed Burbank had simply reintroduced S. nigrum, Garden Huckleberry, as a new plant. Burbank said it was the result of many years of crossing of Solanum guinense (a species native to Africa) and S. villosum (indigenous to Europe). Sunberry’s fruits are blue, slightly sweet and slightly larger than a pea. Said by its admirers to rival and even surpass Blueberries. Truly historic variety."

We grew the garden huckleberry last year and actually sold some berry baskets of it. They had an interesting flavor, evocative of melons as well as tomatoes and blueberries. The berries are very tender and it was difficult to pick enough and keep them whole for a market.

Since we're living in Sonoma County not too far from where Luther Burbank had his working farm, we are very interested any time we can find seeds for any of his plants. I've got enough started that we hope to make jam or jelly from them this year.

Roger

Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 22:11:07 -0600
From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Second planting tomatoes
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Question: what's wonderberries?

paul tradingpost AT gilanet.com

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 5/27/2004 at 8:37 PM Roger Weeks wrote:


Evening y'all -

I recall a dicussion from late last year about a second planting of tomatoes. Seem to recall that one of you folks down in Texas does this, starts seedlings and plants them out later to continue harvesting into the fall.

Just wondering if anyone has specific advice on this - when to start seeds, when to plant out. I'm in northern California, and we've had tomato harvests here into November some years. Just depends on if we get that "indian summer" or not, and how soon the winter rains come.

Anyway, I'm wondering if other nightshade plants might benefit from the same treatment, specifically tomatillos or garden huckleberries/wonderberries.

Peace

Roger Weeks



  • [Market-farming] Re: Wonderberries, Roger Weeks, 05/28/2004

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