North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>]

I don't have any experience with gooseberries, but I've grown Crandall 
currants, true black currants, and red currants.  I've had good luck 
with Crandalls - very easy, very productive, and I like the flavor.  The 
plants get a bit sloppy (better when staked) but are pretty and smell 
pleasant in the spring.

The true black currant I grew (Consort) was so vigorous it threatened to 
take.  Maybe it was just too big for the spot.  I have mistreated it 
horribly and it still gave me a little fruit this year.  (I dug it up 
last year, leaving behind a lot of root, and moved it into the shade, 
with only shallow soil over rock.)  The fruit is nearly inedible raw, 
but is very rich and tasty when cooked up with some sugar.

I've grown a few red currants  (Red lake, Red Start, and several feral 
plants).  My tastes run towards the sour ones.  Some are susceptible to 
aphids, but other than making them look ugly, the bugs don't seem to do 
much damage.   Other than that, I've found them trouble free.  The most 
serious pest has been chipmunks, who ate all the unripe berries one 
year.  (On all three types of currant.)

Red and black currants do not have ornamental flowers, but the plants 
themselves look very attractive from early spring to late summer.  They 
get "ratty looking" well before they really go dormant, but I forgive 
them this flaw as they are such easy, well behaved plants, and I enjoy 
the fruit.

Red and black currants are both high in pectin and easy to turn into 
jelly.  I don't think I've tried with Crandall, but somehow I don't 
think it would work as well.  The half Crandall, half apple pie was a 
big hit, though.


On Thursday, January 3, 2002, at 10:37 PM, lostman_amiga wrote:

> Now that the new plant catlogs are starting to show up at my
> door, I am starting to plant for spring.
>
> . . .
> Lasty, I want to get a few Currents or Goosberries or both.
> (I was told Crandells are a good bet)
>


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