Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [nafex] what new for the spring?

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>
  • To: nafex@yahoogroups.com
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] what new for the spring?
  • Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 18:53:19 -0500

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)
>


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Tiny Wireless Camera under $80!
Order Now! FREE VCR Commander!
Click Here - Only 1 Day Left!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/WoOlbB/7.PDAA/ySSFAA/VAOolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->





------------------LIST GUIDELINES----------------------

1) Please sign your posting. Include climate and location information if
relevent.
2) Attached files will be stripped from your messages. Post attachments on
the www.YahooGroups.com website.
3) To unsubscribe send a BLANK message to
nafex-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
4) Include only pertinent comments/questions when replying to a posting and
NOT the entire message (especially if the initial posting was large).

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page