North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ribes60@aol.com]

I have just about gotten out of the plant busness because of some health problems (a persistant bad back). I would be happy to make some suggestions.  Whitman Farms in Salem Oregon is the source with the greatest variety of Ribes and the plants are very good. Lucile probably has the largest selection in the US and should be shipping about now. Tin Nourse and Indiana Berry and Plant both have good plants that are more commercial types, but they have the right black currants.

 

My recommendations for Black currants are Ben Lomand or  Titania, there are also some very good Russian varieties but they are not generally available. I will try to propagate some of them and may have a few available next fall.

 

Red currants this year were the best that I have ever had. I think that the best varieties (in order of ripening) are Detvan, Rovada and Tatran. Detvan and Tatran are releases from Slovakia and are both large robust plants with very high yields of long strigs of large berries. Rovada is a smaller plant with shorter compact strigs of large berries, it is also high yielding, though not as much as the former two. I am sure that these are available from Lucile Whitman.

 

Gooseberries are a little more "personal", Invicta is a large yellow dessert type berry that is best used uncooked. Hinomakki Red and Amish Red ore both smaller berries but flavor can survive cooking. I sell more of the Amish Reds for both fresh market and wine making.

 

Ed Mashburn