North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Richard Moyer" <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

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.