North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Anton Callaway <marillen@earthlink.net>]

Jim,

Could be genetic or environmental influences.  Are any of the bushes clonal 
to the others?  I believe many highbush cranberries are sold as seed-grown 
plants.  If you could propagate a clone of the good-tasting plant and plant 
it next to some of the bitter ones, it might help differentiate which 
influence is greater and then you'd have a good idea what to do next.

Best regards,

Anton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Fruth <jfruth@tds.net>
>Sent: Dec 30, 2008 12:26 PM
>To: NAFEX <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Subject: [NAFEX] Hypothesis needed
>
>    I need everyone's best guess as to what might cause bitterness in fruit 
>(and, possibly how to correct the problem):  I harvest Highbush Cranberries 
>(Viburnum trilobum) from six places.
>1. Swampy area between a lake and high ground.  These are understory bushes, 
>perhaps as many as 100 of them, getting filtered sunlight and peeks of 
>direct sun.  Their roots are constantly in saturated ground.  These berries 
>have a musky taste, are otherwise pleasant and make excellent jelly.
>2. Two bushes at the edge of a lake with surface water 2 to 3' down. 
>Berries taste great and make excellent jelly.
>3. Two bushes in front of an office building near a creek with surface water 
>about 7' down.  Berries taste great and make good jelly.
>4. Large bush in my neighbor's front yard.  Water table unknown.  Berries 
>taste great and make good jelly.
>5. Bitter berries from a small thicket in the woods with water table 
>unknown.  Jelly is bitter.
>6. Bitter berries from my orchard.  Bushes obtained from two nurseries, one 
>in Minnesota and the other from North Dakota.  Planted 2' above hardpan clay 
>where water pools after a rain plus receives some irrigation water.  Jelly 
>is bitter.
>
>Jim Fruth
>Brambleberry Farm
>Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
>For jams, jellies & syrups:
>www.bberryfarm.com
>(877)265-6856 [Store]
>(218)831-7018 [My Cell] 
>
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