North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Kevin Moore <aleguy33@yahoo.com>]

I know this is a stupid question, but I've been a gooseberry lover since I picked them wild in the North Woods as a kid. Are there any varieties that will survive a Gulf Coast Zone 9 summer?

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From: John S <swim_at_svc@yahoo.com>
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:03:20 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Gooseberries

Jim, My experience with Tixia is disappointing.  While the berries are large (easily 1"), they are also sour.  They also fall off for me before they ripen, making them a frustrating experience.  Given your tendency to pick your gooseberries pre-ripe, they may be of advantage due to their size but I think they are a poor table gooseberry.  If bugs are a major problem for your "Poorman", then screen it and let them ripen.  You should be pleased with the ripe berry taste.  Gooseberries fruit size can be significantly affected by the number of berries allowed to mature.  If yours are tiny, thinning may help..

Hinnomaki Red is excellent but similar to Poorman in taste and sweetness and among my favorites.  I find they ripen at slightly different times.  Pixwell is a poor comparison and not worth growing unless you use the fruit for cooking.  Poorman produces average size berries here.  If yours produced tiny berries, then perhaps you had incorrectly ID's plants or something else was wrong.

John



--- On Wed, 5/13/09, Jim Fruth <jimfruth@charter.net> wrote:

From: Jim Fruth <jimfruth@charter.net>
Subject: [NAFEX] Gooseberries
To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 9:45 AM

    I bought some Tixia Gooseberries from Jung because were are advertised
as "New."  Do you know anything about them?

    I had bought some "Poorman" Gooseberries because they were advertised as
huge but they turned out to be the tiniest I have ever seen.  I grubbed them
out.  I also have Pixwell which look exactly like my Hinnokan Reds.  I pick
everything when 50% of them exhibit their first glimmer of red color
because, if I wait any longer, the bugs start hollowing them out.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies, syrups and more:
www.jellygal.com
1-877-265-6856 (Toll Free)
1-218-831-7018 (My Cell)

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