Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Gooseberry recommendations for TN

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Gooseberry recommendations for TN
  • Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:35:23 -0400

Donna,
We fruited about half of these in East TN for a number of years.  Planted with lots of organic matter on top, and kept adding leaves each year to keep roots cool.  Ed Mashburn considered this key.  Also chose a site with shade after 2-3pm.  Most gooseberries suffer above 86F.
 
I concur that Glenndale is the best performer, year in and out, for our location.  Very vigorous, and holds its leaves later than any others.  Hence a bigger bush.
Invicta sunburns badly, and also is a magnet for imported currant worm and a branch damaging beetle the looked liked (and may be) locust borer.  So Invicta a good trap crop for a gooseberry planting.
Jahn's Prairie gives good flavored fruit, but not much yield, though thornless.  Jeanne (aka ORUS 126?) also not a heavy yielder, nor a good survivor.   Performed much better in Corvallis.
Hinnomakis were patented, not sure when the patent expires, but I like to be able to multiply my plantings and share plants, so did not put either in.
Black Velvet and ORUS 8 did not impress me during my summer evaluating gooseberries and currants in Corvallis, never tried them in TN.
 
Ed Mashburn recommended Captivator, Glenndale and Amish Red, and all have done very well in East TN, with a comparable climate to his in PA.  Each also very resistant to mildew, something necessary for TN.  Ed noted how poorly Glenndale, looked, tasted and performed in Corvallis vs. how well it grew, yielded and tasted in PA.  If I remember correctly it was not due to mislabeling as he obtained a Glenndale plant from Corvallis, and it thrived at his place.  Glenndale does have wicked thorns, but this effectively deterred the possums and raccoons when they feasted on the thornless and lightly thorned cultivars.
 
Poorman grew like gangbusters in TN, but would make me poor if I depended on its fruit.  No fruit most years, though the 3-5 I did get on occasion from 4 bushes were of good quality.
 
For my planting at our new place, have put in none of the below, but have put in Glenndale, Amish Seedling and Captivator.  There is another that does nearly as well as Glenndale, one from an elderly couple who got it decades ago from another elderly couple.  So not a new release.  So ask around and you may find something suited to your area.  There is a TN resident who has planted quite a bit of Ribes material from NCGR in Corvallis.  If you contact them, they may be willing to share the person's name with you, that you could compare notes with someone close to your area.
 
In summary, would only plant Jahn's Prairie at your site from the list below, as there are other cultivars better suited for our upper south sites.  Unless you enjoy documenting your frustrations :)
 
Lastly, goats, in my experience and that of another friend, will not eat gooseberry or currant plants in our ecosystem, when they have browse of the native plants or grass.  Deer also went by the gooseberries (thornless ones, too) to eat sweet potatoes, okra, tomatoes, pumpkins and squash leaves.
 
Richard Moyer
Castlewood, VA 
Selling Autumn Olives for $32/gallon at market tomorrow.  The real deal, not Joel, Joy or Jan labeled as such.

Black Velvet
Canada
Hinomaki Red, Yellow
Invicta
Johns Prairie
Jeanne
Orus 8
Poorman


  • [NAFEX] Gooseberry recommendations for TN, Richard Moyer, 09/11/2009

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page