Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Gooseberries for TN?

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Gooseberries for TN?
  • Date: Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:43:21 -0500


I hate to say it, but considering where gooseberries are from, (England and the Hinnomaki's from Finland) but perhaps your berries did better BECAUSE of the clouds and reduced light from screening. I definitely plan to plant mine where they will have mostly shade, that stands out pretty clearly from both Nafexers experience and the KY bulletins.


My gooseberries are planted in a narrow (7 ft. wide) strip between my house and a solid vinyl privacy fence, so they only get direct sunlight for a brief period at mid-day (they do get redirected light reflected from the white vinyl fence and light-gray vinyl siding, so maybe that helps). I planted them because I didn't think anything else would produce fruit growing there. And so far, that's worked out very well.

Actually, in Nebraska's climate, I don't think they'd do well in direct sun. They'd certainly need a lot more watering. But they produce quite well for me where they are. And, as I say, not much else would produce a lot of fruit there.


I have read elsewhere that the green-yellow berries don't get as sweet, though Lon said that the H. Yellow is really nice when well ripened.


I suppose it depends on personal preferences and maybe the conditions, but I never thought Hinonmaki Yellow was good ripe. Plus, they fall off the bush VERY quickly when they start to get ripe - or, at least, they do for me. So I pick them all green. As soon as they start to turn color, and start to fall off the bush, I pick them all.

Well, I'm anxious for gooseberry pie by then, so it works out well. I let the other varieties ripen longer. And as I mentioned earlier, H. Yellow is my most prolific gooseberry (though the smallest bush, by far), so I get a lot of gooseberries from it.

Bill
Lincoln, NE (zone 5)

--
We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special. - Stephen Hawking




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page