From: "William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Red and Black currants for warm climes
Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 22:13:10 -0500
I suspect that 'Crandall' is not one clone, but lots of selfed
seedlings sold as 'Crandall' over the years by various nurseries,
which is why you see so many different descriptions.
I had quite a time when I was trying to decide about clove currants two
years ago. I kept hearing such different information. The Missouri
Botanical Garden website said they were "a dioecious shrub which
requires both male and female plants for fruit production." But some
nurseries said they were self-fertile, some that you needed two
different varieties (not male and female plants), one said that Titania
Black Currant would cross-pollinate it, and others weren't sure what was
needed.
I ended up buying a 'Crandall' and a seedling clove currant from
ForestFarm, just in case. But instead of the Crandall, they accidentally
sent me a completely unrelated (non-fruiting) bush, and I was so new at
this that it took me a year to convince myself that it wasn't the right
plant. They sent me a replacement last year, but meanwhile, I'd ordered
five more Crandall currants from High Country Gardens.
This year, they're all blooming - and they're all clove currants - but
the one Crandall currant still looks a bit different from the other
five. They are just solid blossoms, as is the seedling current (which
started blooming just slightly before they did). But the Crandall from
ForestFarm was slightly later than the rest and has only a few blossoms
here and there. Maybe it IS a different Crandall.
Well, I shouldn't have to worry about cross-pollination, anyway.
Bill
Lincoln, NE (zone 5)
--
All superstition is much the same whether it be that of astrology,
dreams, omen, retributive judgment, or the like, in all of which the
deluded believers observe events which are fulfilled, but neglect and
pass over their failure, though it be much more common. - Sir Francis Bacon