im very cool compared to you but my jeanne i put in 2 yrs ago its incredibly vigourous and disease free. i have it in full sun and last summer had so much fruit most of its branches were laying on the mulch. ive had other types of gooseberry before and for fresh eating these are the best ive tried. my other Ribes around this plant had some leaf issues but jeanne was clean. if you would like some cuttings pm me. they root very easily. i pruned a low lying branch last spring and stuck it near the mother plant. it rooted and grew 12in. in 1 summer with no care.
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As far as I understand, gooseberries do not require pollination so you can get away with only planting one cultivar, no?
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I got rid of my Jostaberry because my wife, daughter and I agreed that it was not very tasty.
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I am in Maryland as well- if you have several cuttings, I think I’d like to try this variety.
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I believe that is correct but as I don’t exactly know what would fair well in my climate and I have a large area to fill, I figured I could try as many as 8 varieties.
I wish I had that luxury! I ordered one hinnomaki yellow start just for a bit of variety. I’m hoping I’m not disappointed with it compared to Jeanne.
This thread is so great and timely, I just started the Gooseberry chapter in Uncommon Fruits Worthy Of Attention and it got me thinking about planting them (Zone 6b, Virginia). I was excited to read the details here and the conversation is really helpful for me!
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Sounds like Jeanne is the clear winner. And I thought I was done with gooseberries! I have quite a few. I grew a couple for years, and then added some more. I need more time for full evaluations of most. Some will fruit for the first time this season. I still have about a gallon freezer bag of gooseberries left. So far my favorites are poorman for very good production and the ability to hang forever. The longer you leave it, the sweeter it becomes. Also Black Velvet for the unique flavor. It is rather tart, but made some excellent fruit leather. I would bet a killer syrup too. Production here too, is excellent. Production to me appears somewhat related to climate. I’m still learning how to grow these plants best.
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This thread does make Jeanne sound like a clear winner- and I disagree to some extent. Jeanne produces a good fruit, but the size of the bush is a real liability. The volume of the bush and the fruit production is 1/4 of Amish Red or 1/5 of Black Velvet. So I recommend that if you head-over-heels for Jeanne then you had better plant a bunch of them! I do not find them better than other varieties like Poorman, Jahn’s Prairie, or Amish Red. I do find Jeanne to be better tasting than Black Velvet due to the berry size and sweetness.
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yes.
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Noah that is a great perspective to add which I could not since I haven’t grown any yet. I guess from a commercial perspective that would be more important. Have you had your plants long enough that they have fully matured to confirm Jeanne is not just a slower growing plant?
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idk. my jeanne is only 2yrs old, about 18in high and wide but the branches were absoultely filled with 1in. berries, weighing them to the ground. none of my other currants or gooseberries produced like this. but i dont have amish red or black velvet. nor have i ever tried them.
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@disc4tw @steveb4 I purchased Amish Red, Jeanne, and Black Velvet 5 years ago from Whitman Farms. All of the plants are under my grape trellis and do not appreciably differ in light exposure or soil conditions. Black Velvet is pushing 6 feet tall, Amish Red is around 3.5 feet tall, and Jeanne is about 18 inches to two feet tall. I am in Zone 6 Central Pennsylvania. I have other gooseberry varieties, but since they were planted later, I do not feel comfortable making size comparisons between them yet.
I am limited in terms of backyard space. For me, I find a much better value in most other gooseberries not named Jeanne.
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I would like to add to that. Gooseberry varieties are so varied in taste that you can hate one and love the other. Most all other fruit varieties share at least a similar flavor profile. That’s what makes gooseberries great. Each variety is almost a different fruit.
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I apologize for being the contrarian today! I do not see a large difference between flavors of gooseberries! Granted, I only have red/black gooseberries fruiting. In a blind taste test, I could only pick out Black Velvet as being more tart/less sweet. I have planted some other varieties that might change my mind on the matter (Hinnomaki Yellow, Jewel (peach colored), and Oregon Giant (green/yellow)!
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i agree. of the 4 varieties ive tasted there was a very distinctive difference in taste. these were old varieties. ive yet to try anything newer than jeanne so i cant say its the same difference amongst the newer varieties. mine is grown on a mulched mound in full sun all day. that might make a difference in sweetness also.
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The sun always makes a difference in sweetness. I have mine in full sun, but they do look pretty ragged by the end of the season. Does not affect them though. I have 10 plants that are a mix of new and older varieties. I think most of the newer varieties are better.
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I saw where LUBERA (the RedLove apple guy in Switzerland) is planning to introduce several new patented gooseberries. Spotted a video somewhere online, but didn’t write down the address.
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For all you gooseberry trialers, it seems One Green World has a couple of new ones, too: Selby and Siewka K1.
Also, anyone here growing Sabine or Captivator, especially in hot, humid zones? I ask because Hidden Springs in Cookeville, TN carries only these two cultivars—and they specialize in stuff that is fairly low-maintenance in their zone.
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Good luck. I’ve gotten some gooseberries. Not a lot, but some.
I’ve gotten maybe 2 jostaberries over the same period.