Maybe a dumb question:
I see two “Ben” varieties mentioned by BlueBerry and mrsg47. Since both varieties , Ben Moore & Ben Sarak, are talked about as ones you. Are “Ben” varieties a particular series of black currants? I was looking to get a few to plant next spring. I have no idea what varieties will taste good.
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“Ben” series currents were bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute.
Named for mountains in Scotland.
Thank you for the clarification. I need to get a few varieties for my yard. I will try to find them to buy.
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titania black current cuttings doing well in coir… any ideas how to transition them to dormancy mid winter?
maybe 2 weeks near a sunny window, 2 weeks in a garage, then start cracking a garage window wider and wider?
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I think there are a total of four Ben black currants. A smaller berry is Ben Lomond, I believe. After sorting through all of the Bens and three other Black varieties, my favorites are Ben Serak and Consort, both for intense flavor (no bitterness) and size. Many are the size of marbles!
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You are in zone 3, nippy! Maybe wait till spring. They look good and healthy. Real sunlight will turn the leaves a nice rich green.
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That is a great question, it would be hard to do. If you can get them outside in shade if above freezing bring them in before freezing weather Put them back out when above freezing. They should slowly harden off.
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currant cuttings are very easy to root. cuttings from anyone that has types you want will give you plants for near nothing.
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I do have a heated garage that I keep near freezing, but not quite, for canned goods, etc. Im thinking once they get a little larger and I get some cuttings, I could move them out there, with a light and see if they transition. Not sure if they need temp fluctuations to trigger dormancy, or if a constant low temp will work…
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Right now they are growing about 2 inches / day, by spring they will take up my whole closet!
I will look for the Ben varieties. I do remember seeing the Lomond variety, but I do not recall seeing the “Ben” in front of it. I will check out some catalogs this winter and order some. I had planted three different varieties but for some reason the deer ate them down to the ground.
I think my family will appreciate the ones that are not so bitter. My neighbor has some bushes but they are really bitter. He gave us some a few years in a row when they really produced. So bitter we did not use them. The last few years his plants have not produced much at all.
Are they very disease prone? Seems to me he has to continually spray his plants. Plus he has grapes next to his plants, maybe that effects them too.
crandall clove currant is a sweeter disease resistant variety from the midwest that is good off the bush. the other WPBR resistant varieties i tried are better for processing. there are some newer resistant varieties that are sweeter but don’t remember names off the top of my head.
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id try that for a few weeks , then once they start to show signs of slowing down, move them outside. currants are really tough and yours are well established. i think they will make it. you guys have any snow yet? we had some but it warmed back up and it melted.
TY, I will look for that variety as well. I am just needed some that will not take a lot of work to have. I have my attention more towards apple trees and that is enough work for me. I want something to just plant and leave alone, for the most part.
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That would be best. Just not always possible. Well as long as they get light. Natural light trumps all, if temps are above freezing outside would be better and shuffle them back to the garage at night. They need to be acclimated to the light too. Cloudy fall days are so perfect for the transition.Once leaves fall off, light is no longer needed.
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In general black currants are not something you should grow for fresh eating. Sure, a few nuts do eat them fresh. I test taste them, but for me it’s all about the syrup, It is the nectar of the Gods! It’s amazing how these musky, aromatic berries burst out in flavor once processed. They remind me of other fruits and veggies with aromatic molecules like ginger, allspice, juniper berries used to make gin, and magnolia vine berries. All having this quality but all tasting nothing like each other.
I never really tasted bitterness, if bitter they are not ripe. I let them hang weeks once black.
If they start to fall off I harvest. They need to be soft, if hard, not ripe. Now the musky taste is strong in some and this is what turns people off. The least musky of the all is Golden Currants, it is a different species and produces black, red, or yellow berries. Crandall is a cultivated golden currant that produces black berries, and they have the flavor of black currants, but none of that musky taste, so better for fresh eating. To me though that musky flavor is what turns into an incredibly good flavor once cooked and processed. The heavier the better!
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When do you prune your elderberries, to keep them small like that? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before. Looks nice! I love elderflower drinks, this pic is making me thirsty. 
I prune elderberries after fruit harvest. Prune oldest branches off. Or to new growth secondary branches on oldest branches. And shorten them up with to the height you want. They grow like weeds, so it’s hard to mess them up, they will grow back. Yesterday I removed mine. I’m getting older and having problems processing all the fruit I get. They are my least favorite I grow. Last year I removed 7 blackberry bushes. Too much for me to handle. I left 4 of them. I did keep the ornamental elderberries as they are not really grown for fruit. I’m going to put black currants in their place. Smaller plants, and easier to manage. I like the fruit much better too. Elderberries rock, they are just not for me at this time.
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