My first attempt at currants … about 30 years ago. They died.
Recommendations are not to plant in full sun. But planting in the forest in poor and dry soil doesn’t succeed…or didn’t for me.
So, planted a bunch, especially red ones, in full sun and too far from a hose to give them a drink.
So the jury is out on that.
They are indeed easy to root. Rooted some Black September. And some Tiben. From gifts and trades.
It’s too bad not more nurseries jump through the hoops of regulations to acquire promising varieties such as the large ones you posted the picture of.
I suppose in the EU there are not many restrictions among countries.
Currants do well in the Pacific Northwest.
Am interested in getting cuttings of the fresh eating sort this fall.
Have a lot of grapes to trade.
They are really grown for cooking. The red varieties are used to garnish cakes and pastries. If you like sour fruit for fresh eating, currants are perfect.
The small sample of red Rovada I got this year…not sour at all.
I’d agree, especially for black currants. Even the ones which are supposed to be better for fresh eating aren’t really palatable to me. I’d put them on the same level as Goji berries. Red and pink currants are OK, but a tad tart. Like a more boring version of goumi (though without the pit).
Sure- I can send out some currant cuttings. Are you just interested in red and white or are you feeling adventurous enough to think that black will be good to eat fresh (they are for some people…).
I’ve got more than enough grapes on my hands. In fact, I’m contemplating removing some and I’ve been moving more to muscadines, but even there I think I have enough varieties for now.
Oh yes, they are. Plants sold within EU need to have a plant passport. It doesn’t apply to seeds though and as for cuttings…I am not quite sure.
Yes, every plant needs a sanitary pass, plant, tree or scion.
I actually like the black currants the best.
try making juice with them. its awesome over ice or on ice cream. has alot less sugar than the jam does. its like concord grape juice but richer. tried some Ribena from a store in Halifax last week. it was alot sweeter and watered down compared to the juice i made. im glad i planted out another 20 tibens in the yard. have around 30 total now of tiben and consort. never have too much black currants.
I have a Titania that’s not exactly tasty, and several Black September that have not fruited. Sold the Ben Moore’s I had…they all get ripe at one picking and are mostly disesase resistant and self pollinating.
I do
certainly like jelly and jam from both red and black currants.
titania is one of tibens parents.
Good … thanks.
I have Ben Connan and like it very much. Big berries and fast to pick flavour is good. But I don’t do much fresh eating of currants. I also have Ben Hope and like it as well. It is also a good berry that is fast to pick.All berries easily visible in the bush and a fair number on the strigs. I haven’t pulled out Ben Sarek or Consort but don’t always get them picked. I sold a couple gallons of berries to a kombucha maker. They liked it. And black currants are a great colouring agent. Others I have or Minaj, Belaruskaja, Risager. More fresh eating berries. I have pretty much ignored these. So they haven’t grown as vigorusly. I’m probably leaving out varieties.
We make jellies and jam and Black currant curd is especially nice. My adult children always want me to ship them some or tuck jars in their suitcase on the way home. I think it’s gift worthy and would probably be a good product to sale. I have chickens so some times need to use up eggs.
I may have ripe currants on Titania by the time HoneyberryUSA gets around to shipping the ones I ordered from them last fall!
I had Ben More, but sold the plants. They all got ripe at once.
Black September and Ben Sarek don’t seem to have any fruits on them, they are healthy in one gallon containers. I have Tiben and something else but didn’t expect any blooms on them. Gooseberries seem to have a small/moderate fruit set this year.
Black Currants are great locally
but the Gooseberries are subject to worms, and have nasty thorns.
SWD? maybe i don’t want to know.
My black currants have lots of wigglers inside. No spray.
Ironically, it seems like the currant worms prefer gooseberry to currant, and eat the leaves.
I find that when there’s a larva in the gooseberry fruit it’s clear to see the scar on the skin where it got in and that side can just be pinched off and the rest of the berry eaten. The larva does not seem to move around much inside the fruit and it along with its frass and the associated damaged portion of fruit is pretty consolidated to the area next to the scar on the skin where it burrowed in.
I found that even with a pesticide program;
nearly all the Goosberries got worms.
Perhaps they get into the Black Current also, but I don’t think they are as bad