Tell me which would thrive best in the dry wind swept central Kansas prairie?
Currant or Gooseberry?
And there are different types of Currant, which type is more drought hardy?
Ribes odoratum(golden)
Ribes nigrum(black)
Ribes rubrum(red and white)
I am not experienced at all with currant.
And gooseberry, are any types more hardy than others/red versus green etc? I have a few green ones that have survived neglect.
And the hybrid Jostaberry, tell me about it?
Thanks!
Paul in the desert
Hinomaki Red is good for fresh eating, I expect you’d want to give it partial shade but I’m not sure. Jeanne is growing very well for me too.
Jostaberries are a beast but less productive for me. This year at about 7’ wide and tall they are finally earning their keep, planted 2019.
Hinnomaki red is on sale with starkbro for 5 bucks and free shipping. I’d suggest getting it to just try it. It is a bareroot plant tho.
Here in hot n humid Maryland, my Glendale and poorman gooseberry are doing the best. They are both in partial shade. My black velvet (I’m not sure it’s black velvet tho) is in full sun mostly and it struggles a bit but it’s putting on growth. I planted them all earlier this year.
I have a Primus white currant and it’s growing great too, except damn caterpillar ate some of the central new growth. So it’s putting out bushy growth vs getting taller. It’s small and slow growing but healthy. It’s also in partial shade.
I strongly suggest mulching them to protect the roots. The black velvet I have started doing a lot better after I mulched it.
I also have a Crandall in partial shade that’s doing well.
As the summer goes on I’ll have to see how they do, but already had quite a few swampy days.
The plants I got from honeyberryusa seem to have crazy vigor. I also planted a belaruska black currant from them but not at my house. Which was huge and flowered.
I’m really happy with the currants and gooseberry I got from HBU.
I also have 3 on order from whitman farm (everyone says she has amazing plants) that will get delivered Tuesday. For planting at my parents house, which will be in partial shade as well (another black velvet (to compare to my “black velvet”) collosal, and Hinnomaki yellow.
Crandall or any R. odoratum are the most heat/ drought tolerant.
I tip pruned all my currants’ branches this year and got an explosion of new growth from them already and it’s not even June. Previous years the existing branches would just grow a couple inches and that was it. Currants/Orus 8/Black Velvet have all grown a ton and I’ve only thinned out a few branches. I’ve had good luck with HBU as well.
Today:
I’m in Reno, NV which is probably drier than where you are and just as windy. Crandall, Black Topaz, and Missouri Giant, all Clove Currant cultivars, do the best with drought, heat and wind. My most productive clove currant, a Crandall I ordered from Whitman Farms, Is in full sun with no wind protection and it’s thriving.
I have success with black and red European currants too, but they do best in afternoon shade. By the end of summer the ones in full sun start to look pretty stressed.
I have Poorman, Black Velvet, and Jostaberry also. They all do extremely will with afternoon shade. The one black velvet I have in full sun puts on significantly less growth that the others with afternoon shade.
The gooseberry plants I just got from whitman farms are crazy nice if you’re looking for a place to order from. She has a ton of cultivars, you do have to call on the phone btw in order to order from her. Super study packaging too.
Next spring I’ll probably do another black Currant and GB order from her.
