Gooseberries 2015

I have Poorman, Hinnomaki Yellow, and Black Velvet, I also have Crandell, and Golden currants. Most are very young, I have had some berries, but not enough really to report on. I also have a wild native gooseberry.

Jahns Prairie gooseberry ripe now. Nice taste and sweeter than Poorman.

I have a 2 yo pixwell that had berries last summer. They arent very good tho, too tart IMO. I planted a Hinno Red last spring that grew well and should produce some berries next year. Not sure if these plants will be worth keeping or not. Will give them another year or two before I replace them with something else.

I like the Jahns Prairie and Poorman I have, except for the thorns on the Poorman. I also have Black Velvet that I haven’t had long enough to form an opinion. I don’t know of any variety that is significantly superior to those. A Jostaberry I have is mediocre, so unless it does better this year it will be removed. Maybe it doesn’t get enough sun.

Other good ones are out there, but not really superior, about the same like Hinnonmaki Red or Yellow. I have Hinnonmaki Yellow, Poorman and Black Velvet, not looking to add more. A good red, yellow, and blue, so all set. Well I could use a white one like Langley Gage. Also a very disease resistant one is Jeanne, I would like to try.

Anyone else have gooseberries getting ripe? My crop is very small this year and i had some winter die back after last years terrible drought. Feeling very fortunate most lived and next year will be better than ever!

I’ve found what apparently is a wild gooseberry growing under my pines. it has small leaves like crandall currant and thorns. i dug it up out of the heavily shaded spot and put it in a gal . pot. its the 1st native Ribes I’ve found. never knew what one looked like until i started growing them 5 yrs. ago. curious how the berries taste. its only a 10in. twig now but in a few years i might see some fruit.

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Wow, that’s cool! I grow one that I got from Oikos One gooseberry that is native to the north I guess? It has some fruit this year. It’s in heavy shade, and finally fruited.

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Our 4ft Oregon Champion is pretty loaded with green berries now. Our smaller Jeanne just has a few on it.

From what I’ve learned, they should be ripe sometimes this month.

Edit: some pics

Oregon Champion

Jeanne

We also have Poorman, but it isn’t as vigorous as the other two, despite them all being planted two years ago.

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i have a american black currant (R. americanum) from them . i think its called “river view” . supposedly WPBR immune. the original plant was growing under some w. pines. might get some fruit this year. does that stink currant you have grow thorns? trying to figure out what type of Ribes it is.

The resident rabbit ate my bush over the winter, so it’s focused on just regrowth. Will be sure to protect it this fall. I have tixia and hinnomaki red that’s new this year.

Think you need to invite that rabbit for dinner again and this time he’s the main course instead of the gooseberry! The dog has ran off or ate most of these Kansas cottontails.

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Not sure which one you are referring to?

I took a lot of cuttings of my own currants and gooseberries this year for my daughter’s garden. I also removed my cordons to start new ones with better cultivars. Some seem to always root for me, just stick enough in the ground! I like these plants as they require little care and fruit quite a bit. Easy to propagate etc. I do live in a zone they like, so that really helps too.

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awhile back you mentioned something about stink currant that grew in your area. i assumed you had it growing on your property. i love currants and gooseberries for their ease of care and fruit as well. they are about as no spray a fruit as one can get! i root cuttings every spring and give to friends/family and neighbors. i have 2 consorts i just put in 20gal grow bags. they were taken as cuttings last spring, stuck in a qt. pot. with no care, they all rooted , put on 16in. of growth and had 30 flowers blooming when i transplanted them 2 days ago! just amazing!

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That must be somebody else? Or my dyslexia got the better of me that day. I do have birds spreading my planted currants though. I found a patch in the woods behind my garden.

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could be. wouldn’t be the 1st. time i got something confused. :wink:

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not many have heard about currants / gooseberries around here. the ones that have, think its a evil, forbidden plant. if it is from a cultivated plant, id be really surprised.

I wish I could have a dog! It would stop conundrums like this from happening:

Theres six of them in my strawberry bed. I asked my husband to take care of them when they were tiny, and he didnt. Now theyre too cute!

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Yikes that looks like the enemies babies to me! Dont let him fool you his family killed more trees than Paul Bunyan!

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bring them to the pound. might cost you something but you will feel better about it. just tell them they’re pet rabbits. :wink: cottontails are endangered in a lot of their territory. if they were older id say let them lose in a wildlife area.

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