I planted Welcome, Amish, and Hinnomaki Red last year. The first two were in my front yard. Both produced enough berries to make a pie and for me to eat probably half of them off the bush before making the pie. Amish has the stronger flavor of the two. They’re both tart until they get overripe. Amish had a crazy aphid infestation in all the new growth. I probably overdid the nitrogen fertilizer. It still grew a ton by the end of the season. I picked off tons of aphids by hand. Welcome was three feet away and aphid free. All my ribes look slightly to pretty awful by the end of the year. Those both grew to 3-4’ tall and wide.
The Hinnomaki Red was in my backyard and mostly got picked clean by the birds (#fuckrobins). I only got a few fruit which were smaller than the other two, but seemed sweeter. The bush was smaller than the other two last year with a bunch of very small upright branches (~6") which spread out and crawled like the head of a mop along the ground to about 2’ in length. I ended up cutting some of those off at upward facing buds to try and train it upwards (and got two of the cuttings to root, we’ll see if they survive the transplant). Two branches also rooted along the ground, so I’ll try digging those up to transplant them.
This year I planted Black Velvet, Orus 8, and Poorman’s. The Black Velvet grew a bunch of branches that are 4-5’ long/high and I pinned two of those down to try and root them (it worked! …after like six months). The berries were probably small because it was new, but they were very small, but sweet, and the birds ate most of them. Orus 8 was about two feet tall with lots of branches and grew to about 3’. It had lots of tiny fruit that was picked clean shortly before it was probably fully ripe. The couple I had tasted interesting. I’m guessing they were smaller than normal because it was its first year after being transplanted in and maybe needing more water. Poorman’s got horrendous mildew that didn’t get under control until too late for it to grow much, but I was a bit concerned it would die, so at least it pulled through. (Can you guess which one I was most excited to try?)
I’m also planning on planting some along my back fence as deer only nibble the very tips of the branches (I hope they get a nice mouthful) before leaving them alone.
Black Velvet is an excellent one. I have several. Don’t have Poorman, but it’s supposed to be the best out there. Don’t have Orus 8, but some report poor quality. Of what I have Black Velvet and Hino Red are the best. Pixwell would be the worst I have. Not a fan. Welcome and Houghton would fall in the OK and poor category.
I haven’t tried a ton of cultivars but have mostly stuck to high flavor “dessert” types. Hinnomaki red, hinnomaki yellow, black velvet, and poorman are all excellent. Captivator and poorman are both good. Pixwell is ok. Theyre best picked green and made into pie. Ive yet to taste jeanne. Invicta is supposed to be very good (and very thorny), but I dont have it. Ive hear good things about amish red too, but don’t t have it either. Theres a massive jumbo variety I was after for a while, maybe colossal? Someone mentioned laxton’s giant. If theres a tasty big one Id be curious to try it.
This past year we had Hinnomaki Red fruit and the complexity of flavor has put it as my new all time favorite fruit.
Several times I compared it to my black currant and there was just no comparison.
I will be putting in several new varieties this year.
To me, Hinnomaki Red is imbued with the flavor of red raspberries. Its quite tasty. Have you tried Hinnomaki Yellow? Its very different, also top notch. Its much sweeter and less acidic, with kind of a nice mellow but rich flavor, some say similar to apricot. Its harder to find and more fickle to grow though. I suspect there are other good Finish cultivars that are probably fabulous too. Anyone know of any? You guys across the pond need to key us in!
I really like Captivator, but since that’s the only one I have, I can’t make comparisons. The canes are vigorous and thorn free.
It is dessert quality: Eat right off the bush. My only problem with them is that they don’t hold the bush: as soon as they start looking pink, if you just look at them they will fall. This past year, I grew some mushrooms under them: [King Stropharia]. Because I like those gooseberries, I put lots of mulch under them so I could get “babies”. then I thought: Shade, moist, thick mulch. Why not plant mushrooms under them. I got lots of King Stopharia.[Winecaps] I lost lost of berries, though.
I took babies from my Consort black currant and planted them on the south side of my house, mulched heavily. They are growing like gangbuster, I hope to get a nice crop next year.
@Janne.L , do you grow gooseberries? if so, what are your favorites? Two of the best available, Hinnomaki Red and Hinnomaki Yellow,stateside are from Finland
Jewel is one OGW had that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere (is it on their supplier/wholesaler’s site? I forget the name). It’s supposed to be a yellow/orange one that tastes like apricot, but might not have the lack of vigor and weeping habit that I’ve heard Hinnomaki Yellow has.
I havent come across that one. Will have to check it out. Yeah, Hinnomaki Yellow tastes great but its not one to fend for itself. Amazing the difference between it and one like ‘Black Velvet’ which I have growing nearby, or did. The ‘Black Velvet’ has tip layered all over that section of the garden and now has 1/2 dozen crowns where there was one. The Hinnomaki yellow on the other hand could be overwhelmed by a few dandelions it would seem. I have some daylillies nearby that yearly swamp them poor things even though I grub em out and do what I can to knock em back. Theyre so low too that the dangling berries are extra hard to find amidst the wild strawberry, etc growing underneath.
Anyone have ‘Leepared’? Looking at Raintree, they list it as possibly the same as ‘Hinnomaki Red’. Ive seen the cultivar name, but have no experience with it. If it is different than Hinnomaki Red, but of similar quality l, it’s worth having Leepared Gooseberry — Raintree Nursery
Also, interestingly they seem to offer a 3rd ‘ Hinnomaki Red’ clone, ‘Little Ben’, this one they seem to suggest is a sport or something. Ah the vagueries of nursery catalogs! Little Ben Gooseberry — Raintree Nursery
Yep, my Hinno Yellow has been a very slow grower and last year the main trunk got snapped by something. It sprouted back from the roots but I’m basically starting over. Excellent flavor, though. I ordered two more rooted cuttings this year because they are so good.
So far my collection consists of Black Velvet, Glendale, Jewel, Poorman, Red Jacket, and Yellow Hinnomaki. Only my Glendale and Jewel have fruited so far. Both were very sweet and delicious for fresh eating.