I actually have enough for now, I was just curious if what some of the nurseries said were true.
How big are your Crandall bushes? I might find room some day.
2 Likes
I’ve read they can grow to be 6 foot tall and 4-5 feet wide. Mine still is not at the mature stage. In either case, they’re easy to prune to keep at whatever size you’d want.
1 Like
mines is only 4 ft. but its in a dry gravelly spot in the yard. still produces well though.
1 Like
I planted one late spring that I got from Edible Landscaping. Its doing very poorly but still hanging on. Do these guys do best in partial or full shade? Mine is getting a lot of sun currently.
I put in two of them in a fairly sunny spot. One is doing great while the other looks pathetic.
Mine only gets 3-4 hours of sun each day and is thriving and producing abundantly.
1 Like
they are slow to establish/ grow compared to R. nigrum. mines 4ft tall and 4 years old where my selenchenskaya 2 black currant right next to it is in 3rd year and 6ft.
1 Like
That is odd. I have three other varieties of currants and none come even close to the quick growth of my Crandall. My Crandall grows with similar (somewhat less) vigor to some of my gooseberries. But you’re not the only forum member to say that. I wonder if it’s another strain of Crandall? Where did you buy yours?
mine came from Honeyberry USA. its also in a gravelly, dry spot in my yard but is mulched every spring.
1 Like
Gotcha, probably more likely the dry spot I’d imagine. I know clove currants are suppose to be very drought tolerant but as far as I know thats only after they’re mature and have a nice root mass. In either case, in the next year or two when mine gets large enough I could always send you an air layer or sucker if you ever wanted to see if its another strain.
2 Likes
i appreciate it but although i like Crandall, i prefer the euro blacks in flavor.
2 Likes
I love this thread, Adamsmasherz.
This is also my favorite currant. I grew it from a cutting from my other house when I moved. I think it’s delicious and unique. Mine needs more sun than the other currants. I think this one is from the Great Plains, so it would make sense that it can tolerate cold but want some more heat. Great point about how it’s hard to tell when the berries are ripe. I like the softness characteristic.
John S
PDX OR
6 Likes
Glad to hear they can also be grown by cutting! When I eventually move, I plan on propagating my Crandall quite a bit.
I actually gave some Crandalls to my sister the other day which she loved. My Anne golden raspberries also started ripening which is easily one of my favorite pieces of fruit I grow. I gave some to my sister as well and her response was “wow I really like this, it’s almost as good as that black (Crandall) currant you gave me the other day.”
2 Likes
we’ve got one of these up against the back the house, two or three different gooseberries I put in too. hoping they come up well, they all got very leafy green this year and seemed to finally perk up. last year they didn’t do much. it doesn’t get hardly any sun there- I grow my ferns and hosta right by them, and winterberry/teaberry.
what are ya feeding them, if anything? I put down osmocote this year but wasn’t too sure if they needed much of anything or exactly what. they have some straw and steer poo nearby in the patch.
1 Like
The first year in ground all of my currants and gooseberries look rough by this time of year. As they mature they handle the heat better.
I just give them a generic 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer once a year. Nothing special.
I also mulch the base.
2 Likes
they look great.
1 Like
Instead of fertilizing, I would have the soil tested to see if it needs fertilizer. I would guess that it does not need fertilizing.
The problem with needlessly fertilizing is that it adds nitrogen to the soil which then gets washed into rivers and lakes and pollutes them causing all kinds of environmental problems.
3 Likes
Gooseberries? Yeah, they can use extra fertilizer. They are heavy feeders.
Localized application of fertilizer on a small orchard stand virtually no chance to pollute groundwater much less making it to an above ground body of water. Nitrogen pollution is a big concern on industrial farming where they apply industrial amounts. If anything look at your plants; they’ll let you know if you are being trigger happy with the fertilizer.
5 Likes
If they quit sending human waste, especially urine, back into the rivers and lakes, and quit blaming commercial fertilizers…just saying, that stuff used to go in the “OUTHOUSE” and not the streams…and in many an urban area is far more troublesome than farmers and gardeners using fertilizers.
(Back in Ancient Israel…everyone carried a tool to cover their ‘crap’ after they relieved themselves outdoors.)
5 Likes