currants

[12540dumont]

I've been thinking about growing currants.
Nourse has:
Jonheer
Ben Sarek
Blanka
Pink Champagne
Rovada

Anyone grow currants? Any thoughts as to how they do in warmer climates? I'm 9A, they are recommended for 3-7 still, asparagus does well here, although my season is only about 4 weeks.

[steev]

I've tried various cultivars on the farm, Z8, with little or no useful result. I don't assume that's the plants' fault.

[mayz]

Most Ribes species don't like hot weather. If your spring and summer are very hot, plant them in a sun-protected location (no direct sun during mid-day). At high lattitude it's possible to plant them against a north facing wall (sun exposition during beginning and end of the day).

Black currants and red ones are steady and heavy bearer in my fresh weather (z8).

[12540dumont]

Thanks, I guess I'll look at Medlars instead. sigh.

[steev]

I'm inclined to think I can also succeed when I have enouigh shade on the farm.

[MikeH]

If not European cultivars, maybe www.laspilitas.com/groups/ribes_currant_gooseberry/Ribes_currants_of_california.html

[Deleted]

I'm trying Lake Red Currant, Ben Alder Black Currant, and Hinnonmaki Red Gooseberry (also a Ribes) in zone 9. Mine tolerate partial sun -- against a wooden fence, shrub, or under the shade of a fruit tree. They show no signs of stress, if watered daily, in the warm season. Soil should not stay dry or hot for long. Mine were moved under drip irrigated mulch, when the weather got cold -- hopefully inoculated with edible mushrooms, for a forest-like vignette.

I would like to comment on productivity, but mine are not yet old enough to produce fruit.

I also bought some cheap, dried, black and red currants from Poland for a buck or two (stems still attached), so that I might germinate them under humidity domes. Of which I am aware, they are not traditional to my family, but they reminded me of old fashioned things, and I am collecting berries.

In the case of the red gooseberry, I understand that it could be picked young for a tart, yellow-green effect. It reportedly goes from red to blackish when overripe. I felt this gives me some of everything, as cultivars tend to favor only one of these three colors.

[12540dumont]

That's the issue, the only place I have shade is on the creek edge. And then it moves in summer. We have avoided planting anything permanent that shades out other things.

I was hoping to use currants as a hedge plant sort of like a living fence.

My farm is set up like rooms. Each room is partitioned by a living fence. I'm adding on this year, and I guess I'm going to go with Elderberries. I made the most awesome elderberry syrup last year. She says modestly.

You can see the creek edge in this photo, but that shade will be gone come summer as the sun swings over.

I'm also thinking that perhaps currants need more water than I can provide in summer. I have pressure problems when I get too far out in the field, and of course that's the direction I must expand to.

Attachments:

[circumspice]

When I installed the water line from the meter at the road some 300 feet (+/-) toward my house, I decided that I wanted a dedicated water supply to my proposed garden area. So I measured 50 feet out from the foundation pad & dug a new trench to where I thought might be a good spot to put the spigot. That day I installed some 440 feet of 3/4" water line. My hands hurts for days after that. I sure wish that I could have afforded to get a 1" meter & water line. I don't think I'll have very good pressure because it's only a 3/4" line.

[logrus9]

I just bought Consort, Red Lake and Golden currants on Ebay. I'm trying to figure out an area along the borders to plant them. Since they were grown in PA I'm hoping the NY climate will be OK.

[MikeH]

Jan 6, 2013 15:21:05 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

Anyone grow currants?

Holly, Lucille Whitman does - 47 varieties - whitmanfarms.com/category/all/edible-plants/currants/black-currants

If anyone can help you, it might be her.

Mike

[Deleted]

I've encountered some wild Ribes, just leafing out of rangy, thornless branches. Undergrowth in oak forest and scrub, bordering a pond in southern California ~3100 feet in elevation.

Leaves have the skunky smell and light dusting, which I have come to associate with the black colored, domesticated varieties, but I will still be interested to see how the flowers and berries come out.

It can be surprising, what is only walking distance from your house, which you have never noticed until you look for it. There are apparently many different kinds in the local mountains.

[12540dumont]

Spice girl,
I feel your pain. Leo and I rented a ditch (bitch) and trenched from the back of the barn to the field. Then we laid pipe, (Lots of Pipe, 2 inches in diameter). Then we spent several benji's on ball valves.

We left the farm for a weekend and my brother decided to hire a guy with a back hoe and and a box dump to get rid of a junk pile. The fellow drove on the ball valve connections and the back hoe crunched all the pipe that ran under the service road.

Leo says to put it all back, will cost $3-5K.

So hoses anyone?

So I'm going to skip the currants. But there's a ton of new to me plants that I've been looking at:

Autumn Olives (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Hawthorn
Astralagus
Edible Honeysuckle - Lonicera Caerulea edulis
Aronia
Leycestria Formosa
Ligonberries
Serviceberries
Huckleberries
Quince
Jujubes
Luma Apiculata

The hunt is on.

[bunkie]

wow holly, edible honeysuckle???!

lingonberries are wonderful, and you can't kill them!

[12540dumont]

Yeah, I found them in the Raintree Catalog. Now I have to find them someplace reasonable.

Anyone tried Goumis? Thanks for the tip on Lingon berries.