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Post by steev on Jan 19, 2016 1:00:42 GMT -5
Although my sweetheart is very partial to black currants, I'm really a gooseberry guy; my taste for them goes back to childhood, but my cultivation of them hasn't taken off; another plant that needs me more on-site to thrive (or even survive).
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Post by raymondo on Jan 19, 2016 16:39:55 GMT -5
Until this thread, I had not heard of pink currants. Now I've looked them up and will start seeking out cultivars. We don't have many cultivars of any of the Ribes fruits available in Australia so I'm planning on trying a lot more seed to see if something worthwhile turns up. Hopefully whatever turns up will still provide palatable berries.
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Post by steev on Jan 20, 2016 2:13:57 GMT -5
Actually, it is interesting how persistent taste-memories are; I'm sure there's lots of advanced degree's there.
I didn't taste gooseberries past ~7 years old; they were outlawed in the USA for many years due to fears of white pine blister rust; re-accepted in the 2000s; I got some plants, which produced berries before they croaked.
Truly amazing as a taste experience; it was exactly as I had experienced it some 50+ years before. Very interesting as a physically, sensory memory compared to an intellectually acquired memory; remember so much less of what I learned in college; perhaps I just don't have the triggers for my undergraduate courses.
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Post by raymondo on Jan 20, 2016 16:31:11 GMT -5
...Raymondo, are your Jostaberry plants established? I am curious of the yield you are getting per plant or what you will expect to be getting per plant once established. My established currant bushes consistently yield around 1.25 gallons/4.75 litres per plant. I have moved a jostaberry to the farm with a view to propagating more once I move there later in the year. It had only just begun producing at the old place. Moving it set it back a little so it didn't flower this year. Hopefully next season. I've only sourced jostaberries from one place which sells an unnamed cultivar. I don't know what to expect in terms of yield. The next few years will tell. |
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Post by aphahn on Jan 22, 2016 10:06:57 GMT -5
Nice pics, your success is pretty cool to see. I consider this to be a big accomplishment based on my experiences trying to get ribes seeds to germinate. Wild black currant and wild gooseberry volunteers pop up everywhere here with the birds eating the berries and spreading the seeds, but I have never had any success trying to start any ribes from seeds myself. Frustrating, I must be missing something basic with the process. I have used stratified seeds with no success, I have been wondering if seeds might germinate better if stratified using a cold-warm-cold-warm cycle. I also wonder if using gibberellic acid would help. I am having the same trouble with germinating rugosa rose seeds... My latest strategy is to sow seeds in containers and put them outside through the winter months (winter sowing). I figure rather than trying to mimic natural processes I will let the seeds experience the real thing. I only have to be concerned about protecting the seeded pots from critters, and then I have to remember to water the darn things when warmer weather arrives. Time will tell if this method works. I have had far more success layering branches, but that is not the point. I do not mind failing at something but it really bothers me when I cannot figure out why. -Tom I start ribes by putting them in a deli container with a lid on top of moist vermiculite and keep that in the fridge. When they start to germinate in a few months move them to a warm spot. Then prick out into pots when large enough to handle. A couple of the wild species needed to have a cold/warm/cold cycle. I just took them out of the fridge for a month or two and them put them back. |
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Post by aphahn on Jan 22, 2016 11:55:13 GMT -5
I start ribes by putting them in a deli container with a lid on top of moist vermiculite and keep that in the fridge. When they start to germinate in a few months move them to a warm spot. Then prick out into pots when large enough to handle. A couple of the wild species needed to have a cold/warm/cold cycle. I just took them out of the fridge for a month or two and them put them back. I will try your method. Do you do the deli container thing after you have cold treated the seeds, or do you use fresh moist seeds from recently harvested berries, or seeds that have been harvested, cleaned, and dried but not cold treated? Do you happen to know what the natural dormancy period is for ribes seeds? I have used dried seed. The seed I have harvested I wet processed (like tomato seeds) before drying, but I don't think that was key as other seed has germinated well too. This is my source for info on ribes germination. www.nsl.fs.fed.us/nsl_wpsm.html |
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Post by lieven on Jan 22, 2016 12:52:17 GMT -5
Sure, Ray: same berries as the original. |
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Post by raymondo on Jan 22, 2016 17:15:15 GMT -5
That's good I suppose, lieven. Good in that you get a crop and you know it adds to the diversity of your plants but a little disappointing not to actually see that diversity. |
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Post by raymondo on Nov 13, 2016 2:04:56 GMT -5
Very nice currants. The little jostaberry is now in the garden and doing really well. It hasn't flowered this season. Perhaps next. I've put a few of its parent nearby hoping for cross-pollination and hopefully better fruit set. Time will tell.
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Post by walt on Apr 30, 2018 10:55:03 GMT -5
Here the wild gooseberry is planted by birds in fence rows. Perhaps the seeds of the domestic ones also need bird treatment. That would be scarification and/or acid treatment.
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Post by coldframer on May 7, 2018 12:54:36 GMT -5
I started 8 plants last year by sticking cuttings in the garden, keeping them well - watered. All survived and are doing well. Much easier...
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Post by raymondo on Jul 16, 2018 16:40:14 GMT -5
I haven’t been on the forum in an age toomanyirons. Too busy with house building and farm, a story for another time. The jostaberry seedling continues happily. I’ve just taken cuttings and will spread whatever plants I get from that among other jostaberries in various gardens. I have one area with alternating annual and perennial rows and the perennial rows need filling out. This coming summer, 2019 for me, I want to collect fruits of all the ribes I have and attempt to grow more seedlings. I will collect very ripe fruit, put them whole in the freezer, then sow the seeds in spring. This is the process I used with the jostaberry. I would love to have a little more diversity among the ribes. We don’t get named cultivars here, with the odd exception of a few black currants so growing from seed seems the way to go. |
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Post by richardw on Jul 17, 2018 15:54:43 GMT -5
Great to see you back again Ray, was wondering what had happened to you
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Post by raymondo on Jul 27, 2018 17:38:07 GMT -5
Great to see you back again Ray, was wondering what had happened to you Thanks Richard. My new house is at lock up stage so now it’s all inside work, in many ways, the slower part of the process, though at least weather doesn’t interfere. |
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Post by whwoz on Aug 2, 2018 19:27:16 GMT -5
Anyone know which varieties of blackcurrant and gooseberry were crossed in making the original Jpostaberry? we can grow them here but get very few flowers and even fewer fruit for the size of the plants. Suspect that I am going to have to try a remake using what parents I can get my hands on that like and fruit in our milder climates. Any info, thouhts appricated.
Woz
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