===== PAGE 1 =====
## Growing Gooseberries and Currants
Kirk W. Pomper, Ph.D. and Sheri Crabtree M.Sc.
Kentucky State University
Horticulture Program
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## Gooseberries and Currants
Currants and gooseberries (Ribes) are berry producing shrubs
Types of currants: red,
white, and black
American and European gooseberries range from green to yellow, or red when ripe
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手
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☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
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## Zante Currant (Black Corinth Grape): Not a Currant
The "currant" is one of the oldest raisins known
the term currant is used to describe its small
berry size, but it is a true grape [Vitis vinifera]
and not a member of the Ribes genus.
In 75 A.D., Pliny writes of a tiny Greek grape, thin-skinned, juicy, and sweet, and with bunches exceedingly small.
In the eleventh century, trade of this type of raisin between the Greek producers and the Venetians was recorded.
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## Gooseberry and Currant Products
BLACK CURRANT
FRUIT SPREAD
NET WT 10 OZ (283 g)
Plants are hardy,
easy to grow
Fruit makes excellent juices, wines, cassis, jams, jellies, preserves, and pies
===== PAGE 7 =====
## Black Currant Sorbet
Adapted from Dalia Jurgensen
Time: 35 minutes plus freezing time
3 cups granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups fresh black currants.
1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves, and remove from heat.
2. Place currants in a clean saucepan and add 2 cups of the sugar syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Purée using an immersion blender or stand blender. Strain through a chinois or fine sieve, discarding solids. Allow to cool completely; mixture may be chilled in a bowl set in an ice water bath.
3. Stir in 1/4 cup water and 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the remaining syrup, to taste. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. For firmer sorbet, transfer to a covered container and freeze until solid, several hours or overnight.
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts.
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## ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
## What We Will Taste:
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## Nutritional Information on Currants
Table 3. Nutritional composition of raw currant, gooseberry, apple, strawberry and orange fruit (per 100-g edible portion).2
| Fruit | Water (%) | Caloriesy | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Vitamins |
| A (I.U.)x | B1 (mg) | B2 (mg) | Niacin (mg) | C (mg) |
| Black currant | 81.96 | 63 | 1.4 | 0.41 | 15.38 | 230 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.3 | 181 |
| Red currant | 83.95 | 56 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 13.8 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 41 |
| Gooseberry | 87.87 | 44 | 0.88 | 0.58 | 10.18 | 290 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.3 | 27.7 |
| Apple | 83.93 | 59 | 0.19 | 0.36 | 15.25 | 90 | 0.017 | 0.014 | 0.077 | 5.7 |
| Strawberry | 91.57 | 30 | 0.61 | 0.37 | 7.02 | 27 | 0.02 | 0.066 | 0.230 | 56.7 |
| Orange | 82.3 | 40 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 15.5 | 250 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.5 | 71 |
2Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Library (2002).
Food calorie - 1000 g calories of heat.xI.U. - international units; 28.35 g - 28,350 mg - 1.0 oz.
Black currants are high in anthocyanins, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity (Moyer et al., 2002a, 2002b).
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Table 2. World production of currants for 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2001 in metric tons (t).2
| Year | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Russia | 70,000y | 175,000 | 208,000 | 212,000 |
| Poland | 130,409 | 154,591 | 33,522 | 180,485 |
| Germany | 146,538 | 169,300 | 140,000 | 140,000 |
| Elsewhere | 131,810 | 126,255 | 118,316 | 126,213 |
| Total | 478,757 | 625,146 | 499,838 | 658,698 |
Information from United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization (2002). Y1 t - 1.1 tons.
| • North American currant production is small and unreported on the world market. |
| • Currants were grown widely in the U.S. and during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when production was halted because of white pine blister rust. |
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## Propagation
What is a Cultivar?
Cultivar = refers to a named group of plants within a cultivated species that is distinguishable by a character or group of characters and that maintains its identity when propagated either asexually (e.g. 'Jonathan' apple) or sexually (e.g. 'Tendercrop' snapbean)
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## Methods of Clonal Propagation
grafting and budding
stem cuttings
root cuttings
tissue culture
air layering
mound layering
trench layering
pot layering
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## Clonal propagation
Stable reproduction of a superior variety
Shorten time to flower and fruit if mature tissue used for propagation
Reduce problems with seed production, storage, and germination
♦ Recalcitrance and chilling
Many woody fruit species are propagated by grafting or budding onto seedling or clonal rootstock (e.g., 'Gala' on M9)
Clonal propagation on own roots eliminates graft incompatibility problems
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## 'Cone of Juvenility'
Not all woody plants can be propagated by cuttings.
Shoots arising from nearest to the roots are ontogenetically more juvenile and have greater rooting potential
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## Propagating Currants
Currants are easily propagated by hardwood cuttings of one-year old wood.
Take one-foot cuttings of dormant wood in late winter, dip the base in rooting hormone and pot in ordinary soil.
Cuttings will quickly root and are best kept in part shade for the first year.
2023-01-01 10:00
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## Currants: Field Propagation (fall)
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## Propagating Gooseberries
Tip layering is a surer method of propagation of gooseberries than cuttings.
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## Planting Gooseberries and Currants
Plants prefer a cool moist soil, well-drained, or a rich clay loam soil (pH 6 to 7.5)
Currants: 2-4' spacing
Gooseberries: 4-5' spacing
Irrigation is helpful in summer in Kentucky
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Pruning Gooseberries and Currants
Produce the majority of their fruit on
2 and 3-year-old shoots, and shoots
4 years and older produce very little
fruit.
After the first growing season, remove all but 6 to 8 vigorous, healthy shoots.
The following year, leave 4 or 5 one-year-old shoots and 3 or 4 two-year-old canes.
After the third growing season, keep 3 or 4 shoots each of one-, two-, and three-year-old growth.
Prune in late winter or early spring
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☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
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## Tree Training
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## Gooseberry and Currant Yields
Gooseberries
4 years to full production
about 4-5 quarts per bush
## Currants
4 years to full production
about 3-4 quarts per bush
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## Gooseberry and Currant Pests
Diseases and Pests
White pine blister rust
Powdery mildew
Septoria leaf spot
♦ Currant aphid
♦ Currant fruit fly
♦ Currant borer
Red Lake Currant with mildew
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## White Pine Blister Rust
Early in the 1900's, white pine blister rust became a serious disease problem in the United States
White pine blister rust requires both a Ribes species and white pine to complete its life cycle
In an attempt to prevent the spread of white pine blister rust, the federal government banned the planting and cultivation of currants and gooseberries early in the twentieth century
The federal government lifted the ban in 1966 and there are now currants and gooseberries that are resistant to white pine blister rust
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WPBR on currant
WPBR on Pine
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Boskoop
Consort (Immune)
Viking
R. americana
WPBR on currants
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## White Pine Blister Rust
Plant 1000 to 3000 ft from the nearest susceptible pines.
The black currant cultivars: Consort, Coronet, Crusader, and Titania are rust-immune.
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Anthracnose
Powdery mildew
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## Birds
## Robins love black currants and pink gooseberries
Netting
Bird alarms, CDs and pie tins tied to poles
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☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Cur
, an
Currants,
Gooseberries,
and Jostaberries
A Guide for Growers, Marketers,
and Researchers in North America
Danny L. Barney, PhD
Kim E. Hummer, PhD
.. - Google
===== PAGE 31 =====
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===== PAGE 32 =====
## Gooseberries
===== PAGE 33 =====
Hinnomaki Red'
Excellent raspberry flavor-tart
Red berry when ripe
Crunchy texture
Good disease resistance
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## Hinnomaki Red'
Low growing habit
Wire?
===== PAGE 35 =====
## Amish Red'
Good flavor
Red berry
when ripe
Good texture?
Good disease resistance
Limited availability
===== PAGE 36 =====
'Poorman'
Good flavor
Red berry
when ripe
Good fruit texture?
Less disease resistance
Leaf spot
===== PAGE 37 =====
‘Pixwell’
Red-pink when ripe
Berries hang below thorns, easier to pick Not much flavor Mushy texture
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## Other Gooseberries Planted at KSU
‘Invicta’ – green berry-poor survival
‘Jahns Prairie’-red berry-leaf spot problems
'Captivator'-red berry-leaf spot problems
===== PAGE 39 =====
## New Gooseberries to Try:
Tixia™ (Rafz Switzerland, 1990) has large (similar to Invicta), bright red fruit; elongated and quite smooth that ripens mid-season. In addition to the attractive fruit, Tixia one year shoots have few thorns and the thorns are relatively soft; usually as single thorns with very few, if any, on the upper part of shoots. Growth is medium to strong, upright. NY
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## Other Selections To Try:
## Friend™
A unique, thornless, Ukrainian variety, Friend™ bears good crops of medium to large, reddish-pink berries, good for fresh eating and for making delicious jam and pies. A unique disease resistant gooseberry from the Ukraine. (One Green World and Raintree Nurseries)
## Red GeorgeTM
features abundant crops of striking, very dark red, sweet and delicious fruit, which turns almost black when ripe. A valuable Ukrainian variety, Red GeorgeTM is an attractive, disease-resistant, easy to grow shrub. (One Green World and Raintree Nurseries)
## Jewel™
Selected from a group of Polish seedlings, JewelTM has rapidly become one of our favorite varieties. We like it for its profuse crops of unique, intensely flavored, peach colored berries. These sweet, delectable berries are great for eating fresh and for preserves and baked goods. We also appreciate its disease resistance and attractive, compact growth habit.
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## Gooseberries at KSU
| Cultivar | Approximate harvest date | Years in the field | Berry weight (g) y | WPKR Vigorx | Resistance w | Resistance to powdery mildew v | Septoria Leaf Spot at KSU u |
| Gooseberries |
| Amish Red | Mid-June | 5 | 7 | 2.4 | RG | GR | G |
| Captivator | Mid-June | 4 | 2 | 3.5 | R | G | P |
| Invicta | Mid-June | 5 | 1 | 3.5 | R | G | P |
| Jahns Prairie | Mid-June | 4 | 2 | 3.8 | R | G | P |
| Hinnomaki Red | Mid-June | 5 | 8 | 2.9 | R | VG | G |
| Pixwell | Mid-June | 5 | 7 | 1.3 | EX | RG | P |
| Poorman | Mid-June | 5 | 4 | 3.1 | RG | G | F |
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## Black Currants
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## ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
## Black Currants
Titania
(US Plant Patent No. 11,439)
(Altajskaja Desertraja x
[Consort x Kajaanin Musta] - Tamas)
Titania is immune to White Pine Blister Rust and has resistance to powdery mildew. Fruit size is large, similar to Ben Lomond, and fruit quality is good.
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## ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
## Black Currants
Ben Lomond
( [Consort x Magnus] x [Brodtorp x Janslunda] - SCRI, 1972).
The "standard" for commercial juice production.
Some resistance to mildew.
Susceptible to White Pine Blister Rust.
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## Black Currants
Ben Sarek
(Scandanavia, 1984)
is somewhat resistant
to white pine blister
rust.
Its compact bush
size, productivity,
very large fruit and
ease of hand harvest.
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## Black Currants
'Consort'
introduced in 1952. Fruit quality is fair to poor and berry size small to medium. Yields low. Has the Cr gene for immunity to white pine blister rust but, is very susceptible to powdery mildew
'Crusader'
Similar to Consort, needs pollinizer
===== PAGE 47 =====
## Black Currants at KSU
'Crandell'
Discovered by R.W. Crandall, Newton, Kansas, introduced in 1888.
North American native species, Ribes aureum var. villosum, also known as the clove currant.
Bright yellow spring flowers.
◆ Fruit is mild, sweet, pleasant, and very different from European black currants.
Performs well in hot summers, resistant to white pine blister rust, and no damage from powdery mildew.
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## Black Currants at KSU
| Cultivar | Approximate harvest date | Years in the field | Berry weight (g)y | WIPBR resistancew | Resistance to powdery | Septoria Leaf Spot at KSUu |
| Black Currants |
| Crandall | Early-July | 5 | 8 | 1.3 | RG | G |
| Ben Sarek | Late-June | 5 | 8 | 1.4 | S | G |
| Ben Lomond | Late-June | 5 | 8 | 1.4 | S | G |
| Consort | Mid-June | 5 | 7 | 0.8 | R | G |
| Crusader | Mid-June | 5 | 7 | 0.8 | R | G |
(Titania is the best bet for planting)
===== PAGE 49 =====
Blackcomb (Ojebyn x Titania)
Blackcomb is a high yielding new variety that is has high levels of resistance to foliar diseases – mildew, White Pine Blister Rust -, vigorous growth habit and tolerance to late spring frost. Blackcomb has produced yields in replicated B.C. trials that were more than 50% higher than Titania and Ben Alder. Fruit size is 20% larger than Titania. Flowering is late mid-season and this variety has demonstrated better tolerance to late spring frost than Titania. Well suited to machine harvest.
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Whistler
(Ben Tirran x Bieloruskaja Slodkaja)
Whistler has high yields of small to medium sized high quality fruit. It has fair resistance to mildew and good resistance to White Pine Blister Rust. Growth habit is slightly spreading with medium vigour. Flowering is late-mid season with good tolerance for late spring frost. Yields in replicated B.C. trials were more than 50% higher than Titania and Ben Alder. Fruit size is smaller than Ben Alder, .8 grams per berry. Juice quality is excellent. Well suited to machine harvest.
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## Red and White Currants
===== PAGE 52 =====
## Currants Planted at KSU
White Currants
'Primus'
White Imperial'-susp. WPBR- old variety that was introduced in 1895.
Red Currants
'Red Lake' -susp. WPBR, quite susceptible to mildew
'Jonkeer Van Tets'
'Redstart'
===== PAGE 53 =====
## Red Currants to Consider
‘Rovada’
Introduced from the Netherlands, in 1980. Susceptible to powdery mildew and somewhat susceptible to white pine blister rust.
'Viking'
Introduced form Norway in 1945.
Moderately resistant to powdery mildew.
Hypersensitive resistance to white pine blister rust.
===== PAGE 54 =====
## ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
## Currants to Consider:
Pink Champagne has beautiful translucent pink fruit of good quality and flavor. It is best suited for home gardens as it is easy to grow but not a terrific yielder. It has a vigorous upright growth habit and is resistant to leaf diseases. NY Powdery mildew susp.
===== PAGE 55 =====
## Red and White Currants at KSU
| Cultivar | Approximate harvest date | Years in the field | Yieldz | Berry weight (g)y | Vigorx | WPBR resistancew | Resistance to powdery mildewv | Septoria Leaf Spot at KSUu |
| White Currants |
| Primus | Mid-June | 5 | 3 | 0.6 | VG | R | F | G |
| White Imperial | Mid-June | 5 | 4 | 0.6 | VG | S | F | G |
| Red Currants |
| Jonkeer Van Tets | Mid-June | 5 | 3 | 0.8 | G | R | F | G |
| Red Lake | Mid-June | 5 | 3 | 0.6 | G | S | P | G |
| Redstart | Mid-June | 5 | 3 | 0.5 | G | R | F | G |
===== PAGE 56 =====
## Jostaberries Black Currant-Gooseberry Hybrids
===== PAGE 57 =====
## ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
## Jostaberries
Josta (Germany, 1977)
This thornless plant is resistant to gray mold, mildew and white pine blister rust.
Net-like russetting on the leaf surface has not been associated with any insect or pathogen.
===== PAGE 58 =====
## Jostaberries
ORUS 10 (Oregon,
1960)
The plant is vigorous, thorny, and is resistant to gray mold, mildew, and white pine blister rust.
Good flavor
===== PAGE 59 =====
## Jostaberries
ORUS 8 (Oregon,
1960)
The plant is vigorous, thorny, and is resistant to gray mold, mildew, and white pine blister rust.
Susceptible to leaf spot!
===== PAGE 60 =====
## Jostaberries at KSU
| Cultivar | Approximate harvest date | Years in the field | Yieldz | Berry weight (g)y | Vigorx | WPBR resistancew | Resistance to powdery mildewv | Septoria Leaf Spot at KSUu |
| Jostaberry | | | | | | | | |
| Josta | Mid-June | 5 | 2 | 1.7 | EX | R | G | G |
| ORUS8 | Mid-June | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | EX | R | VG | G |
| ORUS10 | Mid-June | 5 | 4 | 1.5 | EX | R | VG | G |
===== PAGE 61 =====
## Summary
Gooseberries and currants have potential for sale at farmers markets in Kentucky.
Kentucky recommendations:
The gooseberries cultivars Hinnomaki Red and Amish Red perform well with low input culture
Poorman should also be considered.
The black currant cultivars Titania (with 5 needle pines nearby) and Ben Lomond (W/O Pines).
The red currant cultivars Rovada and Jonkeer Van Tets.
The white currant cultivar White Imperial or Primus.
The Jostaberry cultivar ORUS 10.
===== PAGE 62 =====
Web sites:
USDA-NCGR, Corvallis, OR:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=11353
Ribes Diagnostic Tool:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/ribes/ribsymp/ribsymp.html
Commercial sources cultivars-
http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/Berries/nurseries/index.html
UK New Crops Center
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/introsheets/currants.pdf
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