UK gardening - Jostaberries

Author

Jostaberries

Joe Higman

2007-05-20, 8:25 pm

Does anyone know how to grow these? They are said to be a cross between
gooseberries and blackcurrants but which parent do they favour? Should I
prune them as a bush, like a gooseberry, or to produce suckers (sorry if
this is the wrong word) like a blackcurrant.

Fogey

Nick Maclaren

2007-05-21, 3:25 am

In article <4650d197$0$19263$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk>,
"Joe Higman" <zen79148@zen.co.uk> writes:
|>
|> Does anyone know how to grow these? They are said to be a cross between
|> gooseberries and blackcurrants but which parent do they favour? Should I
|> prune them as a bush, like a gooseberry, or to produce suckers (sorry if
|> this is the wrong word) like a blackcurrant.

Eh? My blackcurrents and Jostaberries don't sucker much! You can cut
them back fairly hard, but that's not the same.

I grow them but, the few berries we have got, have been uninspiring.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Joe Higman

2007-05-21, 5:25 pm

"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:f2rjs9$mqr$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <4650d197$0$19263$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk>,
> "Joe Higman" <zen79148@zen.co.uk> writes:
> |>
> |> Does anyone know how to grow these? They are said to be a cross between
> |> gooseberries and blackcurrants but which parent do they favour?
> Should I
> |> prune them as a bush, like a gooseberry, or to produce suckers (sorry
> if
> |> this is the wrong word) like a blackcurrant.
>
> Eh? My blackcurrents and Jostaberries don't sucker much! You can cut
> them back fairly hard, but that's not the same.
>
> I grow them but, the few berries we have got, have been uninspiring.
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.

Thanks for replying. I suppose what I mean is that as I understand it from
books I've referred to, gooseberries are supposed to be pruned so as to
produce bushes like small apple or pear trees. Blackcurrants are supposed to
be planted so that there are a number of shoots emerging from the soil, and
the old shoots are cut back close to the soil to make room for new ones. So
do you treat jostaberries like gooseberries or blackcurrants? Or have I got
it wrong? (This is the problem with learning this stuff from books, I
suppose).

All the best

Fogey

Martin Brown

2007-05-21, 5:25 pm

On May 21, 9:05 am, n...@cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
> In article <4650d197$0$19263$da0fe...@news.zen.co.uk>,"Joe Higman" <zen79...@zen.co.uk> writes:
> |>
> |> Does anyone know how to grow these? They are said to be a cross between
> |> gooseberries and blackcurrants but which parent do they favour? Should I

You get blackcurrants on steroids the size of small gooseberries.
Birds love them.
AFAICT they don't succumb to American gooseberry mildew.

> |> prune them as a bush, like a gooseberry, or to produce suckers (sorry if
> |> this is the wrong word) like a blackcurrant.
>
> Eh? My blackcurrents and Jostaberries don't sucker much! You can cut
> them back fairly hard, but that's not the same.
>
> I grow them but, the few berries we have got, have been uninspiring.

I guess they don't like your soil then. Ours have always grown
vigorously on a heavy clay soil with lots of fruit. The big problem is
in beating the birds to eating them. Much less topping & tailing
needed than blackcurrants. I guess I could net them and get more of
the crop. Hens are very funny underneath jumping up to get at the
fruits.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Tim Tyler

2007-05-21, 5:25 pm

Joe Higman wrote:

> Thanks for replying. I suppose what I mean is that as I understand it
> from books I've referred to, gooseberries are supposed to be pruned so
> as to produce bushes like small apple or pear trees. Blackcurrants are
> supposed to be planted so that there are a number of shoots emerging
> from the soil, and the old shoots are cut back close to the soil to make
> room for new ones.

"No shoot rising from the base of the plant should remain in
place longer than three years."

There's a large old blackcurrant bush near me in a public spot.

It doesn't look like it is ever pruned - yet crops very heavily.

It makes me very reluctant to cut my own bush back.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ tim@tt1lock.org Remove lock to reply.

Anne Jackson

2007-05-21, 8:25 pm

The message from Tim Tyler <seemysig@cyberspace.org> contains these words:
> Joe Higman wrote:

[color=darkred]
> "No shoot rising from the base of the plant should remain in
> place longer than three years."

> There's a large old blackcurrant bush near me in a public spot.
> It doesn't look like it is ever pruned - yet crops very heavily.
> It makes me very reluctant to cut my own bush back.

I have never pruned my blackcurrant bushes either, but prune my
gooseberry and Worcesterberry (Jostaberry?) bushes to create a
'goblet' shape, keeping the centre of the bush open, as I believe
this helps to prevent mould spots on the berries.

--
AnneJ

Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.
~Rosa Luxemburg

judith.lea99@googlemail.com

2007-05-22, 1:25 pm

On May 22, 2:22 am, Anne Jackson <amygd...@zetnet.co.uk> wrote:

> I have never pruned my blackcurrant bushes either, but prune my
> gooseberry and Worcesterberry (Jostaberry?) bushes to create a
> 'goblet' shape, keeping the centre of the bush open, as I believe
> this helps to prevent mould spots on the berries.

I forgot to prune my redcurrants and they are covered in a huge crop
of weeney berries, hopefully I can add them to the 3 stone I already
have in the freezer.

Judith

Dave Hill

2007-05-22, 1:25 pm

On 21 May, 23:12, Tim Tyler <seemy...@cyberspace.org> wrote:
> Joe Higman wrote:
>
> "No shoot rising from the base of the plant should remain in
> place longer than three years."
>
> There's a large old blackcurrant bush near me in a public spot.
>
> It doesn't look like it is ever pruned - yet crops very heavily.
>
> It makes me very reluctant to cut my own bush back.
> --
> __________
> |im |yler http://timtyler.org/ t...@tt1lock.org Remove lock to reply.

I just trim my Josta berries, remember they grow a lot bigger than
either of their parents. they will happily grow to 6ft and beyond.
I seldom get any fruit as the birds get up earlier than I do and they
love them.
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

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