GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Martin Brown · 09-10-2010, 10:24 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 08/10/2010 22:54, Ian B wrote:
Martin Brown wrote:
On 08/10/2010 11:55, wrote:
In ,
wrote:
Some months ago we read somewhere that a new variety of
blackcurrant had been introduced which (for the first time) was so
sweet it could be eaten straight from the bush and was not like
the usual acrid culinary types.

Eh? Normal blackcurrants AREN'T acrid when ripe, and are perfectly
edible straight off the bush. If they have bred one almost
completely without acid or other 'bite', it will be truly revolting.
There are fruits like that.

Trouble is unless you net them the birds eat them before they are even
remotely ripe. There are red desert gooseberries that are much sweeter
than the normal sort

They also require *very* sandy soil, lots of sun and *no* water whatsoever,
though on the downside they tend to attract foraging camels.

Mine haven't read the users manual then.

They are on heavy clay soil ful sun and fruit pretty well apart from in
the years when I forget to spray against American gooseberry mildew. The
fruit set is OK but split because the mildew makes them scar.

Strangely redcurrants do not seem to attract the birds half so much!

Regards,
Martin Brown