Best raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries?

[Tatiana]

Hi all

I've been  lurking around the site for a while now (after putting my name down for an allotment) and love it! Particularly the wealth of advice and of course having a nosy at all the pics of people's hard work.  And now I have my little lottie and I'm very very excited!   :D

I've been clearing the weeds (the dreaded couch grass) and digging and will take some pics to post soon.

From my various googles, I think I can still plant strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries but I'm not sure which varieties to choose! Which do you think are the best raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries for flavour (most important) and also to get a long season? I've got space for maybe 2-3 varieties each of strawberries and raspberries and a couple of gooseberry bushes.

Hope you can help me - I'm hoping to plant in the next few weeks  ;D

Cheers

T

[Tatiana]

[manicscousers]

hiya, Tatiana, welcome to the site
we grow marshmello strawberries, lovely taste, large fruit
gooseberries..invicta, good, productive bush
raspberries, autumn bliss, lovely taste and a late variety and an unknown variety,
no doubt someone will be along with some more for you to try..happy digging, just think of all the delicious fruit next year  ;D

[saddad]

Hi Tatiana and welcome from me as well. Autumn Raspberries (Autumn Bliss or JoanJ). Gooseberries Whinham's Industry if Mildew isn't an issue on your site..
;D

[Tatiana]

Thanks both! I eat vast quantities of fruits so very much looking forward to next year!  ;D

Just googled Invicta 'The large green berries are excellent for culinary use but are also sweet enough to eat fresh when fully ripe.' Sounds good to me! I'm not sure about mildew on the site, will have to ask my neighbours.  :)

Are Autumn Bliss and Joan J really self-supporting?

I've not heard of Marshmello so more googling after I put the kettle on!

:)

[manicscousers]

tatiana, I have 6 marshmello strawberry runners if you would like them, pm your address and I will send them to you, they can be planted up 'til march , just let me know  :)

[Tatiana]

Woaw! Thank you so much for your offer - that is so kind! :D

PM sent!

[asbean]

Welcome to the site, Tatiana!  We grow Joan J, as well as Tulameen and Glen Magna. The JJ are autumn producing ones, we were still picking them a few weeks ago. Unfortunately they spread like crazy, so you have to be brutal.

Marshmello strawbs are lovely too.

The goosgogs we grow are dessert ones (cant remember the names) and we eat them straight off the plant, as they are so sweet.

[flowerofshona2007]

I love Jostaberry to its a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry (yum)
Makes great jam !
Strawberry wise i like cambridge favorite, Maxim and im trying Marshmallow this year thanks to a kind person on here  :D
Raspberry i agree Autumn bliss and Joan J and if you like something different All Gold is a yellow one  :)

[saddad]

My Rasps are self supporting... AB... if you want to try a Jostaberry PM me for a twig they strike easily but do get huge 8'x8'x8' if you ignore them!
:-[

[Tatiana]

My list is growing - fantastic!  ;D Thanks all  :)

I hadn't thought of hybrid berries but a gooseberry-blackcurrant cross sounds rather good. Huuuge though! I take it they don't mind a bit of ruthless pruning?



Off to dream of weed-free allotment and mountains of fruits  ;D

[saddad]

I find picking is best done by removing the whole offending Branch... and still have to savage them again at the end of the season!
;D

[Tatiana]

LOL - that's extreme pruning!  ;D

I wonder who would win if I let the raspberries and jostaberries run wild!  :D Won't try though - too many less rampant but equally delicious things to grow!

[natasha]

I'm growing "pax" gooseberry, I picked it up a couple of years ago in a local garden centre, so good so far, it is mildew resistant and last summer I realised how important it is, my neighbour lost all his crop due to mildew, it was a sad sight.

[manicscousers]

ah, natasha, that's the other variety we got, plus we've struck two more from cuttings off it  ;D

[Barnowl]

We've just ordered some Joan J. Already have Tiny Tim which have been great.

[Lauren S]

Can you grow those marsmello strawbs from seed? If yes, can you point me in the best direction for ordering. Thanks  :)

[Kea]

I've got Autumn bliss, Glen Clova planted 2 years ago and Glen Moy planted this year. The G Moy decided to produce a little fruit this year, in fact had ripe fruit on it last week, the flavour is far superior to the other two i have. I have also just received 10 canes of polka in the post but haven't planted them yet.

[SMP1704]

I planted JJ rasps earlier this year and had a fantastic 1st year crop - all that rain was good for something.  Not that self supporting as the fruit weighs the branch down.

I have 3 varieties of strawbs - Perfection an early, an unknown rescue mid and a Malling everbearer.  The early was a wash-out this year but the few I had before the slugs and birds (netting probs) tells me it is worth persevering.  the unknown varieity is a real trooper and sends out runners for world domination.  The everbearer took a while to get going but was producing large, sweet, juicy fruits until the first frost.

I have some of the unknown runners (6) if you would like?  PM me.

Also don't overlook the blackcurrant bushes etc that you can get in the pooundshops in early spring.  2nd year for mine and produced enough for some cordial and berrys just as good taste as the named variety.

[artichoke]

I have Autumn Bliss raspberries and I do find that they need supporting, or they fall all over your paths. I restrain them a little with bamboos and string - it's a small job.

[davholla]

Can you grow those marsmello strawbs from seed? If yes, can you point me in the best direction for ordering. Thanks  :)

I think strawberries usually do not grow easily from seed.  Runners are far better.
I have so many but I do not know which type they are.