Seen on an allotment site at Monmouth last summer. It was grown as a standard and covered with huge black berries about gooseberry size. It looked very impressive. Apparently it was a Jostaberry.
Has anyone grown these? If so what are the plus and minus points about growing them? Are they self-fertile or are two bushes needed? Should they be grown as standards, bushes or any other system. How much space would be required? Can they be grown in pots? What type of soil do they prefer? From where can they be obtained and what sort of price could I expect to pay?
Any information would be appreciated.
JOSTABERRY â€" This comparatively new fruit was produced by crossing a blackcurrant x gooseberry hybrid with a blackcurrant x R. divaricatum hybrid. It is regarded as being a great improvement on the Worcesterberry. The bush is vigorous, upright and thornless and is resistant to American gooseberry mildew, blackcurrant leafspot and blackcurrant gall mite. The flowers, which can go unnoticed, are self-pollinating and unless protected, are easily damaged by severe frosts in
spring. The berries resemble a large blackcurrant but are about twice their size, having a pleasant flavour, slightly different from both the blackcurrant and the gooseberry. The yield is heavy.
Taken from www.kenmuir.co.uk which treats them as blackcurrants for cultivation purposes.
I have been given a rooted cutting and am looking forward to planting it, hoping to take further cuttings later on to increase the number of bushes I have. I have been told it can be up to 5 feet across, and equally high.
http://doityourself.com/info/jostaberry.htm (http://doityourself.com/info/jostaberry.htm)
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ribes+x+culverwellii (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ribes+x+culverwellii)
Lucky you curry! Googled a quick price per bush (without checking for bulk options or postage):
Daily Telegraph £8.95
Ken Muir £8.10
Keepers http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/product.aspx?id=JOSTAB&v=2 £5.00
Buckingham Nurseries
http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Soft_Fruit_23.html#10575 £4.49
Hmm, might be tempted to get one bush for early fruit and take cuttings for more.
Jostaberry doesn't seem to suffer so much from problems normally associated with gooseberry, i.e.mildew, sawfly etc, they crop more quickly than gooseberry and the berries are bigger than blackcurrant. I didn't realise they could be grown as a standard though, they seem to need renewal pruning to maintain freshish shoots like blackcurrant, so not sure how this would affect the shaping. I grow as a bush, with an open centre, although not so open as the wine goblet shape for gooseberry, in heavy clay soil, with 1.5 to 2 metres space allowed. They appear to be self fertile. My guess is that they wouldn't do too well in pots, so grow in the open unless you have no choice, in which case it's worth a try, and they like nitrogenous feed in spring.
Please forgive my ignorance, but I am not sure of the relevance and meaning of the term 'standard'. Does this refer to a plant that will grow new fruiting stems without interference or management in the form of pruning?
To my understanding a Standard is where a plant is grown on a single stem at a height determined by requirements and circumstances and a head created on the top of the stem by careful pruning. Admittedly more common with gooseberries, roses and Fuchsias.
If Jostaberries are normally grown like currants then I am not certain how it was created. Maybe it wasn't a Jostaberry, but that's what I was told. The one that I saw had a single stem about 4-5' high and many branches at the top about 2-3' long.
I've seen currants grown as standards, so it can be done. Not sure why you'd want to, though.
Jostaberries seem to be much more common than gooseberries, in the US. Don't know if that's down to the taste, or just because they have more problems with mildew or sawfly.
Redcurrants could certainly be grown as standards, since they form a 'standard' type of branching bush. But blackcurrants are essentially a mass of stems rising straight from the ground, so it's hard to envisage with them.
Robert, thanks, you've hit it on the head - that was exactly what I meant about jostaberries as standards. I couldn't see how, as they seem more like blackcurrants.
I think for Blackcurrants, there is a variety called 'Robusta' which is used to produce standards. I assume you just have to do a lot of pruning!
Me, me, I grow them! ;D They are great, very productive and a delicious mix of the two. The bushes get very big and grow very quickly compared to gooseberry and blackcurrant. I don't find they produce as much fruit as blackcurrants, but the size of the berries makes up for that! For me, I wouldn't be without gooseberry or blackcurrant as I love them both, but if you have both, and fancy something similar....but different, then I think they are well worth the room. ;D
I also find Jostaberry bushes grow very fast and can get quite large - my original bush is about 5' tall and would be even wider than 5' if I didn't keep it cut back. They are very easy from cuttings or if you peg a branch down it easily roots. I took several cuttings last Autumn - haven't seen them grown as standards but sounds a good idea so will try growing some as standards. To me, they seem more like a gooseberry bush than blackcurrant bush in habit. However, unlike blackcurrants (fruits look similar) the Blackbirds on my lottie love Jostaberries and I need to cover them to ensure I get some fruit to eat!