Learning curve is sharp...currants a problem?

[huntoften]

I feel like my head is about to crack open like a tomato after a storm! I've learned so much the past few months that I'm doing everything I can to focus on a few things to improve this year and fix other problems in years to come.

When reading Carolyn's book last night, I loved the section on the only two types of tomatoes that are not poisonous...the regular kind and the currants (I don't speak latin very well so forgive me there). She said the surrants need to be 1/4 MILE from other plants if you plan on saving seeds...really!?!?!?!

I have ONE Hawaiian Currant seedling in my garden and was wanting to save seeds from my brandywines, cherokee purple, and amana orange fruits this year, but am afraid to if I let this currant plant grow. Any advice? Is it really that serious of an issue?

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

You could bag some of the blossoms on the plants that you want to save seeds to avoid bees or other incects cross pollinating your flowers. This is the first year I am going to try that and I am just using the white wedding favor fine mesch bags I think they are 4' by 7'. Tie them on prior to to the flower opening and take it off when the flower has pollinated and you can see the tomato forming.

[carolyn137]

[quote=huntoften;99603]I feel like my head is about to crack open like a tomato after a storm! I've learned so much the past few months that I'm doing everything I can to focus on a few things to improve this year and fix other problems in years to come.

When reading Carolyn's book last night, I loved the section on the only two types of tomatoes that are not poisonous...the regular kind and the currants (I don't speak latin very well so forgive me there). She said the surrants need to be 1/4 MILE from other plants if you plan on saving seeds...really!?!?!?!

*****
The 1/4 mile distance comes from Dr. Jeff McCormack and would be most pertinent to commercial growers of seed. I plant my currants away from the others and usually around the other side of the house.

Some currants have exerted stigmas and some don't. The feeling is that those with exerted stigmas attract pollinators who can then transfer the pollem to other varieties if those have not already self pollenized. But there are also those who say they'd be more concerned about their regular tomatoes X pollinating with the currants.

As I said, I plant the one currant I grow most years, Sara's Galapagos, on the other side of the house and all seed I've produced from those plants have been pure .


******
I have ONE Hawaiian Currant seedling in my garden and was wanting to save seeds from my brandywines, cherokee purple, and amana orange fruits this year, but am afraid to if I let this currant plant grow. Any advice? Is it really that serious of an issue?

****

The question about the variety Hawaiian being a currant variety has come up before. Despite the fact that the fruits are pea sized no one I know seems to have problems with it as far as I know. A few years back I contacted Glenn drowns at Sandhill about it and he said he'd never seen any crossing problems. So if it's a true currant it would seem that it's one that does have a retracted stigma so self pollenization would be expected to occur.

I don't know what I wrote where in the book but our garden tomato, currants and also S. cheesmanii are all edible.

[huntoften]

Okay thanks Carolyn...I can now sleep at night again knowing that mad scientist things probably won't be happening in my raised beds!

[Hilde]

hehehe, when I read the headline I was thinking the RIBES type of currants, and had my heart rate go up quite a bit, as I have white, red and black currant bushes planted nearby... :-)

[Sherry_AK]

Sorry -- off topic here -- but, Hilde, your post reminded me that I wanted to get a white currant. I already have black and red. Can you try to describe the difference in taste for the white ones?

Sherry

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by Sherry_AK

Sorry -- off topic here -- but, Hilde, your post reminded me that I wanted to get a white currant. I already have black and red. Can you try to describe the difference in taste for the white ones?

Sherry

Hi Sherry, I don't know the difference yet! I got the bushes last year, and they were so small then! I will hopefully know soon, berries are developing. I have HEARD that the taste is milder than the red currants. I just bought them because I like difference in color! The two best white varieties are supposed to be White Imperial and Primus. If you have questions about currants or want to order a variety of them, Lucile from Whitman Farms is very nice and they have more varieties than any I have seen. I think ribes/currant is one of their specialty areas. If you want pictures of mine, I can take pictures for you.

Hilde

[Sherry_AK]

Hilde, thanks for the information. I saw some locally last year and wish I had picked one up. I don't remember what variety they were. I may check the same place next time I have a chance this year. I'll also check out Whitman Farms.

Sherry