preach my man, gooseberry is da goat. years ago when I had never tasted a gooseberry I bought one and placed it in the back of my garden and honestly completely forgot about it's existence, now after buying 5 more bareroot I rediscovered the secret present from me to me from the past and am very pleased
I have planted strawberries, black currants, rhubarb, raspberries, thornless blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, cranberries, haskap , sea buckthorn, dwarf sour cherries as well as herbs and nuts interspersed among fruit trees and covered the ground with a thick layer of wood chips. Everything appears reasonably happy at year two of our efforts. The birds have really moved in for all the nice worms and bugs and berries, lol.
@@mariloucaco6192 Be happy, you have delicious fruit, flowers and trees that we can’t even think about planting here. I wish I could grow tropical plants.
That sounds incredible! I'm just learning about this, do you net any of them to save them from the birds? I know it's good to let them share but if I have limited space I may need to control that a bit. So do you net any?
1. Cherry trees. 2. Red currents 3. Grapes 4. Blackberries 5. Strawberries. I would like to have more and more but I have only a small garden. Your garden is so beautiful and impressive. I love it!!!!
Again on behalf of my father and I, we hope you enjoy this highly requested video and furthermore enjoy the launch of our new Online Course - Miracle Farns VITUAL TOUR available to start for free right now at www.miraclefarm.ca/vt1/
I LOVE this guy! He has so much knowledge about why you get certain pesky insects or weeds. Plus the plants he recommends are mostly northern cultivars, which is perfect for me as I live in West central Wisconsin.
Stefan is awesome. I also watch Canadian Permaculture Legacy and Edible Acres. These 3 are my go to for northern permaculture info and have helped me an incredible amount.
Haskap has become a favorite of mine, I planted 3 cultivars last year and am interested in adding one or 2 more in spring. I personally find raw black currant is delicious on it's own, the ones I got from you. I think I should plant some gooseberry next! Thanks again Stefan; you are such an inspiration and a source of wisdom.
I found your channel by chance an hour ago and Im loving it! Gooseberry is my number 1 and I leave mine to go soft and pink in the middle. Then eat straight off the bush- yummy.
I totally agree with you on the Gooseberries, and I especially love the two Hinnonmaki cultivars, the yellow one has a pineapple or apricot taste and the red one gets very sweet when you let it ripen to dark red. Both are very compact shrubs. Also in my Top 5 would be Blackberry cultivars, when you have mild winters (Zone 7 or 8) they are great for natural fences or dead hedges. I love the erect, thorny varieties like Kiowa, which has huge fruits.
The wild Blackberries are also good at defending the entire area against anything larger than a fox. The piece of land I got last year was very much undiscovered country due to its inaccessibility thanks to the thorny defenders. An entire row of plum trees emerged from under the blackberries, and one of the apple trees had been swallowed half. I left only the edges of the field to be fenced by blackberries... Planted a handful of Hinnonmaki Gooseberries, glad to hear they hopefully are a good choice.
@@LongboatAline the Hinnonmaki tastes great. My wife hates sour fruit but she really likes Hinnonmaki, especially the red variety, they are very sweet for a gooseberry.
Gooseberry, Red Currant, High Bush Cranberry, Wild Raspberry, Rhubarb. The High Bush Cranberry is a nice one in muffins with all their different colors, love them!
@@b_uppy Didn't know they were a herb as we treat them more like a berry. There are not many berries that we can grow in the garden so use it like a berry, but thanks for the heads up on what family it belongs to.
@@tallcedars2310 Rhubarb lacks woody stems, that is why. That said, bamboo is a grass, despite its "woody"stems. It is delicious in savory dishes, btw. Search out some good ones. There are Middle Eastern and Tibetan ones that are tasty.
Black currants are delicious. Straight, as juice, or as jam. I have no idea why they are not popular in North America. I haven't had gooseberries so long, I forgot the taste.
My two favourite are goji berries and haskap berries. They have my number one, two, and three requirements 1. Hard to kill 2. Super fruit in terms of antioxidants 3. Cold hardy.
@Cori MacNaughton I like elderberries for their medicinal properties regarding the flu. It's been a lifesaver. Do prefer the taste of elderberries over the gojis I've tasted, but the elderberries I've tried were still pretty sad in flavor. Do you know variety of elderberry(s) you have?
i love blackcurrant. At first i didn't get them because they smelled toxic to my nose but they grew on me and they make the best jam ever. Glad my eastern european Canadian husband put it in the yard. I contributed a mulberry byt thats more of a tree. I love my Illinois everbearing mulberry. Im considering getting a gooseberry as per your recommendation.
I have never heard of Rhubarb dumplings. I am going to have to look that one up. Great list. I planted haskap, red currant, white currant, and pink currant. I was on the fence about getting rhubarb and gooseberries, but now you helped me decide. You are right gooseberries are very tough to find anywhere. I am going to have to order my plants online.
1. Gooseberry 2. Black Cap Raspberry 3. White Currants 4. Golden Raspberry 5. Jostaberry Is anyone here growing Mulberries, Goumi, Autum Olive, or Sea Buckthorn ? Growing in Pacific North West Region
Dark persian mulberry, in sonoma county california...fruit is amazing especially dried...tree is very vigorous, only 3 years old and has to be trained and pruned to keep fruit within ladder's reach
mulberry goumi and sea buckthorn all do great in north ga mountains, you should be fine, id guess on autumn olive youre ok as well i just dont have experience with it personally
Interesting that Sea Buckthorn shows up on several lists here. We've had conflicting information about how much sun they need. We have several growing in conditions from full sun to partial shade and all seem to be surviving after two years, but the full sun plants are doing the best. (B.C. - zone 8)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge , much appreciated I live in zone 5-6 Warwick New York So many deer 😱, some chipmunks, rabbits, some black bears Many bees and butterflies and pollenating flying insects Much to learn from your sharing 👍🏼 New here and have 4 blueberry shrubs to plant yet
Yay gooseberries! That's my #1 choice too! I have all five of those growing around my trees except for the honeyberry- I accidentally kept mowing them so now I have one in a safer place at least for now.
In Sweden i would say main use for the black currant is to boil it into lemonade. Another wellknown product here would be black currant jelly that is popular with meat often wildgame.
My favorite is my honeysuckle. If folks knew the health benefits of that plant there wouldn't be any problem of it growing wild, folks would over-pick it to death. I have both vining and bush varieties in my back yard. You have to be responsible with them when you grow them, keep them cut back in the fall. But the flowers and young leaves are worth the picking in the spring. Makes for a wonderful, healthful tea and other wonders
Where I am in the UK we're in for some vicious storms as the climate warms (already started having some monsters), so I'm moving away from single stem trees and towards my entire polyculture orchard/fruit savannah being coppiced trees + fruiting shrubs all below 9' tall so it can better weather the coming storm. It also puts all of the flowers and fruit within reach of my Emu which is another headache though...
Camille Mesnard haha that’s awesome thanks so much for the positive feedback Camille (always appreciated) and yes my fathers very passionate:) like he always says “just start” 👍
To give you a chuckle: I planted 5 pink champagne currants. Never grew them before so didn't know how soon they would flower & fruit. One of them is inadvertently buried under an overzealous comfrey plant. I was giving my friend a tour and pulled back the comfrey to look at the small currant plant. Imagine my surprise to find lovely clusters of pearls hanging there. Not sure when to harvest them -- seem ripe but still tart.
Dude, you stole my top 5! Actually, I have only 4 of them planted between my trees, no rhubarbs! I love their fruits and my kids loves it too! This year I have planted multiple types of haskap berries! Good luck with your orchard and thanks for your good advices! I really enjoy your vids!
We have a Polar Jewel Haskap berry growing and this year it has just exploded with fruit! Fantastic shrub. :-) I guess we're doing alright here, got 4 of your top 5!
I've got 4 of the 5 in my yard now. Not bad for a novice gardener. I'll have to try the gooseberries. Hascaps came from the University of Saskatchewan. I can't wait to see how they taste.
My favorite are: red currant, gooseberry, aronia berry. I have a black currant but ew it tastes like feet. Definitely must be for making into jams. I have a white currant also but it’s not doing too good. I also planted goji berry last year. Hoping to get fruit this year. Oh! I found a service berry last week and bought it. Tastes like blueberry but doesn’t need acidic soil!
@@ZaneMedia you should definitely at least try it, you might like it. It's an acquired taste (but it doesn't actually taste like feet, not that I've tried eating feet myself...)
Coming from south central Indiana. My top 5: Hazelnut, Blackberry, black raspberry, romeo and juliet bush cherries, I've got substantial clay here in Indiana, so although blackberry is on my list, I have to amend the soil sometimes to help it along.
Thank you. Very helpful....WAY more helpful than the descriptions in the nursery catalogs, which have misled me a number of times. EXCEPT, in Portland, Oregon, gooseberries get horrible tiny green worms which can just eat all the leaves and kill a Gooseberry and I know of no organic way to deal with them except to pick them off which takes a lot of time when I would rather use the time for something else, so I have given up. Jostaberries do well here, so I grow them instead...they, as you probably know, are a cross between Gooseberry and Currant. The Pacific Northwest is berry heaven so I cannot limit myself to 5....some of these do grow tall, but they are soooo good. Aronia berry is tops for me due to how nutritious it is. It was a revelation to me to learn how nutritious many berries are, and how much easier they are to grow than large furit trees. Plus they bear fruit so much sooner! Elderberry for its nutritive qualities. BlackRaspberry is amazing. Soo nutritious and productive! Plus they will grow under Black Walnut. Close behind is Blackberry! Close behind is Raspberry and Marionberry. Goumi Berries are amazing...their real potential is in a small tree, but even shrubs 5 feet tall will produce a lot of fruit. Ditto with Seaberry. Pussy Willws for early pollinators and rooting hormone. Lilacs to bliss out on the heavenly smell fo the flowers, which are edible! Thank you for your videos. I have learned a lot from them. Very practical info presented in a clear way that is easy to understand. Blessings :)
Hahaha, great problem to have too many choices. Yes berry heaven the NW. Much of the nutrition comes from the seeds so take an extra 5 seconds to chew them well before swallowing. Otherwise they will pass through undigested.
Neem oil is a great organic tool for getting rid of leaf-eating pests. It's not an insecticide (it doesn't kill them directly) but it interferes with their ability to reproduce and feed. I don't if it would help with your tiny green worms, but it's worth a try.
@@biondatiziana Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestion. I will keep it in mind for plants that I would never want to be without, such as Roses. Jostaberries taste just as good as Gooseberries, as they are a cross between Gooseberries and Currants, and do not get these worms, so I am sparing myself the trouble of fighting with the worms over the Gooseberries and just going with Josta berries.
Hear Yee! Hear Yee! Hear Yee! The MONARCH BUTTERFLY has arrived in Pittsburgh, PA. She chose the Common Milkweed over the Swamp Milkweed 1st:-) Common Milkweed was in full bloom and Swamp Milkweed has yet to open.
Portia Holliday that's odd, the incarnata always bloom before the syriaca here, but the monarchs love milkweed! Just watched the last chrysalis open October 1, which is WAY late for 5B. Luckily there's still some goldenrod left for a final snack before migrating.
I wish I could grow rhubarb. It is one of the things I miss since I moved south. I have heard of people down in the Deep South growing them as a winter annual.
I planted 15 haskap bushes last summer, they got decimated by rabbits, but to my surprise they bounced right back. I see buds opening this week. Can't wait to get some more in the future.
umamibear that’s awesome welcome aboard! I’ve been busy putting together the Virtual Tour over the past few months but I’ve edited a bunch of other videos for my father if you scroll through ;) we hop you’ll enjoy those as well 👍
Yorkshire Uk? Funny how different pests go for different foods depending on region...even here in norte america, on the west coast the chanterelles very rarely have maggots but the porcini almost always Do ...on the east coast it is the exact opposite...strange right?
Note to self: 5 Red Currant. 4. Haskap. (Support amazing scientists) 3. Black Currant (jam, medicine, birds don't like it, propagates easy). 2. Rhubarb. 1. Gooseberries! (Need shade like under fruit trees). I have a blueberry bush that died but a rhubarb as old as me; I just don't know how or when to harvest.
How to divide just cut through the middle of the clump with 2 garden forks and plant one of the clumps somewhere else. When, as soon as you can see where it is but not so late that the leaves are opened up.
I’m Eastern European. And my family loves currants. It’s so strange living in America and nobody knows what currant is. I’ve introduced many of my American friends to currant jam and they find it so interesting. Also the young leaves make a wonderful addition to tea. I add some to some black tea or white tea. So fragrant and delicious.
GGALLIN1776 we’re so glad you’re also enjoying the channel. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know, we always appreciate the positive feedback. Cheers :)
I am a big plant geek. Last year I learned black currants are a lot taster when cooked, overlooked that one. Trying honeyberries or haskapps this year, hope my male is compatable. He is going to have three girlfriends. Great information!
Serviceberry/Juneberry - Amelanchier alnifolia, A. ovalis Siberian pea tree - Caragana arborescens Sea Buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoides & any Elaeagnaceae memeber, incl. the wonderful Elaeagnus genus. Jostaberry Ribes × nidigrolaria Hazelnuts, of course. Trying Olallieberry, not sure yet how I like the plant (although I love the berries!), yet to see any harvest from them. Opps, there were only top 5.. I can keep going...
Thanks for the shade tips on gooseberry. I am expecting a few shipments of fruiting shrubs and trees this spring. As well as flowers, both shade and sun loving. When those arrive, I will have everything on the list aside from the haskaps. I am running out of space though as I live in town.
Running out of space is a great problem. You can always propagate more and give them free to your neighbours, until you have the whole community stocked with fruit and the animals barely make a dent in any one yard and everyone has an abundance.
5. Gooseberries (we have them wild here) 4. Blackberries (these too) 3. Blueberries (yep) 2. Raspberries (I am sensing a pattern) 1. Strawberries. Yes, I know that strawberries are technically not a shrub, but using the same logic that Stefan did about shrub space, strawberries are great for ground cover. And we also have them growing wild too. The Ozarks are kind of cool that way.
Nice to meet you Stefan, I'm a new subscriber, my top shrub is 1. Raspberries, then 2. red currants.3. thornless blackberry. And many other fruits we grow here in Australia but they're not shrubs.
Raspberries, blackberries, white currants, red currants, black currants, jostaberries, blueberries, hascaps (planted last year, in flower right now, can't wait :D ), strawberries, gooseberries.
Rozmund, love all of these videos..thanks so much..I am so hooked, but what of deer..which we observe much of... in Zone 4, in Ontario..Stefan can you comment on the deer issue
black currants tho, they are amazing. mine don't get nearly that tall though, I have a more european style black currant that flops over when it gets higher than about 2 feet and forms an umbrella shaped ground cover thing to the point where if not trimmed the branches will root themselves and can be simply dug up and replanted as a new bush. I love the things! idk why people say they aren't good fresh, I love em! I'm actually a little excited about a seedling currant I found that must have been left by a bird... it's holding it's leaves with some green on them well after my over currents and seems like it might be a more hardy variation. these things are fun!
Your #1 is my #1 too ;) I would like to experiment with the "new" (not very cold hardy) Brazel berries; raspberry Shortcake and Baby Cakes blackberry because they are small and thornless. They do love sun though.
I just ordered and planted six Raspberry Shortcakes. I'm eager to see how they do. I love raspberries, but refuse to deal with the thorns and canes and structures required. These sound like the answer to my prayers!
Yay, I LOVE gooseberries! I am planting a few shrubs this spring (I’m in the Netherlands, similar latitude, but close to the sea, so probably a milder climate). My list was almost the same as yours - but why no raspberries??
Drive around old neighborhoods to see what is well established. If you go on a weekend, you are likely to find people out caring for their yards. Stop and ask about the plants, and you can even ask for cuttings. I never had anyone threaten to shoot me, or not let me have a cutting, lol! Most people are very proud of their yards and happy to share the info if they know it.
Stefan, if you will, please post the shrub's name in big letters, instead of doing a picture of the handheld phone. It makes it easier to take a picture for later. Thanks
song thrush or wood trush will eat redcurrants. I have about 20 redcurrants and leave about 10 of them without a birdnet. I have one shrub where they have taken almost every berry. Blackcurrants they do not touch though.
Gooseberries are the easiest shrubs to propagate. 6-8" cuttings taken in the fall just literally shoved in the ground or in little 4" pots and overwintered with a thick mulch will give you a 50% or more success rate. I just cover my cuttings with a layer of leaves. They are also so tolerant of a variety of conditions, enjoy some shade, and grow vigorously. Can't recommend enough. Only thing to look out for are sawfly larvae
Not sure, look it up or ask neighbors who have tried them. If borderline you can always try them on the shadier side of the house or a building where it’s cooler.
Maybe I have the wrong exposure, but I have had more success in IL with clove/Buffalo curant (Ribes odorata) than with the European species. It also has great flowers.
I have tried honeyberries, different varieties in different spots, with very little result thus far (zone 7 Appalachia). We get a couple berries off each tiny bush but no more. Planted 2016-2017.
Those particular ones do not, except insofar as they might mine nutrients at lower soil levels & return them to the surface via dead foliage. Guomi (Elaeagnus multiflora) is a good nitrogen fixing berry. Other members of the oleaster family also fix nitrogen, but they tend to be larger plants & you should first check if they are legal in your area--many are considered invasives. The vast majority of legumes fix nitrogen. I get the impression that the authors of this channel are using trees for that, but you could use low forbs like various clovers (Dalea/Petalostemon purpurea and candida have been used for tea), or shrubs like Amorpha fruticosa or Caragana species (Siberian pea shrubs), even less aggressive, sparsely foliated, vines (Centrosema virginiana looked like a nice candidate in FL, though it isn't edible). These legumes are mostly at best forage crops, though you can eat Caragana seeds and use some prairie and true clovers for herbal teas. Nitrogen is probably in greater demand by vegetables than fruits, and phosphate and micronutrients are more likely to be limiting in my experience. Those don't exist in the air, so if your soil is deficient you have to add them somehow (e.g. bonechar or phosphate rock for the phosphorus) or perhaps just adjust the pH so that existing levels become more bioavailable to the desired crops.
Recap for those of us with poor data retention:
5) Red Currant
4) Haskap
3) Black Currant
2) Rhubarb
1) Gooseberry
Thanks, HB.
All great up north...
In old Soviet Union many people had small private gardens. All of your top 5 were indeed the staple of those gardens. Kind of takes me to my childhood
preach my man, gooseberry is da goat. years ago when I had never tasted a gooseberry I bought one and placed it in the back of my garden and honestly completely forgot about it's existence, now after buying 5 more bareroot I rediscovered the secret present from me to me from the past and am very pleased
I have planted strawberries, black currants, rhubarb, raspberries, thornless blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, cranberries, haskap , sea buckthorn, dwarf sour cherries as well as herbs and nuts interspersed among fruit trees and covered the ground with a thick layer of wood chips. Everything appears reasonably happy at year two of our efforts. The birds have really moved in for all the nice worms and bugs and berries, lol.
songofthemist wow now that’s a list 👍
Wow! Thats really great. I love to try that kinds of berries but sad theres no one here in the philippines.
Magnificent job! You’re way ahead of me! I am just now getting seeds in for some of these. It’s a blast!
@@mariloucaco6192 Be happy, you have delicious fruit, flowers and trees that we can’t even think about planting here. I wish I could grow tropical plants.
That sounds incredible! I'm just learning about this, do you net any of them to save them from the birds? I know it's good to let them share but if I have limited space I may need to control that a bit. So do you net any?
1. Cherry trees. 2. Red currents 3. Grapes 4. Blackberries 5. Strawberries. I would like to have more and more but I have only a small garden. Your garden is so beautiful and impressive. I love it!!!!
Again on behalf of my father and I, we hope you enjoy this highly requested video and furthermore enjoy the launch of our new Online Course - Miracle Farns VITUAL TOUR available to start for free right now at www.miraclefarm.ca/vt1/
I LOVE this guy! He has so much knowledge about why you get certain pesky insects or weeds. Plus the plants he recommends are mostly northern cultivars, which is perfect for me as I live in West central Wisconsin.
Stefan is awesome. I also watch Canadian Permaculture Legacy and Edible Acres. These 3 are my go to for northern permaculture info and have helped me an incredible amount.
My Grandmother grew White Current berries. The jelly was to die for! It was very clear and had the most wonderful flavor.
rjiggy07 nothing like nostalgia 👍
1: Gooseberry, 2: Rhubarb, 3: Red currant, 4: Raspberry, 5: Aronia,
6: Blueberry, 7: Blackberry, 8: Yellow goumi, 9: black currant, 10: Sea buckthorn (small variety).
Mikkel Jylland wow a top 10 👌
Thank you 🙏
Thank you
Rhubarb is herbaceous.
@@b_uppy Did you watch the video?
Haskap has become a favorite of mine, I planted 3 cultivars last year and am interested in adding one or 2 more in spring.
I personally find raw black currant is delicious on it's own, the ones I got from you.
I think I should plant some gooseberry next!
Thanks again Stefan; you are such an inspiration and a source of wisdom.
I found your channel by chance an hour ago and Im loving it! Gooseberry is my number 1 and I leave mine to go soft and pink in the middle. Then eat straight off the bush- yummy.
Blackbird Singing that’s awesome we’re glad you enjoyed it
In Yorkshire as a child we called them goosegobs.
Worcester berries Gooseberrie x Blackcurrant
Very tastie !!
@@woofwoof9647 are those the same as jostaberries (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JostaberryI)?
oh, acually, no. Worcester berries are a species, not a cross: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribes_divaricatum
I totally agree with you on the Gooseberries, and I especially love the two Hinnonmaki cultivars, the yellow one has a pineapple or apricot taste and the red one gets very sweet when you let it ripen to dark red. Both are very compact shrubs. Also in my Top 5 would be Blackberry cultivars, when you have mild winters (Zone 7 or 8) they are great for natural fences or dead hedges. I love the erect, thorny varieties like Kiowa, which has huge fruits.
i had no idea gooseberry had THORNS UGH
The wild Blackberries are also good at defending the entire area against anything larger than a fox. The piece of land I got last year was very much undiscovered country due to its inaccessibility thanks to the thorny defenders. An entire row of plum trees emerged from under the blackberries, and one of the apple trees had been swallowed half. I left only the edges of the field to be fenced by blackberries... Planted a handful of Hinnonmaki Gooseberries, glad to hear they hopefully are a good choice.
@@LongboatAline the Hinnonmaki tastes great. My wife hates sour fruit but she really likes Hinnonmaki, especially the red variety, they are very sweet for a gooseberry.
Gooseberry, Red Currant, High Bush Cranberry, Wild Raspberry, Rhubarb.
The High Bush Cranberry is a nice one in muffins with all their different colors, love them!
Tall Cedars wow they sound amazing!
Thanks for the suggestion on the high bush cranberry. I'll see if I can find some. Love cranberry.
Rhubarb is herbaceous.
@@b_uppy Didn't know they were a herb as we treat them more like a berry. There are not many berries that we can grow in the garden so use it like a berry, but thanks for the heads up on what family it belongs to.
@@tallcedars2310
Rhubarb lacks woody stems, that is why. That said, bamboo is a grass, despite its "woody"stems. It is delicious in savory dishes, btw. Search out some good ones. There are Middle Eastern and Tibetan ones that are tasty.
Black currants are delicious. Straight, as juice, or as jam. I have no idea why they are not popular in North America.
I haven't had gooseberries so long, I forgot the taste.
My two favourite are goji berries and haskap berries. They have my number one, two, and three requirements 1. Hard to kill 2. Super fruit in terms of antioxidants 3. Cold hardy.
Fred Frond awesome great choisies right there 👍
Zack Zane never tried gooseberries. He is in Quebec so it must be cold hardy, but i have never tasted them. I may try.
Believe elderberries beat goji berries for antioxidents.
@Cori MacNaughton
I like elderberries for their medicinal properties regarding the flu. It's been a lifesaver. Do prefer the taste of elderberries over the gojis I've tasted, but the elderberries I've tried were still pretty sad in flavor. Do you know variety of elderberry(s) you have?
IF, for some reason, one would want to get rid of an established goji berry plant -one must be prepared for a long 3 year (or more) battle.
We have a lot of wild gooseberries in our area in west Michigan. They tend to be more tart, but really good.
Just bought two black currant bushes. Now I know where to plant. Thank you for your knowledge! Agree with the rhubarb:)
Regina Keen that’s awesome good luck with the bushes and we’re glad you enjoyed the video 👍
i love blackcurrant. At first i didn't get them because they smelled toxic to my nose but they grew on me and they make the best jam ever. Glad my eastern european Canadian husband put it in the yard. I contributed a mulberry byt thats more of a tree. I love my Illinois everbearing mulberry. Im considering getting a gooseberry as per your recommendation.
I have never heard of Rhubarb dumplings. I am going to have to look that one up. Great list. I planted haskap, red currant, white currant, and pink currant. I was on the fence about getting rhubarb and gooseberries, but now you helped me decide. You are right gooseberries are very tough to find anywhere. I am going to have to order my plants online.
3dBoard Gamer oh man rhubarb dumplings are a must try (one of my favourites!)
Gooseberries are amazing!
1. Gooseberry
2. Black Cap Raspberry
3. White Currants
4. Golden Raspberry
5. Jostaberry
Is anyone here growing Mulberries, Goumi, Autum Olive, or Sea Buckthorn ?
Growing in Pacific North West Region
Hascap.
Overall I think Seaberry would be lower tree, usually growing much larger than most shrubs
Dark persian mulberry, in sonoma county california...fruit is amazing especially dried...tree is very vigorous, only 3 years old and has to be trained and pruned to keep fruit within ladder's reach
mulberry goumi and sea buckthorn all do great in north ga mountains, you should be fine, id guess on autumn olive youre ok as well i just dont have experience with it personally
Interesting that Sea Buckthorn shows up on several lists here. We've had conflicting information about how much sun they need. We have several growing in conditions from full sun to partial shade and all seem to be surviving after two years, but the full sun plants are doing the best. (B.C. - zone 8)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge , much appreciated
I live in zone 5-6 Warwick New York
So many deer 😱, some chipmunks, rabbits, some black bears
Many bees and butterflies and pollenating flying insects
Much to learn from your sharing 👍🏼
New here and have 4 blueberry shrubs to plant yet
Bexaida Candelaria awesome we’re glad you enjoyed it ;)
Yay gooseberries! That's my #1 choice too! I have all five of those growing around my trees except for the honeyberry- I accidentally kept mowing them so now I have one in a safer place at least for now.
Haskap is also known as Honeyberry in the USA.
Thank you for that info!
In Sweden i would say main use for the black currant is to boil it into lemonade. Another wellknown product here would be black currant jelly that is popular with meat often wildgame.
My favorite is my honeysuckle. If folks knew the health benefits of that plant there wouldn't be any problem of it growing wild, folks would over-pick it to death. I have both vining and bush varieties in my back yard. You have to be responsible with them when you grow them, keep them cut back in the fall. But the flowers and young leaves are worth the picking in the spring. Makes for a wonderful, healthful tea and other wonders
Honeyberries ARE a type of honeysuckle...(Haskaps)
Where I am in the UK we're in for some vicious storms as the climate warms (already started having some monsters), so I'm moving away from single stem trees and towards my entire polyculture orchard/fruit savannah being coppiced trees + fruiting shrubs all below 9' tall so it can better weather the coming storm. It also puts all of the flowers and fruit within reach of my Emu which is another headache though...
I am grateful for your channel Stefan. Thank you.
Black currant is sooo delicious, processed! I hardly ever drink soda, but when i do, i prefer Cassis😋😋😋 the smell and taste is soooo good!
Hello, it was a pleasure to watch your video, it is very interesting and you share your great mood and enthusiasm, now I wish I had a garden !
Camille Mesnard haha that’s awesome thanks so much for the positive feedback Camille (always appreciated) and yes my fathers very passionate:) like he always says “just start” 👍
To give you a chuckle:
I planted 5 pink champagne currants. Never grew them before so didn't know how soon they would flower & fruit.
One of them is inadvertently buried under an overzealous comfrey plant. I was giving my friend a tour and pulled back the comfrey to look at the small currant plant. Imagine my surprise to find lovely clusters of pearls hanging there. Not sure when to harvest them -- seem ripe but still tart.
Fat Junie's Farmette that’s really cool thanks for sharing!!
Dude, you stole my top 5! Actually, I have only 4 of them planted between my trees, no rhubarbs! I love their fruits and my kids loves it too! This year I have planted multiple types of haskap berries! Good luck with your orchard and thanks for your good advices! I really enjoy your vids!
Fantastic you got started.
We have a Polar Jewel Haskap berry growing and this year it has just exploded with fruit! Fantastic shrub. :-)
I guess we're doing alright here, got 4 of your top 5!
JT Bear I guess great minds think alike 👍
I've got 4 of the 5 in my yard now. Not bad for a novice gardener. I'll have to try the gooseberries. Hascaps came from the University of Saskatchewan. I can't wait to see how they taste.
@@no-diggarden Thanks, I think I saw some at the grocery store the other day. I'll try to get some.
My favorite are: red currant, gooseberry, aronia berry. I have a black currant but ew it tastes like feet. Definitely must be for making into jams. I have a white currant also but it’s not doing too good. I also planted goji berry last year. Hoping to get fruit this year. Oh! I found a service berry last week and bought it. Tastes like blueberry but doesn’t need acidic soil!
Vi McShannon awesome and thanks for the heads-up on the black currant I guess I’ll have to pass them up on the next taste test 👍
@@ZaneMedia you should definitely at least try it, you might like it. It's an acquired taste (but it doesn't actually taste like feet, not that I've tried eating feet myself...)
Coming from south central Indiana. My top 5: Hazelnut, Blackberry, black raspberry, romeo and juliet bush cherries, I've got substantial clay here in Indiana, so although blackberry is on my list, I have to amend the soil sometimes to help it along.
Marcus Billings nice 👍
@@ZaneMedia Thanks Zack.
Hi neighbor! I'm also in IN
Thank you. Very helpful....WAY more helpful than the descriptions in the nursery catalogs, which have misled me a number of times. EXCEPT, in Portland, Oregon, gooseberries get horrible tiny green worms which can just eat all the leaves and kill a Gooseberry and I know of no organic way to deal with them except to pick them off which takes a lot of time when I would rather use the time for something else, so I have given up. Jostaberries do well here, so I grow them instead...they, as you probably know, are a cross between Gooseberry and Currant. The Pacific Northwest is berry heaven so I cannot limit myself to 5....some of these do grow tall, but they are soooo good. Aronia berry is tops for me due to how nutritious it is. It was a revelation to me to learn how nutritious many berries are, and how much easier they are to grow than large furit trees. Plus they bear fruit so much sooner! Elderberry for its nutritive qualities. BlackRaspberry is amazing. Soo nutritious and productive! Plus they will grow under Black Walnut. Close behind is Blackberry! Close behind is Raspberry and Marionberry. Goumi Berries are amazing...their real potential is in a small tree, but even shrubs 5 feet tall will produce a lot of fruit. Ditto with Seaberry. Pussy Willws for early pollinators and rooting hormone. Lilacs to bliss out on the heavenly smell fo the flowers, which are edible! Thank you for your videos. I have learned a lot from them. Very practical info presented in a clear way that is easy to understand. Blessings :)
Hahaha, great problem to have too many choices. Yes berry heaven the NW. Much of the nutrition comes from the seeds so take an extra 5 seconds to chew them well before swallowing. Otherwise they will pass through undigested.
Neem oil is a great organic tool for getting rid of leaf-eating pests. It's not an insecticide (it doesn't kill them directly) but it interferes with their ability to reproduce and feed. I don't if it would help with your tiny green worms, but it's worth a try.
@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you. Good reminder! I am especially interested in the nutritive qualities of food.
@@biondatiziana Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestion. I will keep it in mind for plants that I would never want to be without, such as Roses. Jostaberries taste just as good as Gooseberries, as they are a cross between Gooseberries and Currants, and do not get these worms, so I am sparing myself the trouble of fighting with the worms over the Gooseberries and just going with Josta berries.
Best rhubarb I ever grew was in the shade under a cedar. It produced right through until fall!
Mine are under my ash trees. I am in 4b and get rhubarb until October
Hear Yee! Hear Yee! Hear Yee! The MONARCH BUTTERFLY has arrived in Pittsburgh, PA. She chose the Common Milkweed over the Swamp Milkweed 1st:-) Common Milkweed was in full bloom and Swamp Milkweed has yet to open.
Portia Holliday that's odd, the incarnata always bloom before the syriaca here, but the monarchs love milkweed! Just watched the last chrysalis open October 1, which is WAY late for 5B. Luckily there's still some goldenrod left for a final snack before migrating.
I love these videos and seeing what grows well for you being your latitude is almost identical to ours here in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Fantastic! I have all 5 in my yard in the city
Linda Sanders great minds think alike haha
5. Elderberry
4. Service berry (smaller cultivars)
3. WILD blueberry
2. Red Raspberry
1. Gooseberry ( especially the Purple ones)
I wish I could grow rhubarb. It is one of the things I miss since I moved south. I have heard of people down in the Deep South growing them as a winter annual.
Great list. Honeyberries make the best pancake/ice cream sauce on earth!
I planted 15 haskap bushes last summer, they got decimated by rabbits, but to my surprise they bounced right back. I see buds opening this week. Can't wait to get some more in the future.
Just found you! Wow! Wonderful information, pleasant and funny to listen to!
Just discovered this channel! Giving big applause!!! I can't wait to check out all your videos :D
Thank you, the planet thanks you.
umamibear that’s awesome welcome aboard! I’ve been busy putting together the Virtual Tour over the past few months but I’ve edited a bunch of other videos for my father if you scroll through ;) we hop you’ll enjoy those as well 👍
Can you come to Yorkshire and explain to the blackbirds that they don't eat currants.
Yorkshire Uk?
Funny how different pests go for different foods depending on region...even here in norte america, on the west coast the chanterelles very rarely have maggots but the porcini almost always Do ...on the east coast it is the exact opposite...strange right?
Just what I was thinking! In our little cottage garden in Finland blackbirds are perhaps the most common bird and boy do they feed on the currants!!!
@@jahpunk7
That is because currents are Native, there.
I plant currants to keep the birds busy and off my other fruit. They eat the entire bush
Our Welsh birds strip my currants too, reds are their favourite.
Thank you! I like serviceberrys a lot.
waynethedruggist awesome and thanks glad you enjoyed the video 👍
You have done well with the food forest
Note to self: 5 Red Currant. 4. Haskap. (Support amazing scientists) 3. Black Currant (jam, medicine, birds don't like it, propagates easy). 2. Rhubarb. 1. Gooseberries! (Need shade like under fruit trees).
I have a blueberry bush that died but a rhubarb as old as me; I just don't know how or when to harvest.
Would make a good video
How to divide just cut through the middle of the clump with 2 garden forks and plant one of the clumps somewhere else. When, as soon as you can see where it is but not so late that the leaves are opened up.
Rhubarb and apple crumble, delicious! Thanks for sharing, I am actually applying some of your techniques all the way over here in Bulgaria.
KA FKA that’s awesome and definitely agree with your crumble choices haha 👍
I’m Eastern European. And my family loves currants. It’s so strange living in America and nobody knows what currant is. I’ve introduced many of my American friends to currant jam and they find it so interesting.
Also the young leaves make a wonderful addition to tea. I add some to some black tea or white tea. So fragrant and delicious.
Great idea, I never used it for tea.
Great video! Just found your channel ... wonderful content and presentation.
Once again a very interesting and informative video. Thank you.Shared with all my friends.
Anthony Neve thanks Anthony you’re awesome!
You are more than welcome, keep up the good work.
Awesome job you guys!!!! On to the tour!
Luna Sea thank you Luna I honestly hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it :)
Thankyou for sharing this usefull information.
Sarah Strong you’re welcome Sarah we’re glad you enjoyed this one!
I just found your channel. This was the third video that I have watched. It is very good information; thank you for sharing it.
GGALLIN1776 cool beans
wudangmtn awesome and thanks so much we’re glad to have you aboard :)
GGALLIN1776 we’re so glad you’re also enjoying the channel. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know, we always appreciate the positive feedback. Cheers :)
Yah! Me too. Very interesting and encouraging.
I am a big plant geek. Last year I learned black currants are a lot taster when cooked, overlooked that one. Trying honeyberries or haskapps this year, hope my male is compatable. He is going to have three girlfriends. Great information!
Black Raspberry
Rosa Rugosa -Rosarie de L'Hay
Black Currant
Hazelnut
Black Elderberry - black lace
In Estonia we absolutely eat black currant by itself if its ripe enough :)
Yes yum yum here in my orchard here in New Zealand
Blackcurrant is now my favorite jam !!
I'm new to your channel. And love your videos. So much to learn in so little time. Thank you all for all your knowledge to glean from.
You’re welcome, binge on.
Great channel! And Canadian too! ❤
Zoe's Lovely thanks Zoe my father and I appreciate the love and we’re glad you enjoyed the video :)
Serviceberry/Juneberry - Amelanchier alnifolia, A. ovalis
Siberian pea tree - Caragana arborescens
Sea Buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoides & any Elaeagnaceae memeber, incl. the wonderful Elaeagnus genus.
Jostaberry Ribes × nidigrolaria
Hazelnuts, of course.
Trying Olallieberry, not sure yet how I like the plant (although I love the berries!), yet to see any harvest from them.
Opps, there were only top 5.. I can keep going...
Hi Stefan
You got a new subscriber. Love from London.
Asif M welcome:)
Thanks for the shade tips on gooseberry. I am expecting a few shipments of fruiting shrubs and trees this spring. As well as flowers, both shade and sun loving.
When those arrive, I will have everything on the list aside from the haskaps. I am running out of space though as I live in town.
Running out of space is a great problem. You can always propagate more and give them free to your neighbours, until you have the whole community stocked with fruit and the animals barely make a dent in any one yard and everyone has an abundance.
5. Gooseberries (we have them wild here)
4. Blackberries (these too)
3. Blueberries (yep)
2. Raspberries (I am sensing a pattern)
1. Strawberries. Yes, I know that strawberries are technically not a shrub, but using the same logic that Stefan did about shrub space, strawberries are great for ground cover. And we also have them growing wild too. The Ozarks are kind of cool that way.
hearsthewater awesome great list!
Excellent show. You have a brand new subscriber!
Ryan Janki awesome thanks Ryan and welcome aboard 👍
Nice to meet you Stefan, I'm a new subscriber, my top shrub is 1. Raspberries, then 2. red currants.3. thornless blackberry. And many other fruits we grow here in Australia but they're not shrubs.
Welcome. Thanks for subscribing, lots to learn.
@@StefanSobkowiak thank you, people who choose to stop learning, stop living life.
Raspberries, blackberries, white currants, red currants, black currants, jostaberries, blueberries, hascaps (planted last year, in flower right now, can't wait :D ), strawberries, gooseberries.
Wonderful, will be a thrill when you begin to enjoy the abundance.
Rozmund, love all of these videos..thanks so much..I am so hooked, but what of deer..which we observe much of... in Zone 4, in Ontario..Stefan can you comment on the deer issue
A deer proof fence, makes all the difference.
Rozmund awesome we’re glad you’re enjoying the channel 👍
Black currant leaves also make great tea, or as a flavour additive to black tea (as long as the leaves are fragrant)!
Great idea.
Paul Miazga very interesting thanks so much for sharing!
You just made a fan of me- I love gooseberries!!!
black currants tho, they are amazing.
mine don't get nearly that tall though, I have a more european style black currant that flops over when it gets higher than about 2 feet and forms an umbrella shaped ground cover thing to the point where if not trimmed the branches will root themselves and can be simply dug up and replanted as a new bush. I love the things! idk why people say they aren't good fresh, I love em!
I'm actually a little excited about a seedling currant I found that must have been left by a bird... it's holding it's leaves with some green on them well after my over currents and seems like it might be a more hardy variation. these things are fun!
Yup, black currants are amazingly underrated in North America.
Your #1 is my #1 too ;) I would like to experiment with the "new" (not very cold hardy) Brazel berries; raspberry Shortcake and Baby Cakes blackberry because they are small and thornless. They do love sun though.
Never heard of brazel berries. Thanks
Great minds think alike haha
I just ordered and planted six Raspberry Shortcakes. I'm eager to see how they do. I love raspberries, but refuse to deal with the thorns and canes and structures required. These sound like the answer to my prayers!
ok, now I know where to plant my gooseberries, thanks.
1 hour to go! Can’t wait to finally reveal what I’ve been working on for the past year I really hope I can bring the WOW factor for you guys :)
Suspense! :D
you make very informative video's man!
you seem like a good teacher
I appreciate that! If you're learning stick with me there is a lot of content to binge learn.
Here in Finland, we added blackcurrants fresh to yogurts, during breakfast or tea time.
The white or pink currants are a great tasting fruit.
Yay, I LOVE gooseberries! I am planting a few shrubs this spring (I’m in the Netherlands, similar latitude, but close to the sea, so probably a milder climate). My list was almost the same as yours - but why no raspberries??
They need more sun. Worked well for first 5 years. Now need to be outside the orchard.
trio = the triad exists everywhere
from the person in time to the divinity
I live in zone 8a. I love the idea of perennial shrubs under fruit trees. Learned from your video.
What would be good for my rather humid area?
Look for community or nurseries and local website groups to your area
There are likely many more choices and many delicious choices
Drive around old neighborhoods to see what is well established. If you go on a weekend, you are likely to find people out caring for their yards. Stop and ask about the plants, and you can even ask for cuttings. I never had anyone threaten to shoot me, or not let me have a cutting, lol! Most people are very proud of their yards and happy to share the info if they know it.
Thanks Ronnie. Really had not thought about that but I like it!
Stefan, if you will, please post the shrub's name in big letters, instead of doing a picture of the handheld phone. It makes it easier to take a picture for later. Thanks
Great video thank you for sharing your top 5
Jostaberry, Black currant, pink currant, blueberry.. and my mum’s favorite= pomegranate
What variety is your goseberry? No problems with sawfly?
Good one. Some sawfly but not a big problem. Varieties: captivator, Hinnomaki Red, Hinnomaki yellow, pixwell
My number 1 is blackberries. Mmmmm except the last two years some orioles moved in and it is a battle to get anyy before them.
1) Prime Ark Freedom Blackberries (thornless/Everbearing)
2) Raspberries (Doing Joan J. And Heritage)
3) Goumi berries
4) Blueberries
5) Artichokes
song thrush or wood trush will eat redcurrants. I have about 20 redcurrants and leave about 10 of them without a birdnet. I have one shrub where they have taken almost every berry. Blackcurrants they do not touch though.
Gooseberries are the easiest shrubs to propagate. 6-8" cuttings taken in the fall just literally shoved in the ground or in little 4" pots and overwintered with a thick mulch will give you a 50% or more success rate. I just cover my cuttings with a layer of leaves. They are also so tolerant of a variety of conditions, enjoy some shade, and grow vigorously. Can't recommend enough. Only thing to look out for are sawfly larvae
Agreed, my favourite fruit, so little known.
I agree, rhubarb is great, will have to try gooseberries and currents. Do you think they would grow in zone 9? Thank You for the video!
Not sure, look it up or ask neighbors who have tried them. If borderline you can always try them on the shadier side of the house or a building where it’s cooler.
@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you!
Another excellent one.
Maybe I have the wrong exposure, but I have had more success in IL with clove/Buffalo curant (Ribes odorata) than with the European species. It also has great flowers.
I have tried honeyberries, different varieties in different spots, with very little result thus far (zone 7 Appalachia). We get a couple berries off each tiny bush but no more. Planted 2016-2017.
Yes they take a few years to get going. Most of mine under trees producing in years 4-5
Great info! Thanks! Is there a way that these shrubs also add nutrients that support the trees at the root level?
Those particular ones do not, except insofar as they might mine nutrients at lower soil levels & return them to the surface via dead foliage. Guomi (Elaeagnus multiflora) is a good nitrogen fixing berry. Other members of the oleaster family also fix nitrogen, but they tend to be larger plants & you should first check if they are legal in your area--many are considered invasives. The vast majority of legumes fix nitrogen. I get the impression that the authors of this channel are using trees for that, but you could use low forbs like various clovers (Dalea/Petalostemon purpurea and candida have been used for tea), or shrubs like Amorpha fruticosa or Caragana species (Siberian pea shrubs), even less aggressive, sparsely foliated, vines (Centrosema virginiana looked like a nice candidate in FL, though it isn't edible). These legumes are mostly at best forage crops, though you can eat Caragana seeds and use some prairie and true clovers for herbal teas. Nitrogen is probably in greater demand by vegetables than fruits, and phosphate and micronutrients are more likely to be limiting in my experience. Those don't exist in the air, so if your soil is deficient you have to add them somehow (e.g. bonechar or phosphate rock for the phosphorus) or perhaps just adjust the pH so that existing levels become more bioavailable to the desired crops.
I might be late... but you might want to try josta berries, a gooseberry + black currant hybrid, thornless, delicious
Woo who gooseberries, my favourite 🤓
Mark Hunter great minds think alike haha
This is very helpful ty
Great list! I love gooseberries!
Me too, so underestimated as a fruit.
Love it!
Christy Assid awesome glad you enjoyed this one 🙏
Top 5 shrubs, current current gooseberry(basically a current)