Recommended Gooseberry varieties???

[Digeroo]

Decided on Pax because is is thornless.  What others can you recommend please.

Is Capitvator nice to eat, I like the thought of something 7ft high. 

[Digeroo]

[goodlife]

Sorry I cannot help you with varieties.....BUT..have you seen RV Roger nursery site and the gooseberry varieties they sell?!...LOADS!
I'm having difficulty choosing myself.
I've been planning for while now for mix gooseberry 'hedge' and hoping to get ground started this winter..I've got just a 'spot' eyed for it.
Though good thing is that surely all gooseberries are nice...haven't heard 'not so nice' variety yet!?

[galina]

Sorry no recommendation either, but as GL said - they are all nice and if left on the bush, they all get sweet enough to eat fresh without sugar.  When the blackbirds get interested, it is time to harvest them fast or net, because this is the time when they get nice to eat fresh.  Hard like bullets and green is traditional for jam making.

My gooseberries are Hinnomaki Red (sp?), a very young plant with so far only a few small berries and an unnamed 'freebie' present from a bird dropping which gives pounds and pounds of nice green (later yellow green) goosegogs.

[saddad]

I think Winhams' Industry is my favourite red.. but prone to mildew in thee wrong place. I grow Pax and Invicta.

[manicscousers]

Second for pax and invicta, just very reliable but my pax does have some thorns and the invicta is well protected 

[Digeroo]

Many thanks to all. 

I have bought a couple of pax and yes they do have some small thorns.   Also got a
Captivator which seems to have few spines, I got one with what appeared to be a V shaped plant and it turned out to be a totally separate cutting so a bit of a bonus there.  Need to go back so will get an Invicta as well.

I already have Hinnamaki Red love the flavour but bush seems rather small.  Managed to layer a couple so I have some freebies.

The RV Rogers site is amazing I thought the first page of goosegogs was impressive and then realised there were three whole pages more. Their p&p charges are quite high.

[pumkinlover]

The RV Rogers site is amazing I thought the first page of goosegogs was impressive and then realised there were three whole pages more. Their p&p charges are quite high.


I was amazed when my last order came from them. I had ordered a lot and the box did not seem huge, but when it was unpacked it was packed so carefully and the amount of work that went into it! Then carriage costs have gone up with fuel prices since then. 
I'm looking at the moment as want more apples and goosegog.

[shirlton]

We like invictor. Has spines but mildew resistant and sawfly resistant if you put your rhubarb leaves under them. Dont forget to replace the rhubarb leaves when they die off or the bugs will be back.

[Vinlander]

Whitesmith is a good flavour variety that gives me no trouble and always used to be recommended as relatively trouble free before the catalogues got infested with new varieties (only a few of which are worth growing for flavour).

Whinham's is a good red though I have to admit Pax isn't bad for flavour and convenience - it just seems to need more feeding, and I always feel that might make it 'softer' and less resistant.

Cheers.

[chriscross1966]

Hinnomaki Red is lovely when ripe... I can bring you some cuttings to next Salga if you want

[grawrc]

I've got Whinham's Industry which I like. I use it early when green for sauces and savouries then use the few surviving red fruit as part of my breakfast fruit bowl. It has thorns but I never find them a problem.

[Digeroo]

Many thanks Chris but not sure it is the right time of year.