Different varieties - different flavours ?

[Losos]

I've grown a number of varieties of black-currant including several of the "Bens", but keep coming back to "Wellington XXX" because it tastes best.

Thanks for that Nick, as I mentioned on another thread my 'Ebony' blackcurrents are being harvested now but I'm not to happy with the taste. I intend to plant some different varities this year and I think I will include Wellington XXX

[nickdub]

Thanks for that Nick, as I mentioned on another thread my 'Ebony' blackcurrents are being harvested now but I'm not to happy with the taste. I intend to plant some different varities this year and I think I will include Wellington XXX

You're very welcome - hope they go well for you - my observation is that its a pretty good cropper but that the fruit when ripe are not the easiest to pick as they tend to crush with very little force in the hand and/or fall off when touched - I'd imagine this harvesting issue is one reason why they went out of popularity with the commercial growers. Real old world blackcurrant taste though.

[Losos]

I found the taste of raspberry Polka much better than the dwarf raspberry Ruby Beauty. There's nothing wrong with the RB's flavour. It's just that I find Polka to be nicer.

I too wondered if making it dwarf and thornless took away something from the taste.

I'm now convinced that making it dwarf & thornless has effected the taste. I will be giving my Ruby Beauty away at our charity village fete and preparing the ground for some 'normal' rasberries for planting in November.

Would you describe 'Polka' as an 'early' or 'mid-season' presumeably not a 'late season' as you've harvested it already

[Runtpuppy]

I'm now convinced that making it dwarf & thornless has effected the taste. I will be giving my Ruby Beauty away at our charity village fete and preparing the ground for some 'normal' rasberries for planting in November.

Would you describe 'Polka' as an 'early' or 'mid-season' presumeably not a 'late season' as you've harvested it already

I bought the bare-root canes earlier this year and the description said autumn-bearing. I believe autumn-bearing rasps tend to produce 2 crops, one in summer and one later in the year.

I'm not getting tonnes off it, unlike Ruby Beauty, which is laden with fruit. I keep picking a cupful every day. The polka, on the other hand, is just getting started. It started with 1 or 2 a day, but I see a fair few unripe berries on it now.

From what I've read, letting them crop twice reduces the autumn harvest, but as of now, I'm not too fussed.

But yeah, autumn-bearing according to the description. I hope that helps?