A few years ago I had the delightful experience of tasting a gooseberry for the first time, and I was hooked! While looking into how to grow them for myself, I discovered that a lot of domestic varieties prefer cooler summers than we get here because they're mostly derived from northern European Ribes species. Since I love to dabble in plant breeding, I've decided to try my hand at producing my own locally adapted varieties and maybe even try to cross them with with the local Eastern Prickly Gooseberries and Missouri Gooseberries. Does anyone here have any experience breeding gooseberries? I'd love to hear any tips you may have!
Hi, I would like to try gooseberries, but most plant catalogs say they won't ship to mass because of a fungus that can be transfered to white pines. Others say that the problem is not an issue here. Does anyone grow gooseberries in massachusetts , have you had any problems with fungus and where did you get your gooseberries. I am fond of tart berries and have many areas where they would grow- also lots of mature white pines and don't want to risk the trees .
I tasted gooseberries for the first time a few years ago and immediately loved them. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to get gooseberries or currants shipped here because of the white pine blister rust. Oddly I was at work small garden center in a neighboring county and noticed they had both currants and gooseberries for sale. I inquired and the owner said that they're not banned in all counties. Unfortunately they are in my county but not in the county my parents live. So my currants and gooseberries reside there, which is less than ideal but I still get to enjoy them.
As far as breeding, I haven't a clue. I'd think crossing with native varieties would likely produce something adapted to your climate. Please keep us updated.
I've grown gooseberries from seed (just because...) but as yet have had no fruit. Did you ever have a try Allen? I understand that they can suffer from mildew as well in drier climates (including England). Gooseberries will also cross with other ribes (red and black currants), which may be worth doing if you have other currants that do well in the heat. The only seedlings I have are rather tiny - left in their pot too long - and are more spiny than the parent plants I have. Hopefully they'll all get planted out this year and will do better in the ground. They do all tend to be spiny, which makes picking a pain (literally and figuratively) so many of the more modern varieties are bred for less spinyness.
Fun fact there is still a competition for growing the largest gooseberry (it used to be a big thing particularly in the Yorkshire area of England)
The 2025 show was a genuinely record-breaking day, the world record for the heaviest gooseberry has been broken again! Graeme Watson has not only won his fourteenth title but in the process produced a yellow Millennium berry weighing 36 drams and 24 grains (2.30 oz. or 65.3 grams), a new world record for any gooseberry
Nancy Reading wrote:I've grown gooseberries from seed (just because...) but as yet have had no fruit. Did you ever have a try Allen? I understand that they can suffer from mildew as well in drier climates (including England). Gooseberries will also cross with other ribes (red and black currants), which may be worth doing if you have other currants that do well in the heat. The only seedlings I have are rather tiny - left in their pot too long - and are more spiny than the parent plants I have. Hopefully they'll all get planted out this year and will do better in the ground. They do all tend to be spiny, which makes picking a pain (literally and figuratively) so many of the more modern varieties are bred for less spinyness.
Fun fact there is still a competition for growing the largest gooseberry (it used to be a big thing particularly in the Yorkshire area of England)
The 2025 show was a genuinely record-breaking day, the world record for the heaviest gooseberry has been broken again! Graeme Watson has not only won his fourteenth title but in the process produced a yellow Millennium berry weighing 36 drams and 24 grains (2.30 oz. or 65.3 grams), a new world record for any gooseberry
Chance Lunceford wrote:Sounds like some genetics worth getting hands on. Too bad importing from Europe is such a pain.
I think there is a mix of genetics and cultivation technique. Gooseberry champions take the sport very seriously. Thinning out the berries and probably feeding the bush is all part of the secret of winning. It might be a huge berry, but maybe the bush only grew two or three....
Chance Lunceford wrote:Sounds like some genetics worth getting hands on. Too bad importing from Europe is such a pain.
I think there is a mix of genetics and cultivation technique. Gooseberry champions take the sport very seriously. Thinning out the berries and probably feeding the bush is all part of the secret of winning. It might be a huge berry, but maybe the bush only grew two or three....
Yes'm, makes sense.
My grandfather grew 1Lb+ peaches (my grandmother kept photos of peaches on the scale) here in Utah back in the 1940s through the 1980s, and thinning was a critical part of the process.
Still it would be nice to get berrys that have the potential to get that big!
So far I have only managed to to get fruit from one plant in this family, the jostaberry, and it was very good eating.
I think I have both a gooseberry and a currant or two,somewhere around, but I'm not 100% beyond the jostaberry.
The Jostaberries propagate very easily, a quality which I absolutely love.
I'm told this is true of the whole family, and I intend to find out, once I locate and identify the other plants!
I am a little concerned about thorns, but if they are really bad, I'll just donate my starts to someone who will love them, thorns and all .
The jostaberry route makes a lot of sense for warmer climates. Mine has handled summer heat without much fuss, which is more than I can say for the pure gooseberries I tried. Still get that tart flavour, just without the drama.
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