BLACKCURRANTS
THE NEW VARIETIES WITH FROST RESISTANCE
The Scottish Crop Research Institute and East Malling Research Station have developed new varieties that tolerate adverse weather conditions, flower later to avoid spring frosts and crop heavily, consistently from year to year. Always producing a quality fruit and consistently outyielding the older varieties. OUR BUSHES ARE OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY! ALL VARIETIES ARE MINISTRY CERTIFIED, OR GROWN FROM MINISTRY CERTIFIED STOOLBEDS.
*BEN SAREK
We were pleased to be the first to introduce this completely new type of blackcurrant raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Ben Sarek is a new, compact variety and is the first of a new range of highly productive small bush hybrids, specifically raised for planting at a closer spacing and still giving a heavier crop per bush, so perfect for garden culture. Ben Sarek flowers at the same time as Baldwin, the standard mid-season variety, but is much more tolerant of frost and cold, and fruits approximately 7-10 days earlier. It forms a small, compact bush that rarely exceeds 3' in height and should he planted closer together to give the best results. A spacing of 3' apart would be ideal, or even closer at 11/2' if grown as a hedge. The fruits are very large and borne in such abundance as to defy description. A complete mass of high quality, large, bright black berries. The flavour is excellent and ideal for all normal uses. In Ministry of Agriculture trials in the heart of England, Ben Sarek gave the heaviest crop of all varieties even outyielding Ben More by 30%. The massive crop of berries is easily harvested by simply shaking the branches vigorously when the fruits are ripe. Frost resistant. Mildew resistant, excellent flavour. High quality, large fruits and a cropping potential that is second to none. Its only disability is that the branches can be borne down by the incredible weight of the crop, but in our gardens these are easily supported just prior to ripening time by simply tying round with a piece of string. Every garden can grow blackcurrants with this superb new compact variety, even in containers if you wish. Superb, a real triumph for the Scottish Crop Research Institute and highly recommended by them for garden culture. Very, very highly recommended. The best garden variety in cultivation.
BEN GAIRN *NEW*
Bred by Scottish Crop Research this arose from a cross of Ben Alder and a very hardy Russian variety. It is very early flowering and early ripening but despite this advantage has shown little reduction to frost damage. It is a very healthy bush with resistance to most foliar diseases and importantly to virus reversion. The fruit size is large and of uniformly good quality, very juicy and of excellent colour The compact growth enables Ben Gairn to be planted at higher density than most varieties, perhaps only 3ft apart. An excellent new variety.
Introducing FOXENDOWN - a new highly disease resistant Blackcurrant:
From the list of enviable characteristics associated with the variety, there hardly seems to be a disease that it isn’t resistant to! Foxendown is such a clean, healthy and vibrant luxurious bush it is ideal for the organic grower or any of us who do not like gardening with chemicals. Of very erect, easily managed habit, the bushes produce a good yield easily harvested from long fruiting strings clustered with glossy black, well flavoured berries. Raised from Ben Lomond, also an excellent variety, Foxendown is a valuable addition at the top end of the Blackcurrant range with such healthy growth, good yields and quality, flavour and growth habit. A variety absolutely sure to please. First year on offer, stock limited.
BEN CONNAN
A very special new variety that we are very pleased to introduce. Ben Corman is superb for growing in the garden with very large high quality fruits. These enormous berries can be as large as 18mm each. The fruit ripens early with extremely heavy crops and the fruit has an excellent flavour. Ben Connan is not susceptible to Mildew and has resistance to Leaf Curling Midge. Ben Connan is easy to pick, easy to grow with its good compact habit, suitable for pies, preserves, yogurts etc. Super for exhibition. Raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Ben Connan is a cross between Sarek and Lomond and ripens about one week earlier than Lomond which it outyields. Very, very highly recommended.
*BEN MORE
Raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute and introduced by us. Ben More is by far the best for plant habit, making a good cup-shaped. easy to manage bush. It is the latest flowering, even a few days later than Jet, so normally avoiding spring frosts but with the advantage of fruiting much earlier (same time as Baldwin). The fruits are very large produced on shortish strings and ripen evenly with the excellent true blackcurrant flavour. The bush is upright with very strong branches that support the massive crop well.
*BEN LOMOND
A heavy yielding, mid-late season variety, raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Flowering up to 2 weeks later than Baldwin, the flowers have good frost resistance and will normally escape frost damage. The very large, quality fruit are of very good flavour. Strong and compact, the bush is slightly spreading. The very high yield (normally half as much again as the old varieties) comes from the very large size of the flavourful berries which are produced on short strings. The fruits are ideal for all purposes, freeze well and are the best for making juice. An excellent variety. The first of the 'Ben' varieties. Can be affected by Mildew in some areas.
BEN NEVIS
A mid-late season variety raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Heavy yielding, the large well flavoured fruit are of very good quality. Flowers 2 days before Ben Lomond but crops at about the same time, weight of crop is usually just a little less but the bush is more upright, vigorous, taller growing and easier to pick. The fruits are very large and ripen evenly on short strigs, flavour is excellent and the fruits are ideal for all purposes. A very useful garden cultivar.
BEN HOPE *NEW*
Bred by Scottish Crop Research A new late season variety ripening 10 days after Ben Lomond, very high yields of medium sized berries, the flavour is excellent with a real blackcurrant aroma, In addition Ben Hope is a very good grower, rather vigorous but upright in habit and easy to manage, it is resistant to mildew, leaf spot and gall midge. It has been suggested that Ben Hope would be a good choice for poorer growing conditions and absent minded gardeners!
BEN ALDER
Ben Alder produces heavy crops of small to medium sized fruits with a lovely flavour. Very high colour stability makes the fruits perfect for juice and wine. A new late season variety from the S.C.R.I. Ben alder is a vigorous bush but easy to harvest. Good resistance to Mildew and flowers late to avoid damage from spring frosts. Excellent for the late ripening and intense flavour of the fruit.
BEN TIRRAN
A new late fruiting variety from the S.C.R.I. Ben Tirran is the latest to ripen of all the commonly grown varieties and extends the cropping season. Good disease resistance due to the late flowering season. Excellent quality fruits and very heavy high yielding with a good flavour. The fruits are larger than those of Ben Alder and suitable for all purposes. An excellent new late fruiting variety that we highly recommend.
PRICES ALL VARIETIES
1 bush £7.50
2 bushes £14.20
3 bushes £19.50
4 bushes £25.60
6 bushes £35.70
10 bushes £55.80
Prices quoted are for that number of bushes of the same variety.
Older Varieties
All guaranteed healthy plants but not all varieties are now eligible for certification. These older varieties are still listed because we believe they should not be lost to cultivation.
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