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?
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
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!!!!
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 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?
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.
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.
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.
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/
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?
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.
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.
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.
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” 👍
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
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)
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Witam ponownie panie Stefanie.No coz,wyglada,ze mamy podobne smaki,ale dodal bym jeszcze "jezyny " a co pan na to ? Bo dawno temu byly w zasiegu reki.ale to tylko juz wspomnienia z polski, choc kupilismy krzaczek i zobaczymy co dalej....Szkoda,ze tak daleko ma Pan ten wspanialy sad bo bylo by co poogladac ale kto to wie.....?[ czy rozmawia Pan [po polsku?]POZDRAWIAMY SERDECZNIE.
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 👍
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
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.
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
I have 20 Elderberry cuttings that I want to plant between my apple and plums. I noticed you haven't mentioned Elderberry, is there a reason, should they be on their own
I would put them as a tree since they can reach 2.5m x 2.5m or 8’x8’. I put in 50 and they’ve been gradually dying out. Too sandy and dry for them here even with irrigation.
Rhubarb are heavy feeders. Extra compost or manure will bring any rhubarb back to life unless they are in the shade of a building and don't get springtime sun.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Wax myrtle is a native evergreen nitrogen fixer for the Southeast. It smells nice, though the traditional use is candle making (too much work, frankly), not food. Redbud (Cercis canadensis) doesn't seem to be a nitrogen fixer (it doesn't nodulate, though a legume) but is really pretty; flowers are tasty and the pods are "edible" at the right stage but probably better for bird/chicken food. Guomi (Eleaegnus multiflora; blooms in spring, fruits in summer) and evergreen oleasters (Eleaegnus pungens, x-ebbingei, grandifolia; flower in fall, fruit in very early spring) have nicely fragrant (gardenia, to my nose) though not very showy flowers, moderately handsome foliage, good fruit, and fix nitrogen. Amorpha fructicosa or canescens (which is shorter and more drought tolerant for higher on the hill) would probably be good "chop&drop" nitrogen fixing natives. If you are into butterflies, I would plant Ptelea trifoliata (wafer ash, supports Giant Swallowtails; dinky flowers and foliage smell great in the spring but somewhat unpleasant if bruised later in the year) or Lindera benzoin (spicebush, probably too small-caliper/twiggy to interest the invasive, wood-boring, asian "redbay" ambrosia beetle that has been wiping out the laurel family; host for Spicebush, [southern] Tiger, and possibly Palamedes [prefers genus Persea, the native bays, which are rapidly getting extirpated by the ambrosia beetle; also mostly a Coastal Plain species whereas Atlanta is probably Piedmont] Swallowtails. Those won't fix nitrogen, but you could grow legume vines through them for more summer color. I like the native butterfly pea (Centrosema virginiana) for large, beautiful flowers and non-smothering foliage, but Apios americana (groundnut) or even yardlong beans (or other cowpeas) would be the most useful for food. The foliage is bigger, the vine spreading by roots (so wait until the shrubs are well established, big, and successful before introducing it, or this might harm them) and it is not nitrogen fixing, but the maypop (Passiflora incarnata, our hardy, native passionfruit) is top notch for exotic flowers, as a hostplant for an attractive and fearless (toxic) butterfly (Gulf Fritillary, more rarely, also Zebra Longwings, and the skittish/palatable Variegated Fritillary), and provides an edible fruit and herbal medicine for insomnia. Some people like Clematis texensis hybrids for providing summer color by twining through spring blooming shrubs, but Centrosema or Passiflora are more to my own taste. Still if you have alkaline soil for some reason, Clematis may be better adapted to that. Chickasaw plums and staghorn sumacs are attractive thicket formers. The plums make good preserves. Staghorn and other red-berried sumacs (not the white-berried, Toxicodendron, poison sumacs!) can be used to make a substitute for lemonade and could probably be used in place of Middle Eastern dried sumac as a tannic citric acid spice for hummus etc. Elderberries like water, so would be better at the base of the hill. They also form thickets. I don't really like their flavor, but some people swear by their flowers and berries as immunity boosting superfoods. I thought the berries tasted more like spinach than fruit, but if you have children, the berry juice is useful for teaching chemistry, particularly about pH indicators and is a dye on which you could employ simplified "paper chromatography." Still, blech. American beautyberry is worth growing, just a plant or two, to provide you with mosquito repellent. It is really pretty in fall and winter because of its berries. If you regularly coppice it to keep it low/harvestable, Toona/Cedrela sinensis (a hardy, mahogany relative that somehow tastes like green onions) is a tree vegetable. New growth is reddish, and the cultivar "Flamingo" remains a garish pink/cream/green variegate through most of the growing season. Basswood foliage is also edible (mucilaginous cooked as with most of the greater Hibiscus family), but only palatable if very young. Supposedly there is one variety with bright orange bark on young stems (espalier and prune it abusively so that new growth predominates), which makes an impressive winter accent. If you don't mind thorns, southern dewberry (Rubus trivialis, you need 2 genetically different types for good yield) would be an effective groundcover that provides blackberries about a month before normal/erect cultivars.
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!
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 :)
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.
Barb T. We’ve actually have a video covering exactly that 👍 should be in the i of the video if not it should be one of the top 5 most viewed video on our channel. I hope this helps Barb
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
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.
One more thought and question: will thornless honey locust work as a nitrogen fixer? Also, I have red that redbud can fix nitrogen. If so, would this tree work well in an orchard? Thank you for your work, your numerous videos and your delightful humor!
Yes to both nitrogen fixers, honey locust and redbud. We use both in our orchard. Honey locust video coming up this summer. Thanks, glad you enjoy the humour.
@@StefanSobkowiak We used to plant black locust all over our farm in KY - it is the best honey you may have ever had - we put the hives right around them for about a week or two in may. Clear, light honey - they aren't thornless and have a lot less thorns that honey locust but serve more than one purpose - need to get some more here in IN.
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!
Probably, but is sounds like you could try blueberries as well. I would do a simple pH test or look around what other kind of shrubs are growing under other white oaks.
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??
For fruit trees is it better to go for dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock? Also what about species that don't seem to have any grafting options, like mulberry trees, persimmons, or medlar and can grow to be big? Do you not bother growing them, or grow them away from the other traditional orchard fruits?
Size depends on what you need or what is hardy. If you can grow all sizes go for dwarf or semi dwarf. If you have the space and want to leave a legacy go for standard sized, they can live and produce for more than a lifetime.
@@StefanSobkowiak lol Mulberry is a weed here - like Johnson Grass we struggle to plant anything that it doesn't take over - my raspberries are full of Mulberry - I'm thinking the only way to fix it is to remove all the raspberries to plant somewhere else and dig all the Mulberry roots out - maybe putting the raspberries back in - we have comfrey under all trees and in the raspberries.
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.
I am confused as you said in a prior video the currants & gooseberries had limited commercial appeal for U Pick in your area. If you re-ranked by commercial appeal, what would they be? I recall something about blackberries, raspberries, strawberries foy U Pick?
Any advice for folks who can't grow any kind of currant or gooseberries? The whole family is banned in NC, USA due to them being a vector for pine rust (yes, I'm mad about it, but it is what it is for now)
Saskatoons, seaberry, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, rhubarb, grape, autumn olive, goumi, and certainly some I can't grow here up north. Look up Eric Toensmeir's property in Massachusetts.
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
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...
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?
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
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!!!!
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?
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 is also known as Honeyberry in the USA.
Thank you for that info!
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.
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.
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
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.
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/
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.
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.
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.
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!
We have a lot of wild gooseberries in our area in west Michigan. They tend to be more tart, but really good.
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...
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” 👍
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 👍
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 ;)
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)
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
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)
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!!
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
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.
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!
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 am grateful for your channel Stefan. Thank you.
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.
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.
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.
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...
Good video.
The "free sample" of the virtual tour is just a long advert and the link doesn't work.
You have done well with the food forest
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you! I like serviceberrys a lot.
waynethedruggist awesome and thanks glad you enjoyed the video 👍
Fantastic! I have all 5 in my yard in the city
Linda Sanders great minds think alike 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.
Witam ponownie panie Stefanie.No coz,wyglada,ze mamy podobne smaki,ale dodal bym jeszcze "jezyny " a co pan na to ? Bo dawno temu byly w zasiegu reki.ale to tylko juz wspomnienia z polski, choc kupilismy krzaczek i zobaczymy co dalej....Szkoda,ze tak daleko ma Pan ten wspanialy sad bo bylo by co poogladac ale kto to wie.....?[ czy rozmawia Pan [po polsku?]POZDRAWIAMY SERDECZNIE.
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 👍
I love these videos and seeing what grows well for you being your latitude is almost identical to ours here in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
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 👍
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 !!
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.
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
I have 20 Elderberry cuttings that I want to plant between my apple and plums. I noticed you haven't mentioned Elderberry, is there a reason, should they be on their own
I would put them as a tree since they can reach 2.5m x 2.5m or 8’x8’. I put in 50 and they’ve been gradually dying out. Too sandy and dry for them here even with irrigation.
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
Just found you! Wow! Wonderful information, pleasant and funny to listen to!
would love to see how to propagate rhubarb mine is weak and skinny maybe its in the wrong spot.
Rhubarb are heavy feeders. Extra compost or manure will bring any rhubarb back to life unless they are in the shade of a building and don't get springtime sun.
Exactly in the fall put a very a thick layer of compost , preferably manure based, on top of the rhubarb and you will see amazing growth.
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.
Thankyou for sharing this usefull information.
Sarah Strong you’re welcome Sarah we’re glad you enjoyed this one!
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.
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.
5. Elderberry
4. Service berry (smaller cultivars)
3. WILD blueberry
2. Red Raspberry
1. Gooseberry ( especially the Purple ones)
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
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.
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.
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!
The white or pink currants are a great tasting fruit.
I might be late... but you might want to try josta berries, a gooseberry + black currant hybrid, thornless, delicious
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 👍
Here in Finland, we added blackcurrants fresh to yogurts, during breakfast or tea time.
Could you recommend the best shrub options in Atlanta for preventing erosion on a steep hill that would be pleasant to look at and maybe provide food?
Try some of the nitrogen fixing shrubs, autumn olive, goumi or add some vines to the shrubs.
Wax myrtle is a native evergreen nitrogen fixer for the Southeast. It smells nice, though the traditional use is candle making (too much work, frankly), not food. Redbud (Cercis canadensis) doesn't seem to be a nitrogen fixer (it doesn't nodulate, though a legume) but is really pretty; flowers are tasty and the pods are "edible" at the right stage but probably better for bird/chicken food. Guomi (Eleaegnus multiflora; blooms in spring, fruits in summer) and evergreen oleasters (Eleaegnus pungens, x-ebbingei, grandifolia; flower in fall, fruit in very early spring) have nicely fragrant (gardenia, to my nose) though not very showy flowers, moderately handsome foliage, good fruit, and fix nitrogen. Amorpha fructicosa or canescens (which is shorter and more drought tolerant for higher on the hill) would probably be good "chop&drop" nitrogen fixing natives.
If you are into butterflies, I would plant Ptelea trifoliata (wafer ash, supports Giant Swallowtails; dinky flowers and foliage smell great in the spring but somewhat unpleasant if bruised later in the year) or Lindera benzoin (spicebush, probably too small-caliper/twiggy to interest the invasive, wood-boring, asian "redbay" ambrosia beetle that has been wiping out the laurel family; host for Spicebush, [southern] Tiger, and possibly Palamedes [prefers genus Persea, the native bays, which are rapidly getting extirpated by the ambrosia beetle; also mostly a Coastal Plain species whereas Atlanta is probably Piedmont] Swallowtails. Those won't fix nitrogen, but you could grow legume vines through them for more summer color. I like the native butterfly pea (Centrosema virginiana) for large, beautiful flowers and non-smothering foliage, but Apios americana (groundnut) or even yardlong beans (or other cowpeas) would be the most useful for food. The foliage is bigger, the vine spreading by roots (so wait until the shrubs are well established, big, and successful before introducing it, or this might harm them) and it is not nitrogen fixing, but the maypop (Passiflora incarnata, our hardy, native passionfruit) is top notch for exotic flowers, as a hostplant for an attractive and fearless (toxic) butterfly (Gulf Fritillary, more rarely, also Zebra Longwings, and the skittish/palatable Variegated Fritillary), and provides an edible fruit and herbal medicine for insomnia. Some people like Clematis texensis hybrids for providing summer color by twining through spring blooming shrubs, but Centrosema or Passiflora are more to my own taste. Still if you have alkaline soil for some reason, Clematis may be better adapted to that.
Chickasaw plums and staghorn sumacs are attractive thicket formers. The plums make good preserves. Staghorn and other red-berried sumacs (not the white-berried, Toxicodendron, poison sumacs!) can be used to make a substitute for lemonade and could probably be used in place of Middle Eastern dried sumac as a tannic citric acid spice for hummus etc. Elderberries like water, so would be better at the base of the hill. They also form thickets. I don't really like their flavor, but some people swear by their flowers and berries as immunity boosting superfoods. I thought the berries tasted more like spinach than fruit, but if you have children, the berry juice is useful for teaching chemistry, particularly about pH indicators and is a dye on which you could employ simplified "paper chromatography." Still, blech. American beautyberry is worth growing, just a plant or two, to provide you with mosquito repellent. It is really pretty in fall and winter because of its berries.
If you regularly coppice it to keep it low/harvestable, Toona/Cedrela sinensis (a hardy, mahogany relative that somehow tastes like green onions) is a tree vegetable. New growth is reddish, and the cultivar "Flamingo" remains a garish pink/cream/green variegate through most of the growing season. Basswood foliage is also edible (mucilaginous cooked as with most of the greater Hibiscus family), but only palatable if very young. Supposedly there is one variety with bright orange bark on young stems (espalier and prune it abusively so that new growth predominates), which makes an impressive winter accent.
If you don't mind thorns, southern dewberry (Rubus trivialis, you need 2 genetically different types for good yield) would be an effective groundcover that provides blackberries about a month before normal/erect cultivars.
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!
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 :)
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 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!
Also, what about perennial vegetables?
Barb T. We’ve actually have a video covering exactly that 👍 should be in the i of the video if not it should be one of the top 5 most viewed video on our channel. I hope this helps Barb
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.
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!
Red current, hascap? is what in french? I live in Quebec a few hours away from you
Gadelles et Camerisier
Parent-Alerte always nice to see a fellow Quebecor on the channel 👍
@@StefanSobkowiak Merci!
Great list. Honeyberries make the best pancake/ice cream sauce on earth!
Excellent show. You have a brand new subscriber!
Ryan Janki awesome thanks Ryan and welcome aboard 👍
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.
Nice, but what Mediterranean climate Cal. and the SW? Zone info. on the plants? Growing under conifers? Great farm.
Sorry I’m not familiar with California Plant channel.
One more thought and question: will thornless honey locust work as a nitrogen fixer? Also, I have red that redbud can fix nitrogen. If so, would this tree work well in an orchard? Thank you for your work, your numerous videos and your delightful humor!
Yes to both nitrogen fixers, honey locust and redbud. We use both in our orchard. Honey locust video coming up this summer. Thanks, glad you enjoy the humour.
Thank you!
Great question and we’re both glad you’re enjoying the Chanel 👍
@@StefanSobkowiak We used to plant black locust all over our farm in KY - it is the best honey you may have ever had - we put the hives right around them for about a week or two in may. Clear, light honey - they aren't thornless and have a lot less thorns that honey locust but serve more than one purpose - need to get some more here in IN.
Black Raspberry
Rosa Rugosa -Rosarie de L'Hay
Black Currant
Hazelnut
Black Elderberry - black lace
Great video! Just found your channel ... wonderful content and presentation.
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!
Stefan: Can I grow the plants that you mention in this video in NJ as well, under my White Oak?
Probably, but is sounds like you could try blueberries as well. I would do a simple pH test or look around what other kind of shrubs are growing under other white oaks.
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.
Hi Stefan
You got a new subscriber. Love from London.
Asif M welcome:)
For fruit trees is it better to go for dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock? Also what about species that don't seem to have any grafting options, like mulberry trees, persimmons, or medlar and can grow to be big? Do you not bother growing them, or grow them away from the other traditional orchard fruits?
Size depends on what you need or what is hardy. If you can grow all sizes go for dwarf or semi dwarf. If you have the space and want to leave a legacy go for standard sized, they can live and produce for more than a lifetime.
@@StefanSobkowiak lol Mulberry is a weed here - like Johnson Grass we struggle to plant anything that it doesn't take over - my raspberries are full of Mulberry - I'm thinking the only way to fix it is to remove all the raspberries to plant somewhere else and dig all the Mulberry roots out - maybe putting the raspberries back in - we have comfrey under all trees and in the raspberries.
Do you have an update on Haskaps? Have they moved in your ranking after a few years?
Yes they are climbing the rankings still some cultivars to fruit so I haven’t tried them all.
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!
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.
Have you tried beautyberry?
What about strawberrys?
Or black raspberrys?
No, yes and yes. Only black raspberry still produces, reduced sunlight.
I am confused as you said in a prior video the currants & gooseberries had limited commercial appeal for U Pick in your area.
If you re-ranked by commercial appeal, what would they be?
I recall something about blackberries, raspberries, strawberries foy U Pick?
Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry
Any advice for folks who can't grow any kind of currant or gooseberries? The whole family is banned in NC, USA due to them being a vector for pine rust (yes, I'm mad about it, but it is what it is for now)
Saskatoons, seaberry, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, rhubarb, grape, autumn olive, goumi, and certainly some I can't grow here up north. Look up Eric Toensmeir's property in Massachusetts.
Those hascap I ha e we call them honeyberry in the states. I have them in the front of the house