Small fruit 

Index:

• Berries
• Redcurrant
• Whitecurrant
• Blackcurrant
• Gooseberries
• Blueberry
• Lingonberry/Cowberry
• Cranberry/American fenberry
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Japanese wineberry
• Strawberries

Berries 

There are many different species and varieties of small fruit and new hybrids are added almost every year. Most of these fail to establish themselves, but some - like the loganberry - have carved out a niche for themselves in the fruit garden over years. Hybrids are often crosses between blackberries and raspberries. Well-known examples are the currants: redcurrants, whitecurrants and blackcurrants.
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Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) 

This species likes light, humus-rich soil which may contain some chalk. All varieties are self-pollinating. They flower in April-May. The period for harvesting the bunches of redcurrants falls in June-July and differs according to the variety. The bushes need to be vigorously pruned. They bear fruit on short side-shoots on the twigs and branches, the so-called fruiting wood.

Good proven varieties include ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ (large, dark-red, firm berries), ‘Stanza’ (large, dark-red, fairly sour berries), ‘Rotet’ (large bunches of pale red berries), ‘Rondom’ (dark-red, firm, fairly sour berries), ‘Rosetta’ (large, pale red berries).
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Whitecurrant (Ribes rubrum) 

This is a white variant of the redcurrant which generally produces less sour fruit. The aroma is also slightly finer. One advantage is that it is hard for birds to find the fruit. They cannot distinguish the pale yellow colour of the fruit from the foliage.

Good varieties are ‘Witte parel’ (juicy, yellow-white berries) and ‘Witte Hollander’ (pale yellow, sweet berries). The fruit of the whitecurrant are generally slightly smaller than those of the redcurrant and also rather more delicate.
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Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) 

This is a distinctly different species from the whitecurrant and redcurrant. Blackcurrants prefer heavier soil. The bushes flower in April-May and give substantial bunches of dark-coloured fruit on the one and two-year-old wood.

The bushes need to be pruned differently from redcurrants and whitecurrants. Older branches need to be removed every year. The well-known ‘cassis’ drink is made from the fruit. They do not taste good raw, but they are delicious in jam, compote or tarts.

Good varieties are the fairly late-flowering ‘Black Reward’ (the fruit on this variety are also not ready for harvesting until July-August), ‘Baldwin’ (ready for harvesting quite late) and the earlier ‘Wellington XXX’ (harvest in June-July). Blackcurrants contain a lot of vitamin C. ‘Tenah’ and ‘Tsema’ can also be harvested early.
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Gooseberries 

Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) like to grow in nutrient-rich soil with plenty of humus. They can tolerate cooler conditions and semi-shade. Try to select varieties which have little or no vulnerability to mildew (the big problem for gooseberries). There are varieties with green (white) and red fruit.

The taste of ripe fruit is generally full and delicious. The origin of the gooseberry is unclear - no wild varieties are known. The plants flower in April, the harvest is in July-August and varies slightly according to the variety.

Good red varieties include ‘Achilles’ (purple), ‘Rosko’ (pale red, virtually hairless fruit) and ‘Whinham’s Industry’ (dark red, very hairy). A good white (green) variety is ‘Whitesmith’. ‘Golda’ produces yellow, fairly smooth berries.
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Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) 

This species likes acid soil, and is also called the American bilberry. These are attractive bushes which produce a magnificent autumn colour. The plants form berries which resemble bilberries, but are up to three times as big as those of our native bilberry (Vaccinium mytillus).

The bushes on some varieties can reach a height of up to two metres. Harvest fruit in July-August-September, following the flowering in May-June. They self-pollinate. The colour of the fruit ranges from pale to dark blue according to the variety.

Good varieties include the early-ripening ‘Weymouth’, ‘Bluetta’, ‘Earliblue’ and ‘Spartan’. ‘Ama’ (Herma 1) is ready for harvesting somewhat later, and ‘Coville’ is a late variety. Some varieties need to be harvested on a rolling basis (picking some fruit every day) because the ripe fruit can easily fall off.
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Lingonberry/Cowberry 

This bilberry-like plant (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is native to North-West Europe and grows in acid soil. The bushes are evergreen. The plant bears its red berries between September and November. The fairly unobtrusive flowering takes place in May. The berries are turned into jam and jelly. A good variety is ‘Perle d’Amour’.
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Cranberry/American fenberry 

Flowering occurs in June-July. The berries are ready to harvest in September-October. The plant grows well on sandy acidic soil. The berries are particularly used primarily in jams, compote etc. and served as a jelly with red meat dishes.

This plant from North America (Vaccinium macrocarpon) has escaped into the wild on the Dutch Wadden islands of Terschelling and Vlieland (off the coast of North Holland). An entire industry has sprung up there based on these berries, which are harvested in the dune valleys.
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Blackberries 

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) grow well in any normal garden soil. There are thornless and heavily thorned varieties. The canes and stems need to be trained. Flowering takes place from May-June to July-August. The harvesting time for the fruit also varies. ‘Black Satin’ is an early-flowering variety and a good cropper. The fruit comes between July and October.

‘Himalaya’ grows very vigorously and also gives delicious fruit between July and September. Large fruit can be picked from the prickle-free ‘Thornless Evergreen’ from August onwards. ‘Thornfree’ is a late variety (can be harvested in September-October) with fairly delicate stems.
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Raspberries 

This is a native species (Rubus fruticosus) which has been cultivated for many centuries. The plants are usually trained against wires, to which the shoots are tied. New fruit-bearing branches appear out of the ground every year. The old branches need to be cut back annually. The plants can ‘run’ a long way from the roots. Summer raspberries flower in May-June, autumn raspberries in July.

Good varieties are the early ‘Glen Clova’ (harvest in July-August), the intermediate ‘Jochems Roem’ (August-September) and the slightly later ‘Schönemann’ (end of August-September). There are also varieties with different fruit colours, such as the yellow ‘Fall Gold’ on which the large fruit is ready for harvesting in August. A good autumn variety is ‘Heritage’ (harvest in September-October), but the autumn varieties ‘Zeva Herbsternte’ and ‘Baron de Wavre’ are also widely cultivated.
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Japanese wineberry 

This species (Rubus phoenicolasius) has a similar growth habit to a blackberry with long branches with red hairs which also make it a very decorative plant. It is best to tie and train the branches. The plant can then grow very tall. Clusters of white flowers appear in June, followed by the fresh-tasting hollow fruit which you can pick in July-August.

In terms of shape they are reminiscent of blackberries or raspberries. The Japanese wineberry likes moisture-retaining but free-draining and nutrient-rich soil.
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Strawberries 

With strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) you can choose from various groups: delicious wild strawberries, summer-fruiting varieties and perpetual varieties which continue to bear fruit until the frost comes. Extra strong trailing varieties like ‘Ostara’ are also marketed as climbing strawberries.

The choice of varieties is enormous. Summer-fruiting varieties (harvest in June-July) include ‘Gorella’, ‘Elvira’, ‘Senga Sengana’ and the late (July) ‘Tago’ and ‘Bogota’. Good perpetual varieties include ‘Rapella’ and  ‘Ostara’. The best idea is to choose your varieties according to taste. That can vary greatly, as can the fruit size.
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