Solanum Burpankii

[NarnianGarden]

Has anyone grown this, aka Wonderberry? One source said it is very slow to germinate - other seed sources said nothing of the sort. My seeds were ordered from Baker Seeds and I will try to grow them this summer.
If indeed it will take up to 40 days to see the first leaves, I will have to begin in early March - or even sooner...

[ChrisK]

Yes, I have. They're pretty underwhelming. They're a pain to pick and mostly seeds. No idea who wrote the description on the SSE package but it's laughable to compare them to blueberries. They also self seed everywhere, good thing they wont take even a mild frost.

That being said, they are easy to grow and make an OK jelly if you use lemon juice to bring out the minimal flavor they have.

I wont grow them again given minimal return on the space used.

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

Has anyone grown this, aka Wonderberry? One source said it is very slow to germinate - other seed sources said nothing of the sort. My seeds were ordered from Baker Seeds and I will try to grow them this summer.
If indeed it will take up to 40 days to see the first leaves, I will have to begin in early March - or even sooner...

[NarnianGarden]

But how long does it take for them to germinate? Weeks, a month?

There are excellent wild berries growing in Finland, but I wanted to have something different on my balcony.

[ChrisK]

Couple of weeks maybe if I recall correctly, but I didn't take detailed notes on germ speed or days to maturity.

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

But how long does it take for them to germinate? Weeks, a month?

[ChrisK]

Here's an amusing blog post about them:

http://thescientistgardener.blogspot...poisonous.html

[NarnianGarden]

Thanks Chris, that's interesting. Some of the comments also very illuminating. I think I'll survive the berries just fine - love to taste different fruit varieties.
(avocado wasn't so yummy at first, either!)