Suggestions for easy care currant types

[lakelady]

I've decided that next year, I want to plant a few tomatoes near our clubhouse by the beach. It's a casual sort of building with a basketball court and some flower beds. Each Spring, we all go down and rake out leaves and plant flowers. However, I think it would be so cool to plant some tiny little easy care tomatoes instead . Maybe not everyone would agree with me, but since I'm on the board, I doubt anyone would have an issue with it. Probably the only perk I'll ever get ha!

So, I'd probably put one in a barrel planter over by the swimming dock, there's a bench seat there. And another one in front of the clubhouse. There are a lot of parties there all summer, and the kids who use the beach frequent the facilities indoors too, so I thought it would be really neat for them to enjoy a few tomatoes when they're around.

I'll probably let them sprawl because I'll be too busy with my own tomatoes to be worried about staking and caging them.

So this is what I have:

Matts Wild Cherry
Ildi
Spoon
Sweet Pea

Keep in mind they wouldn't get watered unless I stop by there once a week and do it myself, so I'm wondering, once these get established, if any of them would be a good, easy, maintenance free plant for that purpose.

Kind of like the "free wild berries" we used to pick as kids near the roadside, and these would be a healthy treat for them. And grownups too .

Oh and something pretty prolific because i suspect once a few old timers figure it out, they'll be coming down with bowls to fill .

We have an old Norwegian lady (she's over 90 now) who shows up each year at the fish stocking and holds out a big pot for someone to put a nice big fish in for her, and trust me, if it's not a keeper, she'll say so!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by lakelady

I've decided that next year, I want to plant a few tomatoes near our clubhouse by the beach. It's a casual sort of building with a basketball court and some flower beds. Each Spring, we all go down and rake out leaves and plant flowers. However, I think it would be so cool to plant some tiny little easy care tomatoes instead . Maybe not everyone would agree with me, but since I'm on the board, I doubt anyone would have an issue with it. Probably the only perk I'll ever get ha!

So, I'd probably put one in a barrel planter over by the swimming dock, there's a bench seat there. And another one in front of the clubhouse. There are a lot of parties there all summer, and the kids who use the beach frequent the facilities indoors too, so I thought it would be really neat for them to enjoy a few tomatoes when they're around.

I'll probably let them sprawl because I'll be too busy with my own tomatoes to be worried about staking and caging them.

So this is what I have:

Matts Wild Cherry
Ildi
Spoon
Sweet Pea

Keep in mind they wouldn't get watered unless I stop by there once a week and do it myself, so I'm wondering, once these get established, if any of them would be a good, easy, maintenance free plant for that purpose.

Kind of like the "free wild berries" we used to pick as kids near the roadside, and these would be a healthy treat for them. And grownups too .

Oh and something pretty prolific because i suspect once a few old timers figure it out, they'll be coming down with bowls to fill .

We have an old Norwegian lady (she's over 90 now) who shows up each year at the fish stocking and holds out a big pot for someone to put a nice big fish in for her, and trust me, if it's not a keeper, she'll say so!

I've never seen Ildi noted to be a currant variety,that's S. pimpinelifolium, for Ildi has always been listed in the yellow/orange section of the SSE YEarbook as a regular tomatoes and that for many many years, and not in the Other Species section where there are many currant varieties listed, some named, most not.

But if you have info to the contrary about Ildi, please do share.

Spoon is just a generic Red Currant. It was offered many years ago by Park Seed Co and they showed the wee fruits sitting in a Spoon, thus the somewhat clever name?

Almost all of the true andhalf true currant varieties should do well where you propose to plant them, and yes, they should be sprawled, b'c that's their natural way of growing. And yes, all the ones I've grown have been high yielding, But IMO I wouldn't see the youngest or oldest ( as you mentioned above) going for them b'c they are very tedious to pick; best to let a truss color up and snap off the whole truss.

So you might want to consider just planting some red and yellow currants, no special name and seeds offered almost everywhere.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...rrant_Tomatoes

Above is a list of currant varieties and I've grown some on that list and you might also consider Sara's Galapagos, which is wee fruited but probably an interspecies stable cross, and has great taste.

In my upcoming seed offer I'll also be offering Wild Sweetie, which is on that list as well, also wee fruited, but has been Ided botanically not as a currant but as a regular S. lycopersicon.

Since most true currant or part currant varieties are probably the ancestors of what we have today, that means, at least to me, that they thrive where others wouldn't, which is one of your criteria.

Indeed, in the other species section of the YEarbook, most of the listings are for currants from Mexico andno oneknowsexactlyhow they got there from the highlands ofChile and Peru which is where they originated from.

Sounds like fun, so go for it.

[OneDahlia]

I grew Matt's Wild Cherry this year. I think I watered them about twice -- they never really looked like they needed it. Very happy plants. Prolific too.

[Wi-sunflower]

I would second what Carolyn said about the currants being too small to be picked easily.

Many years ago Hubby was the Golf Course Superintendent (head grounds keeper) at a private country club. Among his duties were the flower beds. He would almost always put several cherry tomato plants in the bed that was right next to #7 tee. The golfers loved it. They would grab a snack as they walked up to the tee.

So I would go with some cherry plants. Most are easy care enough that they will produce without much if any bother.

Carol

[lakelady]

I was just thinking of what I had on hand....yes, Ildi is a grape isn't it, I'd read reviews that it is very small, so it somehow popped into my head. I know most of the parents who take their kids to the beach during the summer so I could let them know what I'm doing and I'm sure kids would enjoy breaking off a cluster and taking it back to their little beach chairs to enjoy them. Kids have that unique ability to persevere for something they think is neat or cool where adults might give up. Or once they fruit I could bring a few clusters over to give them. Maybe I'll plant a cherry and a currant type. Whatever it is, I want to be sure it's easy care, can sprawl so I don't have to maintain it, and productive so there is plenty of ready supply. I forget how much space is where down there as the past few months I've only run into the building for a meeting or two, usually at night.

Of course the geese or other wild critters might find them quite good as well, and well, that could be problematic for the kids .

Carolyn, I might want to try that Wild Sweetie too, what an adorable name!

My sister always wants a garden, but kills most everything because she and her husband really don't make time for it, but she has really young children so I thought I'd bring her a plant or two as well since I know my 6 year old niece would love it! I'm going to have to break that one in early and bring her here to learn about growing things since her mom cannot ha!