There are several small fruits that are easy to grow and fully hardy in our area. They also grow in the wild, but are larger and easier to find in the garden.
Most of us are familiar with saskatoon berries. There are several cultivars available with shrubs ranging in height from seven to 12 feet. Productive years can alternate with less productive ones. Most will produce suckers, some more so than others.
The most common problem with these shrubs is the saskatoon-juniper rust. Early symptoms appear as yellowish spots and swellings on leaves and fruit, while later symptoms include firm, yellow, spiky outgrowths from leaves and fruit, producing orange spores.
Twigs and branches can also be infected, causing swelling and distortion. This damage may allow infection by the canker fungi. The rust spores infect juniper, and the juniper infection produces spores that infect saskatoons.
I find some infected fruit and leaves every year and remove them to prevent secondary infection with canker. It is impractical to remove junipers because the spores can travel substantial distances and we have many native junipers in the area. I have not found this disease to be a major problem.
Red and black currants and gooseberries can be found in the wild, but rarely in great abundance. They all make lovely jam, jelly, juice and even wine. All three grow on small shrubs.
Red Lake is the red currant cultivar most readily available. The oldest stems should be pruned out regularly. The only problem I have encountered is the currant blister aphid.
Leaves at the shoot tips appear puckered or blistered with yellow or reddish discolouration. Pale yellow aphids can be found on the underside of the leaves. Fruit production is not affected, and treatment is not essential.
Spraying with insecticides is ineffective because the spray does not reach the aphids inside the puckered hollow. I check the tips of twigs regularly and remove affected ones. Black currants are treated the same as red currants, and are also susceptible to the currant blister aphid.
Gooseberries are often described to me as tart. There may be two reasons for this – the cultivar and ripeness. The hardiest gooseberry for us is the pixwell gooseberry. It is a deep purple colour when ripe. It is tasty eaten out of hand or can be made into jam or jelly.
Unfortunately, in spite of its name, it has thorns requiring careful harvesting. I have not had any insect or disease problems with gooseberries.
Pruning is necessary to remove dead branches and to shorten branches where the tips are touching the ground, unless you want to multiply your plants.
Tips touching the ground will grow roots and a new shrub. This can be dug up and moved – otherwise you will create an impenetrable jungle.
Horticulturalist Mary Wright has lived in Denare Beach for over 20 years. She shares her passion for gardening with Flin Flon readers in The Reminder.
