Non alpines: other types of gardening: growing veg.etc for instance

[Maggi Young]

From what I can find  on the net, the varieities grown in NZ seem to be Ben Ard, Ben Rua, Magnus , Murchison  and Kimberly. These last two being grown in the smallest amount and thus, I expect, the newest.

All the press releases seem to conectrate on breeding for frost resistence, I haven't found any mention of  those that need less cold to induce  flowering . 

[John85]

Thank you very much Maggi!You never stop! even on sundays!
Even if you had two severe winters in Scotland, it becomes a bit of a problem here.We had no more than -6c.Most varieties need more frost than we  usually have here to give a good crop.Some years ago I imported several very tasty varieties from Estonia(where they have a large collection) but they give only a good crop after a cold winter.
May be members from down under can help?

[Stephenb]

Well, I'm not down under, more like up and over. Perhaps one of the Dutch varieties such as Boskoop Giant might work for you?

[Stephenb]

John85 was asking me off forum for the identity of the chives in my "Bunch of Chives" picture which I posted in 2009:



From right to left in the first picture (below, these pictures were taken just before the bunch picture above):  Allium schoenoprasum v. alvarense; Allium schoenoprasum v. alpinum album; My oldest chives (from another gardene here before I realised there was more to chives than meets the eye); alpinum; Dwarf White; Major?; Sibiricum; Wallington's White, Pink Flowered and Allium forrestii (received as)

[John85]

Stephen
Is it not from left to right?

[Stephenb]

No, it was right to left as I thought, but forrestii was at the wrong end of my list. Seems to make sense now...

[Lesley Cox]

My information about blackcurrant (and raspberry) vars being bred in NZ is sketchy, mainly from the fruit vendors at my market but here we consider currants and raspberries to be cold climate crops and there is some breeding locally (in the North Island mostly) for vars that will flower and fruit in warmer climates such as around Auckland and coastal North Island where the cold that triggers flowering just doesn't happen to any great extent. I don't think that any cold in NZ would outdo the cold of France or Britain in a half way decent winter so cold isn't a problem for us, except late frosts on the stone fruit crops.

[John85]

Lesley
Do you know the cultivars of blackcurrant that are grown in the Auckland area?If they got enough cold there to produce flowers they will do the same here.
With raspberries there is not such a problem.

[Stephenb]

You could try sending an email to Ron Beatson at Hortresearch in NZ:

http://www.hortresearch.co.nz/index/page/85

[Lesley Cox]

John, Stephen's suggestion is the best one. I can't tell you myself, Auckland being a foreign land to me.

[John85]

What is the best cultivar of blackberry?All the thornless cv that I tried (the last one was Hull) were disappointing .The taste of the related Boysenberry was not better.Can you suggest a very tasty one please ?

[Lesley Cox]

I'm surprised about the boysenberry John. Here they are truly SCRUMPTIOUS and made into delicious pies, jams, preserves, desserts etc but never better than eaten raw. They do need to be fully ripe though.

[John85]

Hello Lesley
May be I don't have the right plant.Nurserymen also make mistakes!The plant I have is thornless ;is a good grower,produces a lot of fruit but not of the best quality.

[Brian Ellis]

We have an 'Oregon Thornless', not as tasty as wild brambles, but makes decent jam etc

[Lesley Cox]

The commercial vars we have here (it isn't a wild plant, being a hybrid) are viciously thorny. but the fruit is divine and very large, up to 5cms in length and 2 across.