DNA Gardens - Black Currant Plant propagators

DNA Gardens offers a unique collection of ultra, cold hardy plants

Handfuls of black currants at DNA Gardens

BLACK CURRANT PLANTS FOR COMMERCIAL GROWERS & MARKET GARDENERS

Ben Series of Black Currants

New Polish Black Currants - Tiben & Tisel

Nutritionally Speaking, Berry Smart ^tm says: A Ribes (Currant) renaissance is underway in North America! Black currants, highly toted for nutraceutical properties have vitamin C content four times higher than citrus, potassium two to three times more than most fruit and 30 - 40 types of bioflavinoids; much more than most fruits. Consumption of Black currant nectar has shown to benefit the heart and circulatory system, kidney function, liver function and the digestive system.

Click this link to find Black currant pictures
Ben Nevis Black Currant
These are new currant varieties from the Scottish Crop Research Institute. They are superior to the traditional varieties that have been planted previously on the Canadian prairies. The Ben series are selected for heavy, commercial production. Ben Nevis is a sister seedling of Ben Lomond, mid-season, productive with large, firm berries. It has good frost tolerance. It has fruited well in the Edmonton region with no signs of over-wintering problems. It is somewhat resistant to rust, grows vigorously and has good production.
Non-propagation agreement not required.

Ben Alder Black Currant
Another Scottish currant with high yields of medium-small berries which produces a juice with high color stability making it a top choice for juice extraction. The plant flowers late so it is escapes many spring frosts. More resistant to mildew than Ben Lomond. Bushes are vigorous and are machine harvested. Susceptible to WPBR (White Pine Blister Rust). Production does not seem to be reduced as the rust is bothersome late in the season.
Non-propagation agreement required.

Ben Tirran Black Currant
A new variety, the result of a complex cross bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) . It is well suited for commercial juice production as well as the U-Pik markets. This variety has large, attractive, shiny, deep black berries, good tolerance to winter temperatures, reasonable tolerance to spring frosts, pleasant acid-sweet flavored fruit, suitable for mechanical harvesting and late flowering, hence avoiding spring frost damage. Habit of growth is upright and vigorous. UK data of Ascorbic Acid content per 100 g Ben Tirran = 147 mg compared to Ben Lomond at 125 mg. Mean flowering dates (SCRI data) Ben Tirran May 20th compared to May 4th for Ben Lomond. Ben Tirran usually crops around 7 days later than Ben Lomond and produces a more uniform and even ripening. It has produced consistently high yields on all test sites, including UK National Trials. (5 year means) UK yields: Baldwin - 10,349 pounds per acre, Ben Lomond 14,810 - pounds per acre, Ben Tirran - 15,077.9 pounds per acre.
Non-propagation agreement required.

Ben Connan Black Currant
Ben Connan is a new black currant variety bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI). Large, deep black berries make it an ideal variety for commercial growing, especially U-PIK, and for the home garden market. Very high yielding with compact growth habit. This is an early variety of black currant, suitable for mechanical fruit harvesting. In the UK, Ben Connan crops approximately 4 or 5 days earlier than Ben Lomond and produces a more uniform and even ripening. Average # of berries per 250 g: Ben Connan 187/ Ben Lomond 206. Ascorbic Acid Content per 100 g: Ben Connan 130 mg/ Ben Lomond 119 mg. It produces high yields on all test sites and was the highest yielding variety in UK National Trials. UK yields: Baldwin - 10,349 pounds per acre, Ben Lomond 14,810 - pounds per acre, Ben Connan - 16683.8 pounds per acres. This is a cross between Ben Sarek and Ben Lomond. It is not ideally suited for juice production but is excellent for canning, jams, preserves, conserves and consuming fresh. (Let get good and ripe! North American palettes require this fruit to be dead ripe.)
Non-propagation agreement required.

Ben Hope Black Currant
This is a much planted commercial black currant in England. It is very upright in growth and quite tall which makes it nicer to harvest. You might say more of the fruiting plant is in the "strike zone" making the collection of fruit more likely for a mechanical harvester. Winter hardiness is good. It is doing well at DNA Gardens.

Ben Sarek Black Currant
This is a mid-season cultivar with large firm berries. Very productive and displays a compact semi-dwarf growth habit, about 1 meter tall and is ideal for PYO farms and home gardens. It fruits ahead of Ben Lomond and is resistant to mildew and White Pine Blister Rust.
Non-propagation agreement required.

Black currants are the best in smoothies !

Nutritionally Speaking, Berry Smart ^tm says: Seeds of black currants are rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Fresh fruit have an abundance of vitamins A, B and C and contain between 6 and 9% sugar. They are also full of antioxidants

Tiben & Tisel Polish Black Currants We are the licensed propagators in Canada for these new varieties. We are just establishing stock and will have material available in the future.

Black Currants
We can supply large orders of any of the Ben Black Currants. We will have numbers of
Tiben, the Polish black currant. Tisel is still a long ways off. We are licensed prop-
agators for these varieties. Non propagation agreements will be required.
Royalty payments are submitted to the proper institutions.
			Ben Alder	Ben Sarek
	Varieties we carry:		Ben Conan	Ben Tirran
			Ben Hope	Tiben	coming
			Ben Nevis	Tisel	coming

Price for unrooted	$1.00	< 200	We will contract grow rooted black currant
hardwood cuttings	$0.75	200-500	plants with 1 year's notice. Minimum of
	$0.50	500 +	1000 plants.

Royalty + 15%

DNA Gardens
Telephone: 403 773-2489
Fax: 403 773-2400
Email: office@dnagardens.com

Top photo: Luscious handfuls of black currants