If you dream of growing tart and sweet currants and gooseberries, you're in luck; many varieties grow well in our region. Both types of berries can be eaten raw, seeds and all, or cooked into various delicious concoctions like jellies, jams, syrups and juices, or added to baked goods.
In some neighboring states, however, you'll need to check if you can grow them or not. Currants and gooseberries serve as the alternate host for a fungus known as white pine blister rust, an invasive species affecting American white pine trees since the early 1900s.
The fungus can cause needle loss on the white pines, but the impact is heavier on the wood itself, especially if it is grown to be harvested for lumber.
Widespread outbreaks of the disease in the early part of the 20th century moved some states to impose a ban on growing gooseberries and currants, in order to protect white pines. That federal ban was lifted in 1966, but in some regions, restrictions still stand today.
Currently, no ban exists on growing gooseberries and currants in Vermont or New York. In New Hampshire, you'll need a permit to grow them. And in Massachusetts, black currants are banned, while gooseberries and red currants require a permit. (However, they are fully restricted in certain municipalities.)
Because of this, it's best to check with your state's department of agriculture to see if you can legally and safely grow currants and gooseberries.
If you can grow them, and want to start with currants, look for "Pink Champagne" for enjoying fresh from the bush. If juice-making is your plan, go for black or red currants, and be sure to plant disease-resistant varieties.
As for gooseberries, try "Red Hinnomaki" or try the sweeter jostaberry, which is a cross between black currant and gooseberry.
Currants and gooseberries fit well in the landscape, and prefer partial to full sun and well-drained soil. They'll grow 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. These berry bushes are a favorite food source for backyard birds, too!
Prune them every couple of years to remove the old growth, and you'll have plenty of currants and gooseberries for years to come.
Harvesting knotweed for edible uses
Q: I'm interested in learning uses for knotweed and harvesting it. We have an abundance of it on our hillside along the Leicester River in Salisbury. - Janice and Brian, via email
A: Knotweed is an invasive plant in Vermont, found growing along waterways, in ditches, along the roads and any place where it's wet.
And, knotweed is an edible plant with a sour taste. In Japan, it's actually a culinary delight and eaten early in the spring, when it first comes up.
If you plan to harvest some knotweed for eating, snap off the shoots to test that they're tender enough. Then use it like you would use rhubarb. You can peel the stems or leave them as they are, chop them up, and make pies. The leaves are also edible, and can be added to salads as a sour green.
Jumping worms vs. moles
Q: I have grown organic vegetables in the same spot for close to 50 years. The soil is pretty rich. But this year I noticed such huge numbers of worms that I was disturbed. Every time I'd stick an implement in the ground I'd get worms. At first I convinced myself that my years of organic gardening are finally paying off (who doesn't love worms?), but lately I'm suspecting a less pleasant cause - the jumping worms. They don't look like what I expect jumping worms to look like, but they are aggressive and they apparently multiply incredibly. At the same time I'm noticing a lot more mole activity than usual. After reading up on jumping worms I am wondering about the relation between the two. Left alone, will the moles control the worms? - Wendy, in Guilford
A: This may be a case of which critter you want to favor, as they can both do some measure of damage in your lawn and gardens.
Indeed, moles will eat Asian jumping worms, which are invasive in Vermont, because of their voracious appetites for all things organic and how they alter beneficial ecosystems.
Moles will also eat earthworms — also considered non-native in Vermont and New England. Earthworms tend to have a better reputation in gardens, though, as they do aerate the soil and provide beneficial drainage.
Moles can make a mess of a lawn or garden, too, digging it up and creating tunnels.
So perhaps let the moles take care of some of the worms and try these other methods, too.
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