I picked up four raspberry cuttings from Big R the other day.  I’m not ready to put them in the ground yet but I needed to get them out of packaging.

I’ve potted them.  I’m hoping we’re past the frost season–my tiny greenhouse is crowded with the cuttings I’ve added lately.

I picked a variety of raspberry developed by Cornell.  It’s called Heritage Raspberry.  This variety is disease resistant and has a long production season that starts mid summer.

Lastly, I purchased some red currant bushes.  They should produce mid to late summer.

Some good reasons to grow… Currants are high in vitamin C.  The recommended daily allowance hold 68% of the Vitamin C we should take in a day.  Currants are also high in manganese.  BTW, the RDA is 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces or less than a quarter of a pound).

Currants contain vitamin K.  I’d never heard of vitamin K.  It’s related to blood clotting and is used as an antidote to warfarin and other poison.  Very cool stuff.

Unfortunately, currants are very tart.  It’s going to be interesting incorporating them into my diet.  Somehow I don’t think they’ll replace my addiction to Orangina.

P.S.  There are also some Concord grapes in that pic.

The berries and grapes come from De Groot, Inc.  The currants come from Pacific Groves.

–JS