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fruitmaven_wiz5

UW Madison Agrigultural Research Station Raspberry Varieties

fruitmaven_wiz5
10 years ago

There have been a lot of raspberry questions lately, and I've come across my notes on some of the varieties of raspberries from the UW Madison Ag Research Station (zone 5a). Only some, because I just took notes on what was fruiting at the times I visited. Also, there weren't any berries I disliked!

I take that back. I dislike Heritage because it often doesn't fruit before frost in zone 5a.

In July, the summer-bearing raspberries were fruiting. Boyne and Prelude were earliest, Encore and Lantham the latest, but their fruiting times can overlap.

Boyne - early raspberry, medium size, good flavor.
Prelude - early raspberry, medium size, sweet and good flavor. Japanese beetles attacked this one the most.
Nova - largest berries, firm and tart raspberry flavor, not as sweet as others.
Taylor - huge berries, softer, very sweet yet with an excellent raspberry tartness. Very good, tied for favorite red.
Lantham - medium size, juicy and sweet, not as tart as others
Encore - large berries, excellent flavor, tied for favorite red.
Unknown yellow - my favorite, medium berries, sweet with a pineapple-honey flavor. They're sweet when they're white, but turn yellow and then a yellow-orange.

September 12, 2012 The fall-bearing raspberries were fruiting.

Polka - medium size, sweet, good flavor
Polana - medium size, tart raspberry flavor
Jaclyn - large berries, mild and sweet flavor
Caroline - medium size, tart and sweet, good flavor
Malling Autumn Britten - medium size, juicy, good flavor
Ann - medium size, sweet and pineapple flavor, good
Unknown yellow - bearing it's second crop of the season, excellent as ever. Better than Anne.

Comments (6)

  • jujujojo_gw
    10 years ago

    A very corrupt school ...

  • fruitmaven_wiz5
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Whatever, I won't discuss their politics. They plant lots of raspberries (and seedless grapes!), so I appreciate that.

  • berry_bob
    10 years ago

    fruitmaven Do they sell plants ?

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Every University is corrupt beyond hope, but the researchers usually do their jobs well. I agree it's a different topic. It doesn't belong here. I'm still wondering what that unkown yellow is? Send me some seeeds, let's grow it! I know a chance of it not coming out true, but if I germinate 20 seeds one is bound to be true! If you can taste them, you can get seeds! Most raspberries are self fertile, so a good chance seeds will be true.
    I'm experimenting with growing seeds this year. I have been making crosses for fun.
    We really can't do it till next spring anyway, they will need to be stratified. I'll send back suckers bare root, though it make take years to get there. I'm serious, send me seeds!
    Next year when you sample, save me a berry! Send whole berry, it doesn't matter if it ferments, that helps remove protective layer on seed.

  • fruitmaven_wiz5
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    No, they don't sell plants. (Darn it!) They won't even allow cuttings from grapevines. (I'm looking at you, Trollhaugen.) A student intern mentioned they're not staffed on Sundays, and she didn't believe anyone would notice a few suckers missing... My husband disapproves of such tactics. I could always volunteer my time pruning to assuage any guilt.

    Drew51, that is a very interesting offer. I will keep it in mind come summer. Remember, this unknown yellow IS planted with a whole bunch of other raspberries. It's at the end of the row, but still. Hmm, perhaps I could catch it when it's the almost the only raspberry fruiting.

    It is amazing, it begins fruiting a week after the earliest summer-bearing raspberries, takes a break, and fruits again with the fall-bearing raspberries. Yes, I know it's technically fall-bearing, but it gives two decent crops.

    No one can remember where they obtained the unknown yellow. They would grub it out (since it's unlabelled and not technically part of the raspberry trial), but it's every staff member's favorite variety as well. I vaguely recall someone speculating that it's a test variety from somewhere, but it's pretty useless to test the variety and forget what it is.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    I'm sure the yellow color is recessive, so any that bear yellow fruit would be true. Some of the seeds have to self pollinate. Yeah probably more likely when it is the only one fruiting! Good idea!
    Plus a mix might be orange, and that would be cool too!
    I currently have 20 pots in a cold frame with seeds. I'm trying various methods, some seeds kept in the fridge I'm trying to grow now. I just put them in a wet paper towel to try and germinate.Some were left all year in the cold frame.
    So by next year I should be better at it, or hopefully learn something from these current seed experiments.

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