Home »News »Home-Lifestyle News
New varieties of blackcurrants developed
25/02/2010
 Growing a good crop of blackcurrants after a mild winter can often prove difficult, with harvests showing uneven bud breaks and poor fruit quality if temperatures don't drop low enough.
And blackcurrants are not the only fruit which needs a cold period - many varieties of apples, pears and rhubarb need a long spell below seven degrees C to ensure that the fruit grows properly during the summer.
While this winter has been cold, data shows that during the last century there has been a 12 per cent reduction in the length of time the weather stays below seven degrees C in the south-east.
This has been causing concern about future fruit production, leading scientists to work on developing new crops which do not require cold weather to grow.
The Scottish Crop Research Institute near Dundee, which was been working to develop new varieties which can withstand milder weather, has also joined forces with colleagues in other northern European countries to ensure the soft fruit industry survives.
Blackcurrants were called "miraculously healthy" by the Daily Telegraph earlier this month.
Make the most of your garden with our free plant deals.
Posted by Carla Spuri. |
Related Home-Lifestyle News
- 27/07/2010 Can't afford a holiday? Why not turn your garden into a Mediterranean paradise?
- 26/07/2010 Would you choose a holiday over home improvements?
- 23/07/2010 Loyd Grossman: Don't compromise quality foods for convenience
- 21/07/2010 Want a glamorous bathroom?
- 16/07/2010 Will 2010 be known as the year of 3D?
- 13/07/2010 Stuck for gardening ideas? Hit your public park
- 08/07/2010 Gardening during a hosepipe ban
- 29/06/2010 Children 'benefit from gardening'
- 17/06/2010 HTA National Plant Show 'to focus on new plants'
- 08/06/2010 People encouraged 'to tackle plant invaders' threat'
- 01/06/2010 Average Brits sleep 6 hours a night
- 26/05/2010 Keep the doctor at bay by gardening every day
- 25/05/2010 Turning a paved garden into a green oasis 'is simple'
- 11/05/2010 Crash diets 'often don't work'
- 28/04/2010 Gardening without a garden 'is possible'
- 27/04/2010 Garden bargains 'continue to attract people to outdoor life'
- 23/04/2010 Garden bargains to be found at the National Plant Show
- 23/04/2010 Furniture a 'garden bargain for people spending summer at home'
- 16/04/2010 Don't be scared of doing home improvements, says expert
- 13/04/2010 Back bed mattress 'can cause back problems'
- 13/04/2010 Consumers 'shunning organic food and drink'
- 12/04/2010 Painting a room is a home improvement bargain
- 09/04/2010 Get the garden ready for 'for Saturday scorcher'
- 08/04/2010 Basic home improvements 'should be learned in the family'
- 01/04/2010 Brits plan garden and home improvements for Easter
- 30/03/2010 Brits 'going to bed later than ever before'
- 25/03/2010 Seed potatoes and carrots 'good for beginners'
- 23/03/2010 Grow your own 'offers garden bargains'
- 22/03/2010 Get ready to plant vegetables, says expert
- 19/03/2010 Gardeners 'snapping up vegetable seeds'
- 12/03/2010 Home improvement bargains 'can give a home a fresh look'
- 10/03/2010 Japanese Knotweed problem to be 'tackled' by bug
- 09/03/2010 Government announces plans to phase out peat-based compost
- 04/03/2010 Use a fleece to keep new plants warm, says expert
- 02/03/2010 Gardeners want 'local plants'
- 01/03/2010 Plug plants 'not such garden bargains'
- 25/02/2010 Research can help people find 'home improvement offers'
- 25/02/2010 RHS offers free seeds to encourage people to grow veg
- 23/02/2010 Rare snowdrop bulbs 'not such garden bargains'
- 22/02/2010 Sort your rhubarb now, advises top gardener
- 18/02/2010 Honey fungus is most 'bothersome' garden diseases
- 17/02/2010 Flowers delayed 'for up to a month'
- 17/02/2010 Gardeners should 'watch use' of chemicals
- 16/02/2010 Boiler Scrappage Scheme is a 'home improvement bargain'
- 12/02/2010 Bathroom DIY offers home improvement bargains
- 10/02/2010 Potatoes 'a firm allotment favourite'
- 08/02/2010 Plants can 'enhance' quality of life
- 08/02/2010 Grow Your Own 'continues' to be popular
- 05/02/2010 Grow your own show postponed
- 05/02/2010 Gardening becoming more popular
- 02/02/2010 Tea is a 'trendy' food and drink option
- 02/02/2010 Snails, slugs and beetles among the worst garden pests
- 02/02/2010 Evergreen Clematis named February's plant
- 01/02/2010 Look out for longhorn beetles, the HTA warns
- 27/01/2010 Start working on garden, says TV gardener
- 25/01/2010 Technology has damaged gardening, says Alan Titchmarsh
- 21/01/2010 Switch providers rather than 'ditching home insurance'
- 20/01/2010 Using cuttings to grow plants is 'hugely satisfying'
- 18/01/2010 Don't be hit by the big freeze - check your pipes
- 15/01/2010 Alan Titchmarsh to get hands dirty again
- 14/01/2010 Planting vegetables instead of flowers next gardening trend?
- 07/01/2010 Green home improvement helps 'energy efficiency'
- 07/01/2010 Number of allotments to 'increase'
- 06/01/2010 Gardeners encouraged to sign up for allotments
- 05/01/2010 Carol Klein launches Grow Your Own Garden book
- 04/01/2010 Daffodils bloom despite the snowy weather
- 31/12/2009 Home improvement trends for 2010
- 29/12/2009 Home Office gives home insurance advice
- 23/12/2009 A garden offers a retreat, says expert
- 23/12/2009 Expert gardener says trees are good garden bargains
- 22/12/2009 Garden offers new plant to Royal Botanic Garden experts
- 22/12/2009 Billboard of Mary and Joseph in bed causes fury
- 21/12/2009 Food and drink: Buy a good bird this Christmas, says expert
- 21/12/2009 Food and drink news: 'Brits not aware of what they drink'
- 18/12/2009 Christmas tree was a 'garden bargain'
- 16/12/2009 Conservatives announce home improvement offers
- 14/12/2009 Food and drink preparation 'can help prevent Christmas stress'
- 10/12/2009 Garden centre promotes back to work skills
- 01/12/2009 Shane McGowan to star in gardening programme
- 30/11/2009 Home improvement offers less to buyers, expert says
- 26/11/2009 Home improvement 'easier' with visual planning permission guidelines
- 24/11/2009 Brits still 'opting for British food'
- 20/11/2009 Nicole Kidman's garden not as good as she hoped
- 18/11/2009 Now's the time to prepare your allotment for winter, says expert
- 17/11/2009 Average Brit spends £550 a year on takeaways
- 10/11/2009 Shallots and onions should be planted now, RHS says
- 04/11/2009 People 'do not know' rules over simple home improvements
- 03/11/2009 Bed-time myth debunked in new book
- 03/11/2009 Stock plants bought as bare roots make good garden bargains
- 29/10/2009 Pumpkins and squash make great decorations, gardener says
- 28/10/2009 Top garden craft tips offered by gardening expert
- 26/10/2009 Make an effort with your spring bulbs now, expert says
- 22/10/2009 Seminar teaches 'back-to-basics gardening'
- 21/10/2009 Experts offer winter gardening tips
- 21/10/2009 Bed Show gets go-ahead
- 20/10/2009 Simple measures 'help boost homes' efficiency'
- 20/10/2009 Grow your own edible hedge, says gardening expert
- 15/10/2009 Prepare your garden now for winter, says expert
- 14/10/2009 Gordon Ramsay launches kitchen range
- 12/10/2009 Jamie Oliver: Growing herbs and salad leaves is brilliant
- 09/10/2009 Plastic lawn wins gardening award
- 08/10/2009 More personal home improvements wanted
- 02/10/2009 Vegetable seeds 'not up to scratch'
- 01/10/2009 Mix it up with unusual garden bulbs
- 29/09/2009 More households granted help with water bills
- 25/09/2009 Taking in a lodger 'may affect your home insurance'
- 18/09/2009 Home improvements 'back in vogue'
- 14/09/2009 Basement conversions 'add value to a home'
- 04/09/2009 Gardening Direct launches new vegetable collections
- 01/09/2009 Check home insurance policies for garden cover, says expert
- 28/08/2009 Know your home improvement limits, says expert
- 25/08/2009 DIY disasters could leave Brits with a big bill
- 14/08/2009 Conservatories 'still a favourite with homeowners'
- 13/08/2009 Over-65s to have £1.5trn of housing equity by 2029
- 11/08/2009 Conservatory blinds 'help control temperature'
- 10/08/2009 Kitchen facelifts 'can be achieved on a budget'
- 07/08/2009 Equity release 'used for garden and home improvements'
- 06/08/2009 Outdoor rooms 'free-up living space'
- 05/08/2009 Alan Titchmarsh: 'Gardening is good for you'
- 03/08/2009 Green improvements 'can lead to long-term savings'
