Zone 7a - TN - Early bloomers doing just fine

Plenty of bloom overlap on the early ones. We are in Athens, TN zone 7A. (from spring 2017 planting) Aurora bloomed first in late February followed by Borealis, which is our most prolific producer and Sugar Mountain Blue. Since they were the only plants with early blooms, the bees were all over them. I ended up with a quart of berries on each of the two Borealis. And a small handful on the Aurora.

I have already harvested the berries this year. In TN the berries are ready in early May.

Since we have a long growing season, we had two bloom times. Once in spring when they were small twigs and once in fall. The growth that took place in February and March of this year was amazing! So in the plants in their second year of growth are taking off!

The one thing I wasn’t prepared for was that honeyberries go dormant in the summer (they look dead, brown and withered), but then leaf out when the weather cools down in Zone 7.  Honeyberries in the Deep South do better under a 40 percent shade cloth in July/August. 

I take pictures and map the growth and production on everything. Including the berries under shade cloth and those that aren’t. And plants that are mulched and plants that aren’t! Hoping to figure out the best way to grow them in the south!

Sandra, Athens, TN