Zones 4 Minnesota - Survivor Haskap

This haskap has hardly grown over the past three years (see 2011 blog entry). Planted in rich black dirt next to a garage and just beyond the edge of a black walnut tree, we're not sure what are the most detrimental factors that have stunted the growth. Our relatives reported that the garage wall had been covered with insects this summer and they may have eaten all the leaves, but by September, new shoots were thrusting forth in an effort to make a come-back. The Berry Blue honeyberry bush planted a few feet away looked the same.

Haskap sends out new shoots in fall after a bad summer

We conclude that not all locations are ideal for haskap, but yes, the bushes do make a tremendous effort to stay alive. We did decide that after three years it was time to give the bushes a new home so brought them back to The Honeyberry Farm. Bernis, reporting on bushes at Albert Lea, MN

Zone 5b - Maine - Borealis and Tundra Haskap update

Borealis blossoms, May 12, 2014
(planted spring 2012)

Same Borealis bush June 3, 2014

It has been a very cold/late spring in Maine and many of my thornless blackberries and even red raspberries experienced moderate to severe  winter die back.... Haskaps loved it! and I also believe around 95% of the flowers put out were pollinated thanks to mr bumble bee! 

Tundra blossoms May 12, 2014

Same Tundra bush June 3, 2014

I was worried the interior of my plants would remain un-pollinated  due to how thick they are but the bumble bees would just land on the plants and walk their way through the plants from flower to flower (average time a bumble bee would spend on each bush was well over 2 minutes) then just fly to the next haskap plant in the row, ignoring all other flowers in-between in the process. At one point I had a highway of bumble bees going up and down my haskap row.

June 3, 2014 Haskap berries

I have only ever pruned one Tundra while it was in growth (late April) as a personal growth experiment and found it to be extremely detrimental. Instead of spurring new shoot growth it seemed to dramatically slow the plants growth for the rest of the year. I think pruning late fall is the way to go. (Editor's note: A Polish study reports pruning is not recommended until bush is mature, after six years).

The first 2 years the deer really ate all 6 of them back heavily during the fall, this is why I think why the Tundra plants I have seem just as bushy as the Borealis. (Editor's note: Borealis and Tundra are difficult to distinguish the first couple of years anyways, but as they mature, Tundra is significantly more open and sprawling, while Borealis forms a dense dome of branches and leaves. Deer or rabbit pruning does encourage more shoots from the roots. Whether this is recommended in the long term, we don't know, as it takes awhile for the bush to catch up to its unpruned state. Borealis seems bushy enough as it is, while maybe it is beneficial to Tundra to encourage more shoots from the roots.)

Berry Smart Blue fall 2013
(Planted spring 2012)

Berry Smart Blue grows upwards a lot faster and blooms a fair bit sooner then the other two leaving not much overlap but enough (2 weeks this year only 1 last). (Editor's Note: Berry Smart Blue, (aka Czech No. 17) is a Russian cultivar that pollinates with Borealis and Tundra. It has slightly smaller and tarter tubular berries, with some berry drop and leaves turn color earlier as well, but a productive and vigorous bush that fills out more solidly with maturity.)

Brian, coastal Maine

Zone 4 - Minneapolis, MN

May 15, 2014 Haskap blossoms

May 15, 2014 Haskap blossoms

Thanks to Joseph Wehrman: Wildcard Photographic for these fotos of haskap blossoms that he planted the end of October, 2013. Late spring all over the northern states this year, but these berries should be ripe by the end of June.

Zone 5a - Borealis looking good in Iowa

Borealis haskap blossoms

My five Borealis made it through a brutally long and cold Iowa City winter; down to -30 F for several days. They are leafing out and flowering nicely. I could not be happier.

Three were planted last year and two were planted in 2012. As you may remember, the 2012 plants survived a scorching summer drought that year —what a way to start life in my yard. Unfortunately, I still won’t have any berries this year because my Honey Bee pollinator did not make it through the 2012 drought (it was received later in the spring and didn't have as good an opportunity to get established before it turned so hot and dry) I am planting the newly released Aurora this spring as pollenizers for the Borealis.   Fred, Iowa

Dr. Oz promotes Haskap to the USA and beyond

Before Dr. Oz was off the air, we received a phone call from someone in Kansas looking for haskap to help improve her health. The March 11, 2014 show featured an interview with Bryce Wylde of  http://www.wyldeabouthealth.com, one of Canada’s leading alternative health experts, who calls haskap "The Next Superberry." He is launching his new book, "Power Plants: Simple Home Remedies You Can Grow". Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sot0hgdktD4.
-Bernis, www.haskapusa.com / www.honeyberryusa.com

Zone 4a - Idaho Haskap happy at 4,856 feet (1,480 m)

I just called up a grower in southeast Idaho who planted 24 Borealis, 24 Tundra, and 6 Berry Smart Blue in April of 2011. He reported significant growth in 2013, with well established roots and some berry production. He netted against the robbins, so his family was able to enjoy fresh berries and they made some jam. They tended to eat the Tundra fresh as it was the firmest berry, and used a mixture of the Borealis and Berry Smart Blue for the jam, but said all berries tasted good fresh. Berry Smart Blue was the largest and most productive bush. He looks forward to the berries increasing in size as well as a greater yield from the larger bushes this coming spring. Bernis reporting on phone conversation Jan. 27, 2014

Zone 5a, New Hampshire - Beautiful Borealis

Three year old Borealis haskap

All the bushes have berry clusters like this.

The honeyberries are doing great, we are going to have lots of berries this year from the look of things. I must admit when we first got them (April 2011) I was concerned with the size of the bushes, but just last year they must have grown 2 plus feet and are very full, amazing growth. 

They seem to grow well in the soil we have them in. We are lucky if we have 8- 12 inches of topsoil, the rest is sand underneath so it has very good drainage.  I also keep fish so since we planted them  I have been feeding them with water change water, which seems to help out quite a bit.

I may have to prune them back before too many more years. Looking forward to making some jelly this year with them.  Chris, Rochester, NH (May 26, 2013)