Zone 3 - MN Honey Bee survivor haskap

Honey Bee haskap stands guard over egg

A Honey Bee haskap appeared dead after winter, but new life appears alongside the sole egg in a ground nest. Does anyone know what kind of bird egg this is?

Bernis, Minnesota

Zone 4b - South Dakota - Clay soil good for haskap, sandy soil bad

Honey Bee haskap bushes

Borealis haskap bushes

The honeyberries planted in the Fort Thompson Community Orchard (April 2012) are thriving. We have (20 each) Tundra, Honeybee and Borealis. All are doing fine and no pollination issues. The soil is a pretty average, to a slightly higher clay, than most soils in our area. They seem to like it. Just three miles away, my honeyberries are planted in a much finer sandier soil. They are NOT doing well at all. There are no berries on them at all this year. They are just surviving. I am going to increase their water even more this year and see if that helps. Definitely won't be planting more honeyberries around my place.

Honey Bee haskap berries

We just picked some of the ripe ones from the Tundra and a few from the Honeybee (May 29/15).  Some were ripe enough that they were falling off.  Great eating.  Only picked about half a gallon.  The majority are a bit away yet and on the Honeybee bushes there is almost like a second crop of the berries that are still very green. 

Rod Vaughn, Diamond Willow Ministries (www.d-w-m.org), Ft. Thompson, SD
Crow Creek Community Orchard: hunkpati.org/community-initiatives/crow-creek-community-orchard

Zone 3b - Spring wind storm hacks haskap leaves

Russian blue honeysuckle decimated

Russian blue honeysuckle

University of Saskatchewan blue honeysuckle fares better

Most of the Russian varieties I bought had their leaves transformed to tissue paper. 32F (0C) and 22 mph (35 km/hour) wind on May 18, 2015.

Michael, Bismark, ND

Zone 5b - Spring cleanup

Keeping the grass away from haskap helps a lot. 

While suffering from a few broken branches due to the heavy snow/ice/melt/freeze conditions in the northeast this past winter, this lineup of haskap looks ready to get growing!

Borealis, Tundra and Berry Smart Blue haskap lineup
Planted May 2012

Buds ready to burst forth on April 17

Brian, Cape Porpoise, ME

Zone 5b - Springville, UT Honey Bee haskap comeback

I thought I needed to order a replacement for what I thought was a dead Honey Bee haskap that I had planted last year. Last fall, my dog whipped the young haskap with her tail and broke it at the base. To my surprise this past week, the Honey Bee has pushed up a new stem and is growing vigorously. It is already about 2-3 inches tall and leafing profusely. Kevin, Springville, UT Elevation 4,577 ft

Zone 1 - Ester, AK (Fairbanks area)

Report regarding last summer: "The haskaps seem to be immune to our winters, and the kids love them. I find them lying on their backs under the bushes grazing away." Steve, Ester, Alaska

Zone 4b-5a New Mexico Highlands

I'm trying a couple of plants at 5,000 ft. Albuquerque, and 8-plants at 7,500 ft. Taos. I have:

1 plant left at 7,800 ft. Costilla (-23F. No snow cover. Summer high 85-90F. Last spring frost, 2014, May 27. 13" precipitation per year)

3 plants at 8,200 ft. Amalia

I've not had any success with the Siberian/Russian varieties and am now trying a few Japanese varieties. Of the first two original orders I put in, about half have died and the rest are about 4-6 inches tall after a few years. I find that the sun is too much for them here. I'm moving what I have into a shaded apple orchard to see if they fare better. Also, they don't seem to tolerate drought conditions well at all. Unless you can get them some plants with 8-10" roots they are going to struggle and the sun scalded leaves just don't help. Another grower I work with in New Mexico has reported similar results with their haskap/honeyberry trials. Ron, New Mexico, member of NAFEX (North American Fruit Explorers).