I’m planning to plant some honeyberries next year or after and want to prepare the spot now (as in, knock back the grass). Can someone who has full grown plants tell me about how wide they are? Especially if you’re in a more northerly rather than southly location. Thanks!
I would say about 4X4 feet, but some maybe smaller or larger.
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I’m in Washington State near Portland Oregon. I have 16 feet long rows with 5 plants each. They are 3 or 4 years in the ground and are growing into each other. 4 feet centers is probably good, with a little more space between rows.
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How do they taste compared to other berries?
The newer kinds from Saskatchewan are fairly good. They taste somewhat like grapefruit to me. Some of the older varieties are rather astringent and sour. Fresh they are not as good as raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. So far I’ve never gotten enough to more than taste them off the bush, so I am trying a new location for growing them. I would think they would be good in baked items, but I haven’t really tried that yet. (Rhubarb doesn’t taste good fresh, either, but makes terrific baked goods or jam.) So far, my favorite is Aurora. I have about 17 bushes so far of eight varieties (Blue Belle, Berry Blue, Aurora, Borealis, Tundra, Solo, Maxie, Sugar Mountain Blue), and have ordered Blizzard, Beauty, and Indigo Gem.
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I only tasted a few off my bush. They were tart, but not astringent to me. The flavor was better than blueberries at least the few I had were. It was a blueberry like taste. I have some of the Japanese haskaps and a few of the newer Canadian cultivars. Like Rhubarb, I expect them to be amazing when cooked.
The four varieties I have don’t taste like blueberries. They are slightly astringent. It’s a unique taste. After four years the fruit production is low. I have Berry Blue, Blue Belle, Borealis and Honey Bee. Perhaps my climate is too warm. They do struggle during hot summer weather and their appearance is poor by the end of the summer. There are newer varieties that may grow and taste better.
That is too bad, you might be right about the warm weather. Maybe it would be worth trying the Japanese ones? Solo and Maxie are all we have although a user here has one that is an unamed cultivar, I forgot who?
Mine don’t look very good now either. I have older plants at my cottage. They face a low light situation. Yet to fruit, or I missed it before the birds got them. i have 4 more here I just added this year. Maybe just go with blueberries too.
I like tart fruit (I do not like astringent fruit), so not the best judge for most. Plus only having a few berries, I might change my mind on taste once I get a decent crop. Here fruiting looks promising, fruiting already for me the year I got them.
I also added a small serviceberry this year. I lost two at my cottage, they just cannot take the environment. Anyway this one is a small bush really, not a tree. Yet another blueberry like fruit.
Mine are small maybe 2 ft tall by 2 ft wide but they grow poorly in my area and I have to keep them in part shade.
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This thread is unusual in the sense I hear it’s not hardy enough to grow here, a million times before I hear it’s too hot to grow here.
They should do well in your area Drew it’s honestly too hot here in SC for them but I like zone pushing.
I do too, and have had mixed results, as you probably have too. it worked well for some blackberries just barely hardy here, or not hardy here. I also have about 20 figs trees. With some plants it works very well, with others, no. I have had problems with Southern Highbush blueberries. I’m about to give up on them.
I’m in 7a and Honeyberryusa asked me how my Honeyberries were doing since they prefer cooler temperatures. Last year one of them lost all their leaves in late summer and then stared to regrow in the fall. So far they always look healthy in the spring and early summer.
That may be me Drew.I bought a couple Japanese Haskaps from Maxine Thompsom a few years ago.One is growing well,but the other was affected by something a while back and lost some leaves,but looks to be making a comeback.
I have propagated a few cuttings,if people want to try growing them.I think these are from the bigger plant.
I’ll probably start some more in the Spring. Brady
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I feel your pain on blueberries Drew. My northern ones don’t fair to well here but a few are still hanging in there.
I’ve got Tundra, Borealis, Blue Velvet, Solo and another whose name I cannot recall.
Growth has been good, but I missed out on the fruit as something ate them before they were falling off ripe aside heard they should be for best flavor.
Scott