I have a few in full sun that I’m thinking of moving to partial shade. Does anyone have experience with how well they’d grow/fruit in partial shade? From what I’ve read, it seems they’ll do okay.
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I have one under a pear and it seems as good as the ones I have in the sun.
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Yeah, they can handle some shade, but then you have higher risk of fungus/rust ruining a higher number of the fruit. Even still - they are productive - so many fruits should come through fine regardless.
We’re talking about the same thing, right? Juneberries aka Saskatoons aka Serviceberries?
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I have two that have been in the ground in full sun for 6 years. They are about 5’-6’ tall and maybe 4-5’ wide and have NEVER made a fruit. This baffles me somewhat, as almost everything else seems to go pretty good here.
I put these in the ground at my County Extension guys recommendation. I’d wanted to get some Blueberries started and he said “…looking at the soil map, you probably live in the worst place in our county to try and grow Blueberries. Have you ever thought about Serviceberries…, they’re native” Then he went back to the kitchen area and got a jar of Juneberry Jelly and put some on a cracker for me. I thought it was good, and promptly ordered in a couple.
I’m a fairly patient guy, but if they don’t do something this year they’re coming out to make room for something else!
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Right. All the same thing. The area I have in mind starts getting more and more shade after the summer solstice, but should be nice and bright when they’re fruiting. I’m going to go for it and see what happens.
Which kinds do you have? I think mine are Martin, Smoky, and Princess Diana.
I’ve got two in light shade and they fruit well. I also have a Smokey in full sun and it doesn’t fruit for me either (though it’s still only about 4.5 feet tall)
Scott
So which ones do you like? I’m adding one this year.
I had one in more than partial shade, less than full shade btw, and it died. I want to replace it.
None of mine have fruited yet, but the descriptions in St. Lawrence Nurseries catalog are:
Princess Diana - Can reach up to 20 feet tall. Delightful large purplish-red fruit is sweet and abundant. Large white blossoms and vibrant fall color.
Martin - Larges fruit of any juneberry cultivar. Originated in Saskatchewan in 1990 as an improved selection of Theissen, with larger berries and more uniform ripening.
Northline - Berries slightly pear-shaped, full-flavored with good sweet/tart balance. Bears at an early age and suckers freely. Introduced 1960
Smoky - Fruit large and round with a sweet, mild flavor. Ripens over long period. Bush vigorous and spreading, forming many suckers. 1928.
St. Lawrence had over 10 varieties. I picked these four because they sounded best. One of them died on me, either Northline or Smoky.
Oikos has tree form serviceberries and with one at about 15 feet, it hasn’t suckered yet. My Smoky hasn’t either, though I wish it would.
Best flavored one I have found is outside of a law office around the corner from me. I’ve been chased away twice, once by the office mgr and once by cedar waxwings. Big juicy berries and more abundantly than mine have been.
I probably should save a few and plant some seeds, but they don’t make it home (and the seeds are my favorite part.
Scott
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You could try taking a few cuttings. I bet it’d root pretty easily.
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I’ll have to plan a walk one afternoon after the law office closes for the day, or maybe on a Sunday, once there’s some new growth.
Anyone ever rooted serviceberries before?
No, but root me one too! I’m going to pick up Northline for now as it is small.[quote=“SMC_zone6, post:8, topic:4864”]
St. Lawrence had over 10 varieties
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Wow! thanks for the tip!
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Happy to try. I still have lovage for you, if you still want it.
Scott
Yes, I could use it. We can work that out later this year.
There is a whole row of some sort of Amelanchier along one of the buildings I walk by every day to work. They are almost under an underhang of the building and in east exposure. They also get shaded by mature hackberries that are towards the street. They produced fruit last year, and I recall them producing fruit other years. They weren’t spectacular last year, but I was too chicken to be that guy out with a tupperware container picking juneberries off of the campus plans.
I would pick them. (Ask first) they sound really tasty too. A cross between blueberry, blackberry, black cherry and almond.
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They taste like a bland and seedier version of a blueberry. When they are still firm, but very dark - almost purplish black - is when they taste the best-- almost as good as blueberries.
They are messier than mulberries, yet the city where I live plants them all over the place. There’s one tree located a stone’s throw from my townhouse. I eat a few berries every year, but then I feel like the silly bucket guy. The tree - and my house - is not far from a busy intersection with gawking motorists and pedestrians alike. The tree is fairly tall too, so I sort of jump to pick the berries. Guess I’m not really the bucket guy. I’m the jumping guy. People have no idea what I’m doing and the behavior must look ridiculous to them.
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Lol! I’ve never tasted one, but after looking them up they look just like blueberries. Ok, jumping guy, you be careful now!
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My daughter keeps asking me to plant blueberries, but I don’t want to manage soil acidity, so I’ve been considering juneberries as an alternative. Still would be nice to find one to sample first.
Edible landscaping is offering some in 3 inch pots. Could I really expect those to bear in 3 years?
Not sure if they would in three years? Probably! Another alternative is honeyberries. I grow my blueberries in raised beds and it’s not that hard to manage the soil. Just fill it with mostly pine bark and peat moss, and a touch of garden soil or compost in peat moss or both. Water with rainwater or add acid. OK, it is starting to get hard to manage!
I looked at your link and Regent June Berries are not very good from reports I have heard. Extremely bland. I would go with the ones mentioned in this thread. Look at these honeyberries Not sure of your zone? Honeyberries and June Berries do not do well in warmer zones. Zone 8 is borderline.
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