Okay, I bought three more honeyberries. $73! Indigo Gem, Indigo Treat, and Aurora.
This hobby is not cheap! I was reading about propagating honeyberries and it sounds as if it’s as easy as currants, just stick a dormant stick into the ground. I like to take cuttings late winter as they are fresher and spring is the perfect time to grow. I may though grow some indoors next winter. Off patent types of course.
If they are that easy I will try that too. I have sections of woodlands in my back yard that I mow around. Some are just Honeysuckle with Lilacs. Honeysuckle is invasive. I plan on taking out the honeysuckle in one area and leaving the Lilacs. I will fill in with Haskap, honeyberry, and saskatoons. I was thinking about trying to graft to the honeysuckle rootstock but I don’t even think I’ll bother. We have shablow too which I believe is related to serviceberry / saskatoon.
Haskap btw is a honeysuckle but it is not invasive. At the test plots at the University of Saskatchewan no volunteers have been observed…
Those are expensive!
I sent them a email and told them if they want to save some money and combine shipping with my romance cherries the could. They said thanks for the offer and combined them and gave me back $15 dollars of shipping fees.
1 Like
I wonder if my lonicera fragrantissima (winter honeysuckle) would serve as a pollinator for honeyberries/haskap. I’m thinking it may be too early as it is currently in bloom (and has been for a couple weeks). It is easily the earliest blooming shrub in my yard, beating out forsythia and clove currant most years by a month or so. Anyone see anything about these fruit being pollinated by other members of the lonicera family?
Scott
Does anyone have a report of how the fall foliage of Smokey compares to Autumn Brilliance? I’d like to plant a juneberry as an anchor plant in a ornamental bed, and would hope to marry form and function.
Smokey has mostly yellowish leaves in the Fall.There is a reason why Autumn Brilliance has that name,with the very vivid red and orange foliage. Brady
Drew,
I was doing quite well in exercising self-restraint in buying more nursery stock this year until I read your post. Last night I impulsively ordered a Sugar Mountain Blue Honeyberry and Solo and Maxie Yezberries from Honeyberry USA. I already have several borealis, a tundra, an Indigo Gem, two Auroras, two Blue Bells, and two other older variety honeyberries. They haven’t produced much at home here after several years, so I may move a few out to our land where the soil is better.
I suppose eventually I will have to get Boreal Blizzard, too. It gets to be a compulsion, doesn’t it?
1 Like
It is we are sick and need help! Funny as The Podpiper emailed me just this morning, he lives 40 miles away, and we have met. Anyway he said 'I can’t stop!" It takes so long to get fruit, I was thinking best just get them now! I’m going to grow them in large containers so can control nutrition and soil. It worse too, I added a black currant a Polish cultivar because it appears to be one of the most productive currants around outperforming known cultivars by 1/3 to 1/2 more. How could I not buy that? I added Rovada too as when moving mine here from my cottage, it died. It’s a great red currant I need. I also bought some black currants from Indiana Berry. 6 bucks for one, two others for 8 bucks each, I could not refuse. OK, done now! The Podpiper (Dale) is giving me two more figs too. You can see my figs under what’s happening today 2016, and my peppers and tomatoes. i grew more than I should! So many cool ones, how could I not? I like growing those plants especially peppers. I just like growing plants, it really gives me a feeling of well being. It is like a drug, and yes I need to go to plant growers anonymous “Hello my name is drew and I grow plants”
6 Likes
I could use a meeting like that too!
Thats why I was think about trying to graft to it.[quote=“Drew51, post:44, topic:4864, full:true”]
Haskap btw is a honeysuckle but it is not invasive. At the test plots at the University of Saskatchewan no volunteers have been observed.
[/quote]
If they didn’t pick any fruit I bet they would have a great chance of birds spreading the seeds.
Any updates on the honeyberries? I have been thinking about picking some up but am reluctant because I have never had one.
Mine were only about eight inches tall when I got them. They grew out well to about 16" in partial sun.
@Johnnysapples a bit late, but I believe shadblow is serviceberrry, just with a different name. That said, most of the shadblows were grown for their foliage and flowers and may not produce good or big fruit. Probably not as good as the serviceberries bred for fruiting.
2 Likes
I have a juneberry that produced for the first time this year. I like the berries, I ordered 2 varieties several years ago, Smokey and Northline. One died but Im not sure which it was, as the tags were lost that I had on them. I THINK the one I have growing now is Smokey but not sure how to tell. I added 3 more varieties of juneberry this fall after doing quite a bit of research and talking to some local growers, Martin, JB 30 and Lee 8. Gonna be a few years until I have results on those!
As far as honeyberrys go, I pulled my borealis out this fall and put them on some public land near a stream, for wildlife to enjoy. They arent worth the time/space for me. I left my honey bee and indigo gem however and added Solo, Maxine, Boreal Beauty, Boreal Blizzard, Aurora, Happy Giant and Blue Moose. Interested in trying a few of the varieties available from http://lahavenaturalfarms.com/varieties/ also, but not sure how to get them in the US.
I have had good luck rooting honeyberry using a bubble cloner which is easier to set up than a mist/fog system IMO.
how long does it take autumn brilliance to fruit? mine keeps growing but no flowers or fruit yet. any tips for forcing it to flower?
Northline saskatoons have a distinct tart flavor. Smoky saskatoons are sweet with no tartness. Smoky are my favorite of all the varieties I have tried, including wild ones, but that’s just my taste buds speaking.
2 Likes