ill be happy when i get enough to just freeze some. mine haven’t been big producers so far but only 3 yrs. old and were small starts to begin with. my currants produced some fruit on year 2 and a lot by year 3. honey berries seem about a year or 2 behind them production.
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How big have ya’lls bushes gotten? Are these bushes pretty slow growing or should i expect rapid growth at some point? Bunny ate mine so I’m not expecting much fruit this spring. I keep reading that they get big but mine seem to be slow growing.
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my indigo gem/ treat were pretty slow to grow but i got them small and over fertilized them so really not there fault. my aurora was put in later and only given a little compost at planting and is bigger than the other 2. berries are bigger and better tasting. if i put another haskap in it will be another aurora. they are also self pollinating.
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Yes, I think Aurora is the best. Very vigorous, plus large berries.
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Were you at the Field day at Les Petite Fruits?.
I was! I went to the 2018 open last July. I’m hoping I can make it to the 2019 too since I’d like to actually plant a few rows of the fruit rather than just learn about it and taste it like I did last year.
We met there! Fun times in QB… The mead you shared there was life-changing good, I would LOVE to sample what can be created with honeyberries.
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Honey Bee is my largest bush probably 3ft tall and 2.5 wide, I think its about 4 years old. I have cut it back a few times when taking cuttings etc. Also its in an area where it doesnt get great sunlight anymore, between 2 apple trees that have been growing faster than I expected…
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are honeyberries harvestable with a blueberry comb?
Actually, haskaps aren’t self pollinating:
aurora is partially self fertile but fruits better with another variety. i think its the only cultivar that is. thats why its recommended as a pollinator for so many other cultivars and is one of the biggest producers.
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i don’t think so as the berries are below the foliage.
when ripe, most can be shaken off the branches I guess…
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U of S redid their haskap page, worth checking out. Here is an updated Aurora article worth reading…
https://research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/documents/haskap/Aurora2019.pdf
Stark selling some BU varieties now apparently…
https://www.starkbros.com/products/berry-plants/honeyberry-plants/happy-giant-honeyberry
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I have about 400+ growing in my orchard, I’m zone 6b and can attest they survive perfectly fine.
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If anyone has any questions regarding them feel free to ask. I’ve talked with some of the worlds experts for hours on honeyberry/haskap care. I have U of S, Dr. Maxine’s, and Berries Unlimited varieties. 
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I have questions for you: I am in zone 6a my bushes are so tiny still after two years-they were seedlings from Hartmann, Borealis, Tundra. I then bought a few others from another place, they are in pots still. Questions: what is the best way to fertilize and mulch them in your experience? What cultivar/s has/have worked best in your zone?
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Honeyberries are actually closer related to Tomato/Potato than any berry crop, so I’d recommend following a fertilizer regime for that. I personally drop about an ounce of 10-10-10 dry fertilizer around mid-march on mine to get them started. From there, I use a foliar leaf spray every two weeks until around the start of July (Spray is a 4-2-4 I believe). I have mine fully mulched (2 inches deep) and occasionally drop compost/use compost tea. In Japanese large orchards, haskaps are fertilized with cow manure solely. All of my cultivars have done exceedingly well. In terms of production Berries Unlimited varieties all the way (Strawberry Sensation is superb), in terms of taste I like the U of S varieties especially Boreal Beast and Boreal Beauty. Yezberries are solid for the hobbyist grower and better suited to our region. Anything with Japanese genetics will do better in zone 6, they wake up later when pollinators are present. Make sure you have two overlapping flowering windows or you won’t get squat from them. (I chuckle at my neighbor who’s told me he can’t get fruit and keeps asking my secret, I’d tell him but he’s been trying to make an orchard too). Any other questions feel free to PM me.
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What BU varieties do you recommend? I havent heard anything really good about them that doesnt feel/sound like advertising. Id be interested in trying that strawberry one if you have dormant wood available…
I’m just a home grower, I have some from each supplier. Good to get more info on the BU cultivars. Taste is everything, as I don’t need super producers. The Boreal series are what I bought this year. I’m done, and have enough for my family. I will consider adding more if something interesting comes along. I’m now fairly set with the fruit I wish to grow.
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