Viktor have you seen honeyberries flower multiple times in a season? I seem to get a very small amount of flowers/fruit in the summer and not sure if this is because my plants are young or (when they get hit by frost) they have a second set that chose not to flower with the first flush.
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I have zone 6
Secondary flowering is common. This is most evident in sorts, which are the first when the autumn is warm. Recently, I have observed breeding sorts with later ripening, thus losing the advantage of the first fruit in the garden. On the other hand, in later varieties, secondary flowering does not appear so much.
Last fall, I saw this tendency at Aurore with a couple of peak buds. But in the end it stopped.
I did not see any significant impact on fertility. Secondary to some of them bloom on top buds that dry out. In spring, the buds inside the bush are all the more activated.
It would be worse if the whole bush bloomed secondary. In this case, the buds would freeze. This has never happened to me even in Russian sorts.
If they do not bloom, let them have a lot of sun, add compost, or snow - January, February NPK. If they have flowers and do not give birth, then more varieties.
Mulch, protect the roots of the younger non-woven fabric. They love it and grow well and bloom.
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Awesome great to hear. I think it may happen to me because my first blooms many times get hit by a decent frost or snow. They do not take very well to that and my secondary blossoms usually seem to spring from inside the bushes rather than on the outside so i wasn’t sure if they were there and just slow to develop or what was happening? I do not have very many like 6 bushes in ground now and at first planted mine in an area where they get 6+ hours of direct light into 1-2pm when its hot out The ones that get 3-4 hours of direct light and then shade during the hot part of the day do much better, I am also in a semi arid environment and it is very dry during the summer so maybe it has to do with water retention as well?
I absolutely love the berries, and the pictures of your wine look delicious. Thanks for letting us know whats going on in your side of the globe! I love hearing about others areas.
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Are you talking about frost damage to the flower buds in the spring months, or frost damage during secondary flowering in the autumn months?
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First spring blossoms, I live in Denver Colorado pretty far south equator wise 39.7 Lattitude and at 1.6 kilometers high in elevation so we get pretty good warmth as well as snap cold spells being so high up. Usually they wake up and flower for me at sometime in May and we get late frosts throughout may. The secondary blooms i have seen are around june(usually 3 weeks or more apart) with me getting the extra set of berries in july to august. Then we usually get a killing frost sometime in october but always by halloween, this year it was the first of october and our last hard frost was may 22nd.
I planted 4 in half early day sun and partial shade in the afternoons, These plants did not do as good as later plantings of different varieties put in much less sun and the 2 honeyberries that died for me both did it on the first 90+ day on different years. One was after a extended wet period and the other one maybe the soil was dry a little on top but it was not dry (or waterlogged).
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Have a couple growing in pots, partial shade, and they defoliated in August, then grew an extra couple inches before frost blackened them in late October. I need to get some more, as I like 'em.
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I’m lucky i don’t have these issues. by time our deep snow melts enough to expose the plants , preventing early blooming, most of our late cold snaps are over.
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What varieties do you have? Aren’t they remontant varieties?
Plants are generally very resistant to frost. The condition is a stable winter when they sleep and wake up only when there is no longer extreme frost with the wind. The time when they wake up is influenced by the region - the weather, but it also depends on the variety. The October frost should no longer harm them. They’re going to sleep. I have black tickets at the end of August. But long-term warming will hurt them in winter, because the buds will come alive and then come heavy frosts.
That’s probably not your case. In your case, this happens in May. It is possible that you do not have a suitable varietal composition of species.
The flower bears frost without wind up to -8 degrees C and I have verified it with my own experience. But stronger and long-lasting frost and even with wind in unprotected plants can damage the revived buds. This is followed by growth from the subsequently created flower and growth buds. The crop is weaker. Also, such a strong frost with the wind can burn the ends of the leaves. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but some have written about it. Plant nutrition can also affect rejuvenation.
Is there a frost with or without the wind in May, is it all day, or only at night and in the morning? How many degrees max?
For those who grow it in a warmer locality and in warm winter the buds come to life in March and are subsequently damaged by strong frost with wind. Followed by budding from created backup buds. The crop is weaker in this case.
There are also remontant varieties. It was Remont. He blossomed and gave birth several times. The buds were often damaged by frost and the flowers then deformed. Harvest weak. We fired them. What varieties do you have? Try to get different varieties and see which fits your conditions. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Now there is a wide choice and it is definitely worth it.
I am in a frost basin, between the mountains by the river, 300 m above sea level. There is a ground frost almost every year in mid-May and sometimes at the end of May.
Flowers can easily survive -7, -8 degrees C. Frost is only at night and in the morning with no wind.
They begin to bloom in mid and late April. At the end of May and June they give birth to me. If it is dry in May, then I water intensively.
You have to make them the conditions they love and avoid what they don’t like.
- The more different and, in particular, unrelated varieties, the better
- To be protected from strong winds
- Never dig the ground around the roots
- a lot of compost to the roots, planting in well-cultivated soil, compost
- not to add light and nutrient-poor peat, which dries quickly, then does not receive and hold water, but only compost.
- Much of the sun, but at the same time protect the roots of nonwoven, mulch
- in the spring if there is a drought, then a strong and regular watering.
- Regular organic fertilization in autumn
- Rejuvenation of old bushes
Here is a photo of the frost in May - 7. But I didn’t notice any damage and the bushes grew cheerfully and spawned.
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It is good if it is stable and long winter and lots of snow. But be careful that the snow does not break fragile branches.
In autumn, the Amphora variety bloomed at the end of the branches. It often happens. These buds will dry out. It is fertile every year.
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my high bush blueberries get broken branches from the snow but it never breaks the honey berry branches.
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Under certain conditions, when snow melts and falls, this can happen because it pulls branches to the ground. Preventive heavy snow throws and loose branches to not pull them down.
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Ah the cost for me of 70f degree january days and sunshine is the sporadic weather and late freezes. We are pretty windy but my backyard has a pretty nice microclimate the ones in more sun get more wind also. You know it seems anything lower than 25f for 12+ hours really seems to bother them not really when they leaf out but once they burst into flower and alot of the outside leaves will be damaged and buds will die. It maybe the snap frost (12-24hr hour temperature swings) which we can go from 78-18 pretty fast. Definitely the fall frosts seem fine and help them go to sleep eventually.
I have keiko kawaii beauty and beast and i very much like them. This will be there 3rd spring and they only got hit by last years real late frost they are planted in partial shade and have done well i would say.
For my ones that would be going on there sixth year i only have two left. It could be blue hokkaido, blue velvet, blue moose and blue moon. These ones are quite tasty but wake up later and have not thrived where i have put them. I will plant a clone in a shadier spot of each of them this summer.
Thanks for all the care tips i love to hear what works for people. I definitely practice sustainable organic gardening and love how in Europe you have kept your farms smaller, keep things more local and genetically diverse while utlizing more sustainable agricultural practices and producing more food people eat.
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Oops! Update, they have new green leaves 1/4 inch long all over. Not good.
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They will renew and grow around 1m during the season
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I have this happen a lot in February at my location. They go on to endure cold and frost just fine and bloom in late March. When do temps start being regularly warm where you live?
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Viktor,
Are you growing hugelkultur way? So mulch also under the non-woven fabric. You stated above I thought that you cut your shrubs in Spring, or is it FALL that you do for snow/ice damage may occur? 18-20 cm you cut, yes?
Thank you for all this information. My local friend says to me to buy Boreal series. He spent years learning them but says there are likely better flavor varieties now. I want to eat something sweet/acidic and definitely non-astringent (my wine nose says no to astringency 
) - so what do you recommend my family does for fresh eating? I see a lot about Aurora. Which 2-3 varieties should I be buying from Honeyberry USA?
I read your comments regarding cultivars but this is all very new to me. I sincerely ask that you were to choose varieties, for me.
One more question, I was under the impression these are full sun plants. I guess not. I live in Illinois USA with climate like Chicago, Viktor. Do they go under the conifer for 2-3 hours late afternoon sun only or under the oak for dappled lighting conditions or do they like the Rhododendron morning sun, only- or do I place them in full sun? It’s very hot and humid with summers producing good rains most years but droughts do occur frequently where no water for 30-60 summer days with heat 32 c to 38 c.
I see honeyberries you say can mold from rain. My air is thick with water during summer. People dripping wet in shade outdoors from humidity.
Thank you, sincerely!!
Dax
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Probably a little earlier than Lancaster Pa. But maybe not.
January is typically our coldest month…but with Jan 2020 being well above normal, and the forecast for Feb. to be at or below normal…I am looking for Feb. to be colder. We’ve had 14 so far…for the low.
If that holds, it will be the highest winter low in my 64 year lifetime! (And it would place us in zone 8a instead of 6b if it happened often!)
I expect single digits in Feb.
And, I have currants with swollen buds, honeyberries with leaves, red leafed crab apples with leaves 1/4 inch in size, and I trimmed some scions from my autumn olives today…they are leafing out too.
Forecast today was for 44…but it’s 51 currently. They’re missing the forecast bad. This was the national weather service.
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Dax, my guess is both sun and dappled shade work ok in Chicago area. Or morning sun.
I’ve planted them in full afternoon sun and they survived fine in Kentucky…but with some leaf damage. Didn’t seem to affect fruiting the next year.
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Yes. Before planting I will prepare a strip of land. I will make a groove like when potatoes are planted, but deeper and bigger. Pour fine quality compost. The roots of the plants are covered with fine compost and on top I give a layer of coarser parts of compost and then wood chips and similar coarse parts. Then I cover it with a non-woven fabric that no longer adheres to the ground and is held in thick pieces as if in the air. It is created at the root system of the climate. They love it very much and grow well.
I cut the bushes late in the autumn or whenever they are still sleeping. The new shoots grow very intensively and are fragile. They need to be tied up against wind breaking. When they start to wood, then they are resistant.
I make a cut in the late autumn also for the plants I am going to plant. For plants that have slight increments, I also cut them to 15-20 cm from the soil.
Of those I know, it certainly Aurora + Honeybee pollinator
Here we praise from the series Boreal - Blizzard. Others no longer. The new Blue Banana,Blue Treasure,Giant’s Heart ,Strawberry Sensation they are new and we haven’t tried them yet.
Do you have any available from Russian varieties? From the earlier Russians, if you get Jugana - big fruits and fertile. If you want a very sweet and aromatic, but do not mind the weak crop - Leningradsky the Great. Slovak variety Amur - very balanced taste - sweet, like black cherries, on a longer stem, does not fall, suitable for plucking from the bush.
Barkslip
that you were to choose varieties, for me.
One more question, I was under the impression these are full sun plants. I guess not. I live in Illinois USA with climate like Chicago, Viktor. Do they go under the conifer for 2-3 hours late afternoon sun only or under the oak for dappled lighting conditions or do they like the Rhododendron morning sun, only- or do I place them in full sun? It’s very hot and humid with summers producing good rains most years but droughts do occur frequently where no water for 30-60 summer days with heat 32 c to 38 c.
They are fully sunny plants. But the roots should be protected from sunburn. That is all! Naturally, they grow thickened by the rivers where they protect their roots against sunburn. If we plant them at a spacing of 1.5 - 1.8 m, we have to protect them roots, which are shallow. Therefore, they grow well when composted and covered with a non-woven fabric. In any case, do not sit in the shade. They will grow, but it’s miserable. The taste of the fruit is bland and poorly born, ripens slowly and there is a problem.
They try to plant them in warm and drier regions until half-shade. But that’s on the edge.
If that is the case, then all the more I would plant them in open space and larger spacing so that they have plenty of sun, ripen quickly and do not mold. I mentioned the mold that I noticed in the Russian variety - the Bakerian Great. The fruit grows from 3.5 to 4 cm. There is a tube at the end. In humid weather and when they hang on the bush for a long time, it happens. It also happens with varieties with a fine surface and long ripening when the weather is long-lasting. In prolonged humid weather, moldy and lodging varieties such as Wojtek are moldy and even when the branches with many fruits are near the ground. They ripen slowly, the fruit is not tasty and moldy. Then there are losses.
Now I’m experimenting with forming a bush in the form of a bouquet so that the fruits are not down. I expect bigger fruit, even ripening, better harvesting, no losses . As it turns out, I’ll just see it.
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