FWIW my approach is to grow the things I can’t buy in the store. I also like not having to spray. And I’m in zone 6b/7a so winter-Hardy is a necessity. Hence honeyberry, saskatoons, potted figs, romance cherries, elderberries, currants, gooseberries, beach plums, DV persimmons, Americana plum, pawpaws, hicans, hickory, black walnut, and two hazels. The prior homeowner planted standard supermarket variety apples and a pear I’m in the process of taking out to make space for more non-supermarket stuff.
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I never got a crop off my Romance cherries until I started spraying them. You also need to net them carefully. After doing all that, I got about 20 gallons of cherries last year from two rows of bushes.
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And I would most definitely keep the pear tree.
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Maybe I will cut it down slowly… graft in some seckel and see how it does…
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This is my third year experimenting with honeyberry bushes near black walnut trees. I have planted 3 Japanese varieties within the root zone of several mature walnut trees. They are in less than half day sun. Each year they have put on moderate growth and do not seem distressed. The “Solo” variety seems particularly vigorous.
I had a hard time finding first hand information about honeyberry bushes and walnut trees. So I decided to create some first hand information.
My hypothesis was that the Japanese varieties might be resistant to Juglone because they come from a region with walnut trees. Earlier varieties were mostly from Russia where there are no native walnut trees. (Please correct me if this is wrong.)
I would not consider my experiment remotely conclusive but they are doing alright so far.
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i got a solo from hirts for $10 plus $6 shipping last summer. planted near strawberry sensation. should get a few fruit to taste this year.
I’ve got a couple Aurora that are blue…just trying to hold off and let them get riper.
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And here I am a couple zones warmer than you and my ‘Aurora’ only recently finished blooming. Lol.
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and mine are just starting to wake up. 
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Yeah, zones are composed based on minimum annual temperatures. The Pacific Coast doesn’t get that cold, but it also doesn’t hit 70 or 80 in Feb. or March like it did here.
(Currently upper 50’s and misty condition about over for the day.) Maybe 68 if sun gets out later?
I thinned some apples, including a Redfield the size of a marble yesterday.
I didn’t get a lot of pollination on the honeyberries…the bloom good for 2 and 3 year old plants. But, I tasted one, and another is blue on the Aurora. Beast or Beauty, one has a couple berries, not yet turned. A Czech 17 bloomed only about 3 days, and set no fruit, but any of the three could be the pollen donor for Aurora…for the small fruit set.
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Don’t judge their flavor based on Czech. Sour!
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I’ve not really had enough to be able to do a legitimate “taste test”.
Aurora isn’t ripe enough. I’ve never tasted a Czech 17…but I’m guessing the jam or jelly might be delicious.
The older Tundra, Blue Moon, Blue Pagoda, Blue Velvet…tasted good enough I kept buying more plants. Indigo Treat…sour. And plant died this past December.
Even if I get a dozen and the birds don’t beat me, this year isn’t going to be a good one for taste comparisons at my place. I think Beauty, Beast, Aurora are supposed to be among the best though…time’ll tell.
ive read the czech is supposed to be one of the best for processing which most of mine are going to go into. i got 3 coming soon.
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I planted 4 last year and 6 this year. Still waiting to taste fresh honey berries.
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I got one under-ripe Aurora…birds got the rest. And they also got the Beauty and Beast. 
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I saw a few berries on my Auroras “blue blushing” a few day ago and I still have flowers opening. We should have some ripe ones by the end of the month. I’m getting excited!
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Question: i planted these last spring as tiny twigs… they are now 3ft tall with fruit. Is this pretty normal for honeyberries? Small crop so far but i wasnt expecting it.
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You must have good soil, thats good growth for 1 year! Better net them if you want to taste the berries this year.
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Wow great growth, wish mine were like that! I had like 6 inch tall bushes last year and like you I planted near elderberries, they are only about a foot tall now. Lost all their leaves in the summer last year.
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Haha, we seem to be thinking alike. I have so many weeds near my honeyberries, mainly violets but some crabgrass. I’ve tried weeding but it’s just too much to deal with, I’ve heard from permaculture sites that violet is good for the soil, not sure about that.
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