This sounds similar to a “hempy bucket”. Would you agree?
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Viktor, how does Vostorg compare to Aurora in terms of taste? Do they pollinate each other well? Thanks for all the contributions!
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It’s something similar. It’s like a self-watering flower pot, but the container is 90 L and it’s also topped with nop film. The nop film serves against overheating of the substrate and sawdust, as a water absorber, which works very well. The ash leaches into the sawdust and is a source of minerals.
I’ll post some photos of how I do it.
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The container is - 90 L. I do not recommend smaller.
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Stud foil - 0.5 x 2 m
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Strip of nop film - 15 cm x 2 m, against overheating of the elevated part where the compost will be.
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Fasten the lower part inside the container with a paper clip.
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Press the sawdust about 5 cm from the top of the container.
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I cut and align the stud foil about 15 cm from the top of the container.
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I pour about a 3-5 cm layer of ash.
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I added about 5 cm of compost on top of the ashes.
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I put the plant on compost and
cover the roots with compost, up to the top of the nop film. -
I put on a strip of stud foil.
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I drill a hole, about 15 cm from the bottom of the container.
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A non-woven fabric can be put on top, against unnecessary steam.
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At the beginning, water more and more often.
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According to my observations, Vostorg is more fertile than Aurora, but the problem is that it falls very easily. It has a firm surface and does not soften much even after viewing. Ripened, it has a pleasant sweet and sour taste, but without any special aroma that would make it more interesting. It lacks that compared to Aurora. It has smaller leaves and thin branches that bend under a lot of fruit. The fruits are pointed and reach a length of up to 4 cm.
Aurora has a more pronounced sweet-sour taste and, after ripening, is sweeter with an interesting aroma, and this puts it ahead of Vostorg and other varieties. For now, Aurora is in the first place for me, out of all the varieties I have grown, both in terms of taste, the vitality of the growth of the bush and also convenient harvesting, since it does not fall so much.
Well, the Vostorg - Aurora pollination should work well. The flowering is slightly shifted, but not so much that they do not meet in flower. Well, it’s hard to judge, since I have many varieties and that’s the best way to guarantee good pollination. I don’t have a problem with pollination.
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Thank you for the thorough review of Vostorg! Definitely sounds like an interesting variety. I wonder if it will ever get imported.
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Seems as though Aurora is a favorite among many that grow honeyberries, I know it’s my favorite as well.
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blizzard is darn close but i too prefer aurora. just picked the last of them a few days ago. i recommend to anyone planting a orchard of honeyberries to plant the majority aurora and some honeybees for pollination. honeybee isnt quite as tasty as indigo gem but close. its 3xs more productive and alot easier to harvest as its more upright.
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In autumn, I will eliminate about 40 old bushes of the Amfora variety and replace them with the Aurora variety.
I already have enough seedlings rooted.
2 years ago I planted from the Vostorg variety. I don’t know if I made a mistake. I should have dropped Aurora off. Well, that remains to be seen.
Blizzard softens too quickly and is unsuitable for larger plantings.
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I have a little sugar mountain blue bush- it was the first plant to ripen this summer (early summer was cold and wet and everything is delayed). If I did it again I would probably skip this one.
I have a couple of the Berries Unlimited varieties- honey beast and blue banana were both pretty good. I’m looking forward to trying these out next year when the plants grow even larger. I have a strawberry sensation with some berries on it but it’s not ripe yet.
I’m still having trouble with the pure Japanese varieties (Maxine Thompson cultivars). Generally I’ll run out of summer before they ripen. Here’s the “solo” cultivar. I’m going to see how things go this year but I’m tempted to rip them out and replace with something that works better in this environment.
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At least the dandelions can reach maturity even in Alaska I see!
Unless you have scarce space, I’d leave the bushes alone.
I found Solo to be one of the best-tasting ones I have.
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About 5% of the honeyberry cuttings I ‘stuck’ Dec-Feb outside in pots are alive and growing.
I do not have the use of a hoop/green house at the present time.
Being as I got 0% the first time I tried…maybe there is much room for better results.
And even if not, room to raise seedlings from seeds.
I’ve never tasted a honeyberry that I’d consider spitting it out rather than eating it.
But, there obviously is room for improvement, just as with most fruits.
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i have a 2nd year solo that’s put on a lot of growth this summer. should fruit some next year. like i said before , its hard to beat aurora dead ripe. i got huge berries and a large crop off my oldest one this summer. likely the fact that my younger honeybee fruited for the 1st time next to it.
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I liquidated about 50 pieces of bushes of the Amfora variety and some of the Bakčar varieties and even Amur. I will burn everything and put the ashes in a new planting. I’m making room for the Aurora variety. Blizzard does not belong in larger plantings because it softens quickly, so I don’t even plant it anymore. I’m thinking of planting some more of the Beast variety. It gives high yields stably and is great after good ripening.
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can you describe in more detail what you dont like about blizzard? Anyone else notice issues with this variety? Ive been thinking about doing more beast also because they are so vigorous and size up quickly. Also ive heard it holds its berries better than some other varieties…
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Blizzard is sweet, fertile and suitable for planting a few pieces, because it ripens quickly, softens so that harvesting is a problem.
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How’s your collection grown? (And did you ever find a source in U.S. for the Polish or recent Russian varieties?)
Lovely picture. My Aurora didn’t get pollinated…at blooming, daytime highs in 50’s and 40’s and nights in 30’s down to about 15 Fahrenheit.
(Maybe in 2024)
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Sounds intriguing…anyone have these in the United States?
Perhaps some dormant cuttings or liners?
No doubt, some
experimenting is
going on in various places besides
Canada and US.
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It hasn’t grown in recent years. I have been occupied with restoring my cottage the last few years and my garden has been somewhat neglected.
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