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konrad___far_north

Honeyberry/Haskap report 2014

Today we've picked mostly Blue Belle, 3bushes,..put a Borealis in about 3 years ago since most people liked it so much. I've been propagating some Blue Belle since I like it so much,...tiny little plant, about 1/3 of the Borealis outproduced Borealis!

Not so impressed with the production on Borealis, how does your fair?
The Blue Belle tasted sweeter then Borealis,...11.6 Brix,
Borealis 10.2 Brix

A big hype with Aurora lately,..what can you say about this one?

Comments (80)

  • Amanda Selene-Zone4b-Edm
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I just read on the U of S website that Boreal Blizzard (2016) is supposed to have amazing flavour (sweet) and also has large berries. The following year they're releasing Boreal Beauty (2017) which might be a compatible polliator for Blizzard. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few years. We're just starting with our garden, so I might start on apples and vegetables and wait for the Blizzard and Beauty to become available.

    Edit: This is the link: http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

  • TheDerek
    7 years ago

    I just got Solo and Maxine honeyberries from honeyberryusa. They are supposed to have large fruit and solo is self fruitful evidently. I also have a Boreal Blizzard ordered, expected to arrive this fall. Not sure if I should order a Aurora also, people really seem to like it. I found a place online with reviews of many different varieties one guy is growing and it was that guys favorite, he was going to plant 30 more evidently. Some of the berries unlimited varieties look ok also, but I cant find much information about them, or consumer reviews.


  • Violetjune Zone 3
    7 years ago

    I always thought Aurora and Borealis would be a good pair as they are supposed to pollinate each other. I see Borealis for sale everywhere, but I have never seen Aurora. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  • TheDerek
    7 years ago

    Ive talked to a few people that have several varieties and was recommended Indigo Gem, Aurora and Honey Bee. I have borealis and it doesnt produce a lot of fruit and they arent very large either, the birds beat me to most of them last year. Gotta do a better job with the nets this year.


  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    So far my borealis is a very shy producer as well.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    Likewise with my Borealis production. I just have Berry blue as a pollinator and it starts blooming before borealis, but it's late blooms cross over with borealis early blooms, thus I think that is why my production is not high. I have 2 young Aurora to add to the mix and hoping to get a hold of the new varieties next spring. I wish they all had similar growth habits. My borealis is about 3ft high but very wide and the berry blues are over 5 ft tall (all the same age). Thanks Konrad, I like your idea of using row cover. I have used the 1/2 inch netting from Lee Valley tools in the past, but it is only 12ft wide so was wondering how on earth I was going to cover them this year. Last year was a squeeze. Out of these 2, I prefer the flavor of borealis, but now I'm thinking I should plant blue belle if it is sweeter!

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    My Borealis just doesn't flower as heavy...haven't covered last year because of the drought and virtually no berries but this year looks good again, the drawback with coverings is, laying on the bush it pushes down the shoots a bit. Better would be putting some kind of device/arch in place to lay the fabric or heavy netting over. For better tasting berries it is a must do for about another 2 weeks when getting blue and not loosing most by birds.

    Might bite the bullet one year and bend some re bars.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    I just noticed today, my haskaps are starting to turn color. Very early this year for me. Now to get them covered before the cedar waxwings find out!

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    yes...darn waxwings eat them green also! I love birds, found out that the thin, light cheap netting will tangle and kill birds, please use heavy netting or the row cover.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    I love birds too. I saw my first ever Redstart last week & cedar waxwings are one of my favorites! I am going to try row cover this time. With netting, I only use the 'fishing' type netting from Lee Valley because it drapes nicely and is easy to keep it down so birds can't get under it.


  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    Yes, Katie (my name's Katie, too!), I use the netting from Lee Valley as well, and didn't have any trouble last year with any birds getting tangled. I'm not sure if that is considered "heavy" or not, but it seems to be good quality.

    Now that you mention that, Konrad, I guess I better get mine covered, since there are lots of green berries out there right now.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Do you drape it right over the bush...I should check this out, seems that's the right one but the color should be other then green. Do you use 1-1/4" mesh?

    Yes..I better get at this right away too! How tall are you letting these grow? My tallest one is about up to my chest,..or how tall will they grow?

    Netting

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    Weeper (Katie) I'm not a true Katie...it is my nickname off my middle name Katrina, but it is my e-mail address I joined up with : )What varieties do you have?

    I just drape the netting right over the bushes also. I have both sizes of netting. In the past I've used the 1/2 inch on the bushes but since it is only 12 ft wide it will no longer fit. I have used the 1 1/2 on saskatoons and as long as it is secured to the ground so birds can't get under it I hardly ever have birds caught. I did once have a robin somehow got tangled up from the top trying to reach through. I haven't used the 1 1/2 since the waxwings have taken up annual residence here so not sure of their behavior with it. the bush heights depend upon the variety. I had some older varieties that got about 7 ft wide but not more than about 3 ft high (I have since removed them for better varieties). the Borealis seem to be growing in the same form, but the Berry Blues are about as wide but up to 5ft and still growing! A much more upright habit. I had 3 rows of 14 each. The middle row was 2 borealis then one Berryblue pollinator with the 2 rows on either side being all borealis. I have since removed 1 row of borealis and the borealis in the middle row. They transplant quite successfully, even as large bushes when done while in spring dormancy and taking a wide rootball. It took 2 men to do it last spring and this spring. (they went to my son's home's). Next year I hope to plant the 2 blizzard varieties in between the pollinators and a couple of Aurora.

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    And my "real" name is Katherine, but no one calls me that, so I guess neither of us are true Katie's, ha ha.

    So far I just have the 1/2" mesh, but it really isn't going to last much longer as my shrubs grow. And yes the key is that it must be well sealed down at the ground so that the birds can't get up underneath. I hadn't really thought about pruning them to be more manageable (they are still only waist high or a little smaller right now) but I guess if they get too tall to cover I may have to.

    Right now Tundra is my largest and most vigorous growing, but I've only had my plants for 4 years or so (and in grass, so pretty slow growing) so it is hard to say who will turn into a monster. Tundra is getting very wide.

    Man, I wish I had room inside our deer fence for that many plants! I thought we made it massive (it really is very large and there is tons of room if I wanted to fill it right up, though I cringe at mowing around all that stuff every week...but not "3 rows of 14 each" of just honeyberry large!) but now I feel like I'm running out of room for all the things I want ha ha!

  • katie77q
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago


    Old mulch between Haskaps & Dwarf sour cherries

    New hay mulch on other side of haskaps in newly planted small fruit area.

    I used to make and sell fruit syrups so had a more than practical number of small fruits, but cutting back now and reclaiming more space for other experimental fruits. I have my hascaps and developing small fruit area in cultivated ground, then I keep it mulched with grass clippings &/or weed free hay. It cuts down the work of weeding, cultivating and mowing. I will try & figure how to upload a pic later today.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    I covered them up last night with row cover again..a flock of about a dozen Cedar Waxings were around ...I knew their plan! That fabric goes on so nicely, I might not go back to netting, no tangle no hassle and protects from hail too..they'll be under these for about 3 weeks.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Here a nice Russian video with large fruited ones..good way of harvesting!


    Haskap

  • mattpf (zone4)
    7 years ago

    I have started to eat mine also. They are a mix pack from Costco from last year they grew insane and the fruit is starting to ripen on these. Very sour tasting. It was a double pack had two variety borialis and berry blue. They are producing after 1 year and doing well here so I shouldn't complain lol

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    They NEED to be about 2 weeks on the blue side before eating to make them taste good.

  • jessica4b
    7 years ago

    To me, they don't taste sour, but the skin is bitter. Will this bitterness stay if I allow them to ripen some more?

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Hail season has started!



    Better outside then in!

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yikes, Konrad! Those are some decent sized hail stones!

    I harvested my Tundra and Berry Blue (pollinator). Tundra is delicious, really reminds me of a blueberry. Berry Blue is pretty sour - but very productive - even though the berries were basically falling off the plant. Not too bad if you mix them in with the Tundra berries. I didn't bother covering my 2 Borealis because they barely had anything on them (again!! Grr!) and I didn't have enough netting. I covered my new Aurora and Indigo Gem just to see what they would taste like. Aurora had almost nothing on it, and they aren't quite ready yet. Indigo Gem is just about ready, the berries are large and I tried a ripe one that was very good. Seemed almost chewy. I think next spring I'll buy another Tundra and another Indigo Gem unless the few Aurora berries blow my socks off when ripe.

  • Violetjune Zone 3
    7 years ago

    That hail looks brutal! I just found a bush that is supposed to have both Aurora and Borealis on it. A person working at the store thought it might be grafted, and there was no label to show which branches were which type. I'll just plant it and hope for the best.

    For those of you complaining about poor fruit set, you might want to check out this link: http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html There is a chart at the bottom of the page that shows which varieties should pollinate each other. I found it very helpful.

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    I read all that stuff before I bought any haskap, and unfortunately, the variety they recommended for Borealis (Berry Blue) is what I have, and Borealis continues to suck, lol. Maybe having Aurora as well, now, will help. I'm hoping that maybe Borealis is just a ugly duckling, and that as it gets older it will eventually start making a lot more fruit.

    I was pretty frustrated with the U of S cherries, but it seems they just take a LONG time to get to where they are setting lots of fruit, because this year and last year is much better. So I'm hoping these haskap will be the same.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Yeah..seen that chart before and gives you good info also on the size, Berry blue and blue belle is not on their UofS release chart ...any idea from where they came from?

    Their cherries suck for the most part but can be better in milder zones I think.Just not reliable here!
    Evans beats them 10 to 1 in my books!


  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    Not to derail the thread...but do you eat your Evan's fresh, though, Konrad? I know you do quite a bit of processing. I need to eat everything fresh and not add sugar because I have to eat low-glycemic index foods. And I do love the taste of the U of S cherries. Juliet in particular has totally won me over.

    Berry Blue and Blue Belle are from Jim Gilbert (the one who coined the term 'honeyberry' I think) of One Green World nursery in Oregon, released in the 1990's I think. I'm not clear on whether he actually did any hybridizing himself before releasing them, or whether they are simply Russian varieties that he gave an english name and released here. My impression is that it's the latter.

  • TheDerek
    7 years ago

    I have honey bee, indigo gem and borealis. Borealis is my least favorite, nice looking bush but berries are small and production seems low. I just got maxine and solo and have boreal blizzard on order for this fall. Im gonna dig up my borealis and give them away this fall I think, they are taking up too much space for what they produce. Ive got 3 'adult' bushes and about 10 clones I created last summer, just to see if I could get them to root. Ive heard aurora is the best that has been released so far. Think Im gonna get one of those this fall also...

    Konrad, I have heard mostly the opposite from other sources about cherries, what is your experience with them. All I have so far is Crimson passion and carmine jewel. The CJ's are very productive but the CP's didnt have a single flower on them this year, despite being over 7ft tall.... I also added 2 juliet and 1 romeo this year, but they are very small.

  • Violetjune Zone 3
    7 years ago

    I think that Berry Blue and Blue Belle are renamed Russian varieties, as weeper said. I hope that Konrad is wrong about the U of S cherries, I know someone who has claimed very good production from a Romeo tree, although it is probably close to 10 years old now. You may just have to wait longer but I guess we'll see, I have a Cupid and am hoping to add a Juliet this year. I like the slightly smaller size of these trees compared to the Evans, so I'm really hoping for good production in the end.

    The U of S claims good production from all their haskap varieties, so I tend to think any problems in the home garden might be from pollination (which they would not have any problem with in their test gardens) or that the bushes are not yet established enough. I guess there is always some risk with these newer varieties, that they will not perform up to the hype.

    Derek, you may want to keep one Borealis if you are getting an Aurora, as it is the recommended pollinator, just to see if you start to get better production. Hopefully that is a pair that will work out for home gardeners.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Weeper..yes eating fresh Evans from the tree/bush about the time they turn red and up to the time frost hits them...about a month.

    With UofS cherries, I have Cupid, Juliet and Crimson passion, have flowered 3 times now but not a handful so far. When Evans flowers you'll get cherries, perhaps they need to get older??

    I haven't seen anybody here yet who has good production on their Borealis, I'm thinking about getting rid of them also, has nothing to do with pollination, not much to pollinate when there are hardly any flowers.



  • Violetjune Zone 3
    7 years ago

    Really, not many flowers? That's not what I wanted to hear. Hopefully in a few years we will have a better idea of what works, as it seems like this is a very promising fruit for cold climates.

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    Yes, I totally agree about Borealis...there were far fewer flowers on it than any of my other varieties, so of course not many chances for fruit! I actually thought mine were sick or something for a couple years! That is why I'm hoping that maybe it is an age thing, like with the cherries.

    Konrad, I do think you'll have better luck with the cherries as they get older. Mine had set about 1 cherry per bush for a number of years, then last year I got a big handful off each, and this year it set much more, but we got a late frost (and it has been super dry) and a fair bit of the fruit has aborted now. So I think they will continue to improve. I planted Romeo a couple years after everything else, and this year it has just as many cherries as the other ones (first year fruiting) so I won't be surprised if this one has high productivity. That said, maybe they won't ever reach Evan's productivity. If I remember correctly I think Carmine Jewel is still supposed to have the best production out of these dwarf cherries.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Hope you're right but this is what I think the dilemma is on these cherries, [you have already experienced] ...since they're dwarfing, it's like any other dwarf trees..they need to get watered in our dry climate to get good production, if you can do this it's probably going to be OK. The vigorous Evans don't need that special attention and most years you'll harvest plenty when left alone.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    My dwarf ones can produce quite heavily on a good year, but will never get near the production of an Evans on a good year. Last year I tried to keep track of the Evans production and tried out a you-pick. Got near 170 gallons of fruit taken off 19 Evans bushes, not counting what the robins ate from the upper branches.


  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    That's NUTS! I am tempted to plant a Evan's for all that fruit, but I am leery when my orchard hill is so dang exposed (and zone 2b!).

    That's true, Konrad, I'm not a fan of the dwarf-ness of the U of S cherries in general. I understand it is appealing for city gardens, but in my yard I wish they were just full sized and vigorous.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    That's tough. Are you planning on planting a windbreak? You could plant 1 or 2 Evan's to see if they are hardy enough. Mine are on a ridge that makes their tops higher than the north windbreak (caragana & young spruce), so their upper parts get hit with north winds currently. I occasionally get a little die back but not much. I'm zone3 with chinooks. and I'm in a low spot. I got frost 2 nights ago which damaged my potatoes, corn & blackberries. My neighbor on the hill registered 0 C at her house with no damage, but damage on some trees in the lower areas below her hill.

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    Yes, it is protected on the west and sort of on the north, but the previous owners only planted poplar on the north (where we get most of our wind in winter) for some odd reason so it is pretty breezy. When we bought the place, I planted 2 rows of colorado spruce and 1 row of manitoba maple to beef up the north windbreak. But they are still a long way away from doing a lot of good. One day! ;)

    Yikes, frost at this time of year? Brutal.

  • TheDerek
    7 years ago

    I wish my CJs werent so vigorous, they are on their 4th year and over 8ft tall, if they keep going, they are gonna be 12ft in just a few more years, much larger than I bargained for....

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Still got the row cover on and over two weeks now... getting tasty! Who still have the berries on? Looking at my picture above with Raspberries ...these are still far from ripe!

  • wayne
    7 years ago

    I have 3 different honeyberries in a clump and the waxwings find that the berries are great when they are still green. One of these years I will have to cover them so that I can taste a ripe berry lol.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    We are just starting to pick the Haskaps. My son and his family came to pick a few bushes. I have no idea how they produced as the kids ate more than went in their buckets, lol! I used your row cover idea.... love it! I had a large piece that covered almost the whole row. The rise and fall of it on windy days also seemed to scare the birds although it did cause some browning & drying up on the upper leaves. I can get large pieces from our Hutterite colony neighbors as they buy whole rolls of the stuff. My Souris raspberries & Wyoming Blacks are loaded this year, but currently immature fruit with only the odd one being about a 1/4" in depth and lots of blooms. This is about 1 month early for my raspberries. I have also been picking Kent strawberries which is about a month before I usually pick.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Well..started to pick blue belle a week ago and decided leave the rest on, tonight we picked another bush, berry blue, about chest height, whats nice about row cover is that the plant doesn't shake much from wind, none were on the ground.

    Also picked the first red Raspberries, guess a good indicator for me when to pick Haskap.

    Couple more plants to go,..no rush, it's been over a month since they got covered up. It's been a perfect year for these, they got the right amount of moisture.


    From one plant..in kg..just about 4lb


    Look at this HUGE one, 3 in one!

  • weeper_11
    7 years ago

    Looks great Konrad! I look forward to ours producing that much.

    Mine were done a couple weeks ago, but that is maybe because my bushes are still so small? When hubby and I went to u-pick saskatoons (ours are too small to produce much) at a local farm I noticed they had a big row of haskaps covered in netting. They were probably 6 ft tall or so and looked very ready to pick! Yum!

  • TheDerek
    7 years ago

    dug out my 3 borealis this fall, 1 4yr and 2 3yr plants. They have been a big disappointment. They were transplanted along a local stream, for wildlife to enjoy. Planted 5 new varieties of HB, Aurora, Boreal beauty and blizzard, Maxine and Solo. Hoping for better luck with these varieties. I also have a 4yr honey bee and 3 year indigo gem that I like. Pollination wasnt the problem with borealis, just few berries and they are small, not worth the space the plants were taking up.

  • katie77q
    7 years ago

    Where did you order your new plants from? I'm replacing mine in the spring.

  • Jack wo
    5 years ago

    I live at Surrey BC, area, I would like to get some Aurora without luck, Anyone can mail some cuttings in evelope to me please?

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    5 years ago

    Have you tried here..
    Aurora

  • Amanda Selene-Zone4b-Edm
    5 years ago

    I'm waiting for Borealis beast and then will get a blizzard. Hard choices have to be made in an urban backyard!

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