Myberry Sweet

Season Overview

Description

The honeyberry, actually Kamchatka honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica) or May berry, Siberian blueberry, Haskap berry or Gimolost is a wild fruit of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). It is found in Siberia, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands and is related to the native red honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum). The Kamchatka honeysuckle grows as an upright, densely branched, deciduous shrub and reaches heights of 1 to 2.5 meters. In width, it can take up to 1.2 meters. The plant is a shallow-rooting plant. The creamy white flowers open as early as March. The first fruits are often ripe by the end of April and May at the latest. The wild fruit has juicy, sweet, oval to cylindrical, narrow, smooth fruits with a fruity, aromatic flavor. They are light to black-blue and are 1 to 3 centimetres long. The fruit juice is deep purple. The fruits taste similarly sweet, but slightly less aromatic than blueberries. They can be eaten fresh or processed into jam, compote, puree and juice. The "Myberry Sweet" variety is a Canadian cultivar with very large fruits. 'Myberry Sweet' is a well-branched shrub with a strong, upright growth habit. It reaches a height of 120 to 150 cm and a width of 80 to 150 cm. From March, the shrub produces small yellowish-white flowers that can withstand temperatures down to -10°C. From the end of May, the blossom is replaced by large purple-blue, elongated-oval, sweet and sour berries.

Growing tips

The best time to plant is in the fall, as the plants are already well rooted by spring. Honeyberry is not self-pollinating, so at least two varieties must always be planted. Kamchatka honeysuckle is very frost-hardy. It thrives in sunny to semi-shady locations, preferring light shade. The plant thrives in almost any soil. It tolerates fresh to moist, acidic to neutral, sandy-humus, gravelly or rocky, shallow soils. The honeyberry is grateful for a compost application before budding and fertilization with nettle manure in April-May. The plant should be watered during dry periods, otherwise no watering is required. Honeyberries are pruned in a similar way to currants. Once a year, preferably immediately after the harvest, old, senescent shoots are removed close to the ground. No more than 3 ground shoots should be left standing after radical pruning. It is advisable to protect the shrub from bird damage with a protective net. Like all honeyberries, "Myberry Sweet" is a shallow rooter. It prefers low-lime, loamy-sandy, fresh and well-drained soil and a sunny to semi-shady location. It is grateful for a humus-rich supplement in spring and watering during prolonged dry periods. "Myberry Sweet" does not need to be pruned, but is well tolerant of pruning. Pruning the oldest shoots after harvesting promotes growth. At least two varieties should be planted for optimum fertilization.

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Seeding distance

120 cm

Row spacing

120 cm

Seeding depth

10 cm