Guide to Cultivating Honeyberries for Nutritious Fruits and Resilient Shrubs in Zone 2: These cold-tolerant plants offer a tasty, nutritious fruit.
Savor the Taste of Underrated Honeyberries
If you're ready to shake up your fruit game in cooler climates, look no further than the tantalizing Honeyberries! Part of the honeysuckle family, these frost-resistant gems are becoming increasingly popular, offering a nutritious and unique alternative to traditional berries.
Native to Eastern Europe, northern Japan, and northern China, Honeyberries are making their way northward, thriving in US hardiness zones 2 to 8. Katie Brines, a seasoned gardener from Stark Bro's Nurseries and Orchards, is enamored with their flavorful, antioxidant-rich berries, which taste like a delightful mix between blueberries and raspberries.
Planting Pleasures
Honeyberry plants can be a fantastic addition to your garden, whether you choose to grow them directly in the ground, raised beds, or container gardens. These adaptable shrubs appreciate similar conditions as blueberries, including well-drained, slightly acidic soil and full sun exposure, although they can tolerate partial shade.
For the most berries, it's essential to plant multiple Honeyberry plants to ensure they cross-pollinate successfully. A family of four might consider planting 2-3 types of 6-9 plants for snacking and baking purposes.
Tender Love and Care
Honeyberries don't require excessive watering, but they do need consistent moisture during their first season to establish strong roots. During the growing season, check the soil moisture levels and water the plants when the top few inches are dry, taking care to avoid overwatering.
Fertilize your Honeyberry plants annually with a well-balanced fertilizer, such as a 5-5-5 or 10-10-10, in the early spring. After the end of June, avoid additional feeding as it may interfere with the fruit development.
Trim your Honeyberry plants after they reach four years old to promote growth and maintain their health and productivity. Pruning can be done during dormancy or after harvesting, using clean and sharp pruning shears to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches, and encouraging the development of newer, more productive stems.
Harvesting Happiness
Honeyberries ripen in late spring and early summer, with their deep blue skin signaling they're ready for picking. To guard your precious berries from pesky birds, consider netting the bushes.
Honeyberries have a shorter shelf life when compared to blueberries, lasting around a week in the refrigerator. Alternatively, they can be frozen to store for up to a year.
Expert Tips
- If you're growing Honeyberries in pots, opt for a 3-gallon container filled with free-draining potting soil and provide additional compost and fertilizer during the growing season.
- Honeyberries are not considered invasive plants. You can grow them from seed or take cuttings for propagation purposes.
- For best results when growing Honeyberries in home-and-garden settings, consider planting them in raised beds, containers, or the ground, ensuring similar conditions as blueberries, such as well-drained, slightly acidic soil and full sun exposure.
- Successful Honeyberry planting requires cross-pollination between multiple plants, so a family might consider planting 2-3 types of 6-9 plants for both snacking and baking purposes.
