Honeysuckle-Haskap USLADA

The variety, known in Europe as Uslada, has its origins in the Tomsk region of Russia, where it was purposefully bred. It is one of the medium-late varieties, as the fruit ripens during June. In some areas and depending on the weather, this may be the first half or even the second half of June. It is widespread and popular, especially in Poland and northern European countries. The large, oblong fruits are about 1,6 grams, purple-blue in colour with a uniform waxiness. The fruit is characterised by its high quality and excellent processing. It can be peeled by hand or by machine, it does not crack, the skin is firm, it can withstand transport and the necessary storage. The quality can also be seen in the taste characteristics. The taste is sweet with slight acidity and a hint of bitter flavours. Advice from growers abroad indicates that the best experience has been with growing in soil with a pH between 5 and 8. However, Honeysuckle-Haskap also grows and produces in alkaline soils. The shrub grows to a height of about 1,5 metres and takes on a more upright to columnar shape. Foreign sources report interesting frost resistance values of -45°C. This makes the variety an ideal garden inhabitant even in the coldest regions of Slovakia. 

Honeysuckle-Haskap (lonicera caelurea) as a species

Honeysuckle-Haskap (Lonicera caerulea) is the only representative of the groundcovers, which are also known as ornamental and climbing plants. Honeysuckle-Haskap berries are increasingly popular, although its name is not as established in the market and among consumers as it is with other fruit species. Also colloquially and popularly called Kamchatka blueberry, it forms a dark purple berry that can be classified as a first fruit in the garden. Early varieties can bear as early as April or May, and some of them produce tasty fruit during the summer. The fruit, which resembles blueberries in colour and several other characteristics, has a similar flavour between the varieties, although less pronounced, and thus differs from the classic blueberry. The taste of the fully ripened fruit is a pleasant addition to any garden where Honeysuckle-Haskap can be a vanguard for other fruits, for example in gardens where it is planned to benefit from the successive ripening of different species.

Growing Honeysuckle-Haskap

Honeysuckle-Haskap has a number of essential characteristics that greatly increase its attractiveness among growers. The plant produces small yellow or greenish-yellow flowers relatively early, and the flowers themselves are characterised by excellent frost-resistance, which allows the fruit to be grown even in the more northerly areas of Slovakia. The blossom is often said to be resistant to -7°C (USDA zone 5). It is important to summarise a number of characteristics in a few points, as they may be decisive in your choice. 

- Growing Honeysuckle-Haskap does not require soil with acidic pH values

- It is fully hardy, highly resistant to diseases and pests, both in terms of the plant and the fruit. 

- It produces young shrubs a year after planting (ideally container plants from our range, whose roots are not weakened in any way that could inhibit growth). Higher yields come in the third year and more. 

- It is a long-lived and hardy shrub, reaching or exceeding 1,5 metres in size. 

- The fruits are high in vitamins A, B, C, P, iron and other beneficial substances. 

- The leaves, crown and overall growth are similar to blueberries, but the leaves are more elongated and finer. The fruit is more elongated, possibly shaped into the peculiar shapes typical of the fruit, or may resemble the fruit of an olive tree (depending on the variety)

- Dry branches and shoots are removed or the plant is cut back as necessary - for aesthetic reasons, for example. However, the plant itself does not require any intervention for the first few years after planting.

- Honeysuckle-haskap requires a pollinator. Another variety flowering at the same time is ideal. 

- The use of the fruit for direct consumption and processing can be compared to all uses, as with blueberries. 

- If the plant is planted during early spring, care is needed to avoid shriveling the flowers and to keep them free from damage and abrasion. Otherwise, the plant can be planted throughout the year when the ground is not frozen. 

Kamtschatka-Blaubeeren is an excellent and undemanding substitute for blueberries

Growers' experience with classic blueberries is that they require acidic soil and suitable fertilisers. A grower who does not have the means to provide soil with a suitable pH, does not have experience in caring for it, or needs to rely directly on his own soil in his own garden without interfering with the composition, can rely on groundsel. It does not require a specific pH, but will thrive in any humid garden soil that other plants thrive in. Acidic soil will not harm it, but it will produce excellent results with undemanding cultivation with added nutrients. For example, in the form of home-ripened compost or suitable fertilisers for berries.