How to grow Haskap

Lonicera caerulea · honeyberry, blue honeysuckle, edible honeysuckle

Cold-hardy shrub producing elongated blue berries rich in antioxidants. Ripens in early summer, often before strawberries.

Haskap — Photo: Opioła Jerzy (Poland), CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Type	Berry
Family	Caprifoliaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	5–6.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 2 °C
Germination	7 days
Sowing to harvest	730 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 3 days	2…15 °C	—
Growth	every 5 days	5…22 °C	balanced (NPK), 30 days into the stage
Flowering	every 4 days	0…15 °C	phosphorus, at the start of the stage
Fruiting	every 4 days	5…20 °C	potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage
Harvest	every 3 days	5…20 °C	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun gives best yields; tolerates partial shade but fruit may be smaller.

Soil

Prefers well-drained, acidic to neutral soil rich in organic matter; tolerates a range of soils.

Care

Plant in early spring as soon as soil is workable; water regularly during establishment. Prune after harvest to remove old wood and encourage new shoots. Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

How to tell it is ripe

Skin is deep blue all over.
A berry cut open is dark purple inside, not green.
Cut or bite one berry: green flesh and a grassy taste mean it is not ripe yet.
Berries usually turn blue 5 to 10 days before they are ripe inside.
Taste a few first, then hand-pick while lifting branches to find hidden berries, or shake them onto a tarp.

Sources

Figures cited from these sources.