Honeysuckle-Haskap CANDY BLUE (Avalanche)

Candy Blue (Avalanche), or more commonly used abroad as Avalanche, is an early variety that produces in our conditions as early as the end of May. It is a very prolific variety that can produce quite abundantly. Not in clusters and on some branches, but in a kind of successive crowd on successive branches. The dense bearing of the fruit may have inspired its name. On average, we can get between 3 and 4.5 kg of fruit per adult plant. They pick well, do not leak when picked and thus do not colour as much. The sweet and sour, fresh fruits have all the health benefits of the groundnut and all the possibilities for use both raw and in processing. It reaches full fruiting at around 5 years of age, with a maximum height of around 160 cm. The growth of this variety is described as vigorous, more upright and columnar than wide. Hardiness is often quoted as -34°C.

Honeysuckle-Haskap (lonicera caerulea) 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.