This compilation focuses on haskaps and honeyberries, from field observations to propagation and planting notes as we build out hardy cultivars. The posts are kept in seasonal order, and the captions add the context behind each photo.
Questions and comments always welcome to doug@oaksummitnursery.ca.
Haskaps / Honeyberries
22 postsArticle build 2026-02-01 12:18
Spring
8 posts
Boreal blizzard stock block. the larger bush was courtesy of our trip to the u of sask fruit program last summer, one of their field grown plants 100% known to be true to type. the small plants rooted from it are now planted out in a grid to create a decent mass of growth points to collect softwood. It doesn't need to be a 50ft row for our scale, just this 2x4 ft space can make hundreds of cuttings. there's a 50 cent royalty on each that goes to the fruit program to support continued breeding, happy to be a part of it.
Haskap growing well in part shade right under the boughs of a spruce. upright form, pale yellow flowers. I was surprised by how well it's growing with the shade.
A couple beds of haskap and black currant, a good result from softwood propagated last year, they'll be decent kind of gallon pot size by fall, exactly the size I want. If the cuttings are done early they seem to have a high percentage overwinter, late softwood may root but the plants often won't survive, at least in my experience with a short growing season. My goal this year is to make all softwood cuttings before the summer solstice, and get everything rooted and hardened off as early in the summer as possible.
My attempt to graft haskap seems to be working, I removed the foil shading the other grafts since they don't seem to be needed, it was just a precaution. this bush is in partial shade. and it experiences -3C for eight hours last night, haskaps shrug off the cold. excited to try and grow out a couple of these maxine thompson varieties, rooting hardwood was tricky with low success. softwood is easy.
Grafting haskap. will it work? not sure, must be possible. I have three maxine thompson varieties, initially tried to root as hardwood but it didn't respond, maybe a dryer 70-80% perlite mix could do it. haskap roots easily from softwood. anyway I have one scion of each as a backup to graft. I'll also add some foil protection around these to keep the sun off them. when I grafted haskap onto wild honeysuckle last year it didn't leaf out indicating the scions dried out, so will try bagging it. #propagation #haskap #grafting
My haskap grafts from the other day covered for the next 2 weeks with tin foil to keep them cool. This can help take for more sensitive grafts. I might use it on sea buckthorn as well.
Haskap / honey berry grafted onto wild honeysuckle. There are a few species here, small and bushy rarely 3ft tall, another one that grows like a large shrub 8ft or more, also a vining type. Experimentally I'm trying cultivar haskap onto two of the species to see if they grow, there are some reports that there can be compatibility - they are all in the same genre. The larger bush form will be an advantage if it works, like making a standard with currants. #grafting
Haskaps are the first bushes to leaf out in the orchard #haskap #honeyberries
Summer
13 posts
Haskap upick, old bushes gallons of fruit.
Elderberries, haskaps ready to pot up. after about a month under mist just about all of the cuttings we did in june are rooting, I try and wait under they're at a medium to heavy rooting stage, which for me is a decent mass of roots 1/2 - 1" long. this is the 4th year I've done this propagation run with the timed mist and keeping notes helps, every species and cultivar is slightly different so there are adjustments to the hormones, cutting size and when you take them, if they need bottom heat, how fast they root, and how sensitive the plants are when hardening off. nothing like moving a tray of cuttings outside and they all die on the first hot day, or they just won't resume growth and die over the winter. my point is you have to murder a lot of cuttings to get some practice ;) this year I'm actually doing less than last year, but using larger pots and more dialed in process with lessons learned to try and get larger plants by fall, so they all pass the grade and are ready to send out in our fall sale and then the rest in the spring.
Aurora haskaps. consistently quite large, super tasty off the bush. picking them at this perfectly ripe stage they're very similar to a blueberry.
Haskaps heavily rooted at about 4 weeks
Trimming up haskap cuttings, this guy was hiding in the leaves. catch and release caterpillar.
Haskap, currant, gooseberry cuttings under mist.
Haskap starting some new leaves after rooting. This is a good result, if they can grow a bit through august then harden off in september.
Had a great visit at u of sask to pick up propagation material. orchards of cherries and haskaps and some behind the scenes in the fruit breeding program. happy to help support them by propagating some of the boreal series haskap and cherries, we'll be growing boreal beast, beauty, blizzard, aurora haskap and juliette, d'artagnan cherry.
Haskaps just starting to ripen, these are indigo gem and indigio treat. starting the boreal series ones next, excited to get those going, u of sask has offered to provide some cuttings so travelling next week. #haskap
Haskaps hardened off and going in the ground. these rooted a couple of weeks ago and had some part shade and gradually less mist, last move is into full sun a few days. if the leaves freak out and curl up and go brown then it was too fast, so slowly is better. signs of new leaf growth are good, the new ones will handle hot and dry full sun. #propagation #haskap #honeyberry
Made it to the u of Sask plant sale this afternoon. Cool to see some of the campus and their breeding program for cold hardy haskaps and cherries, and great to meet Bob Bors head of the fruit program
First haskaps starting to ripen. #honeyberry #haskap
Haskhaps are getting ripe #haskapberry #honeyberry
Winter
1 posts
Happy to announce that we've been added to the list of licensed propagators for the Boreal series haskaps bred at U of Sask in Saskatchewan, Canada. The varieties we'll be propagating include Aurora, Borral Blizzard, Boreal Beast, Boreal Beauty, and also the cherries Juliette and d'Artagnan. Photos courtesy of the U of Sask Fruit Program. #haskap