Honeyberry – Lonicera kamtschatica

"Wojtek"

Height: can reach up to 1.6 m, 2 m wide

Growing conditions in Latvia’s climate zones: can be planted throughout the territory of Latvia.

Crown: vigorous, oval-shaped shrub, young shoots green, mature ones brown.

Flowers: blooms in April with pale yellow, inconspicuous, soft, funnel-shaped flowers. During the blooming period, the flowers can withstand temperatures dropping to -8°C for nine hours. Self-sterile; for pollination, another variety of this species is needed, such as Docz Velikana, Zojka,

Fruit: narrowly oval, elongated, dark blue berries with an uneven surface and a fine waxy coating; large, very tasty, sweet-sour, dessert-type berries. They ripen 30–40 days after flowering, at the beginning of June. The fruit is suitable both for processing and for fresh consumption. 2–6 kg of fruit can be obtained from one shrub.

The easiest harvesting method: spread a cloth or other material under the shrub and, for example, shake the shrub with a rake handle so the berries fall onto the cloth. They can also be picked by hand.

Foliage: leaves rounded-elongated, 6–10 cm long, bluish green.

Winter hardiness: very winter-hardy throughout the territory of Latvia. Frost resistance -34^oC to -40^oC

Growing conditions: choose a sunny place for planting honeyberries. They require humus-rich, moist but not wet soil, with a soil reaction of pH 5.5–7. Prepare a planting hole 50 x50 cm deep and wide, filling it with compost or other organic fertiliser. Plant the plant as deep as it grew in the container and water thoroughly. As honeyberry has a shallow root system, it is recommended to water it during the growing season, as it is sensitive to drying out. Planting distance from one another 1 m. Mulching is recommended to preserve moisture.

Important to know! If the soil is too dry for a prolonged period, bitterness may appear in the fruit.

Protect from hares! They gnaw off the young shoots, but honeyberries bear fruit on this year’s one-year-old shoots!

Care:Fertilising. In spring, on moist soil, apply 30 g of ammonium nitrate around the plant. Well-rotted manure or compost may be worked into the soil. Later in the growing season, fertilise with a complex NPK fertiliser. Loosen the soil around the shrub very carefully and shallowly so as not to injure the root collar and roots.

Shaping: After planting in a permanent place, honeyberry is usually not pruned for at least 5–6 years. Sanitary pruning is needed no earlier than after 6–7 years. The best time for pruning is after harvest. For fruiting honeyberry shrubs, the tips of the shoots must not be cut, because the flower buds that will form the crop are most concentrated there. The skeletal branches must also not be cut out at the base, because crown renewal takes place thanks to dormant buds at the base of the skeletal branches.

Medicinal value.The fruit is rich in vitamins, macro- and microelements (magnesium, iron, copper, iodine), contains antioxidants, sugars, tannins, fibre, pectins, and organic acids. These activate metabolism in the human body. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

The berries can be eaten fresh, dried or frozen. They can be used to make jams, compotes, juices and jellies.