Is Haskap for you?

The flavour of Haskap berries has been described as a combination of blueberries and raspberries. Plants bear at a young age and the fruit is easily shaken off the bush at harvest. Haskap berries may be used for a wide range of products including juices, wine, pastries, jams, dairy products, or simply eaten fresh. Haskap berries are also widely recognized for their health benefits and high antioxidant levels.

Superior cultivars developed at the University of Saskatchewan breeding program were derived from clones collected from Russia, Japan, Kuril Islands, and wild plants from Canada. Breeding objectives include suitability for mechanical harvest and processing, as well as good flavour. Phytocultures Ltd. from Cornwall, Prince Edward Island is the licensed propagator of these cultivars in Eastern Canada.

Cultivars: There are two named cultivars and two numbered lines that have been released by the U. Saskatchewan breeding program and that are available from Phytocultures – Tundra, Borealis, 9-15, and 9-911.

Tundra has firm fruit with excellent flavour and size. In addition, it has a dry picking scar meaning that the berries do not “bleed” from the picking wound. It is resistant to powdery mildew.

Borealis is the best tasting of the five releases and has the largest fruit size. However, this variety is not as firm as Tundra and has a wet picking scar. It is best suited for home gardeners and U-Pick operations where they can be handpicked and where extended shelflife is not as important. It is resistant to powdery mildew.

9-15 is high yielding and has an interesting trait of being slightly chewy when eaten fresh, possibly desirable in processing. It has a smaller berry than Tundra or Borealis and is in-between in firmness. It has a dry picking scar but is susceptible to powdery mildew.

9-91 is similar in size to Tundra but has more stretched berries and a tangy sweet flavour that is excellent. It has a dry picking scar and is resistant to powdery mildew.

Haskap requires of a compatible variety to produce fruit and Phytocultures propagates a pollinator variety called P-17 for this purpose.

Growing Haskap2: What is an appropriate site for Haskap? Although reported to be relatively tolerant of poor drainage, Haskap does prefer and do better on well-drained soils. As such, if drainage is less than optimum, it is recommended that commercial developers install tile drainage to improve internal soil drainage prior to planting. Also, protection from prevailing winds, particularly from the northwest during winter, is highly recommended to minimize winter injury.

Although little is known about the fertility needs of Haskap, soil testing and appropriate modification of pH, phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) is recommended prior to planting. Haskap doesn’t make suckers or new canes like Saskatoons or highbush blueberries, but it is a similar sized long-term perennial; as such, root zone modification of pH (with limestone), P, and K is difficult after planting and it is recommended that these amendments be made at least the fall before expected planting and fully incorporated.

Post-planting applications of nitrogen releasing products should be made in spring at or shortly after bud break as later applications may cause late season growth and increased susceptibility to winter injury.

 Like other perennial species, it is recommended that Haskap be planted in spring as soon as soil conditions and temperatures are appropriate, usually early May in Nova Scotia. Row spacing is driven largely by the equipment that will be used in the orchard, for mowing between rows, spraying, fertilizing, and/or harvest. A typical layout of 1.3 m between bushes ‘in-row’ and 3 m spacing between rows is often used but this varies depending on an individual grower’s equipment and objectives. For example, if mechanical harvesting is desired a closer in-row spacing of 1 m between bushes would be appropriate.

As noted above, Haskap requires cross pollination between unrelated varieties blooming at the same time for fruit production3. The ideal planting ratio (pollinator variety (P) to desirable variety (X)) depends on the fruitfulness and utility of the pollinator itself but assuming it is less desired, a ratio of 1:8 is a good starting place.

Bushes should be planted 1-2 inches deeper than their original depth. This helps establish a deeper root system but also helps prevent moisture wicking and desiccation of the original root ball that occurs with too shallow planting.

During the first three years following planting, irrigation is very important for establishment. Once mature, bushes should still be managed to provide irrigation during periods of water shortage, typically during July and August, so as to provide up to 1.5 inches per week. Ensure that you have adequate water volume and system capacity to deliver the water needs of your planting.

Haskap has few pests. It does not appear to be a favourite of deer and insect problems are minimal at this time. Birds however, love Haskap and netting and/or some other methods of bird control will be necessary. The only disease reported at this time is powdery mildew and this is usually seen later in the season, well after harvest is complete. Leaf bronzing is also reported but does not appear to be pathogen related, suggesting it may be sunburn or an environmental response by some varieties.

Annual pruning is recommended with Haskap, either in late winter or early spring when bushes are still dormant. Thin out older less productive branches when bushes become too dense. Never remove more than 25% of a bush in a season.

Haskap will fruit early but does not generally produce any significant amount of fruit until 3-4 years after planting. Yields of 7 kg/bush are reported after 5 years and bushes should be expected to stay productive for 30+ years. Be patient when approaching harvest – berries will turn purple-blue but should not be picked until the inside flesh is purple (not green). The U. of S. varieties are uniform ripening but have good hang-time so harvest needn’t be rushed. Typically they are harvested the 2nd or 3rd week of June in Saskatchewan before strawberries and this should translate to the first week of June in Nova Scotia.

Haskap is an exciting new crop opportunity but like any new crop, marketing is expected to be a challenge until the consumer becomes familiar with this berry. As such, interested growers should explore market opportunities fully before initiating any significant developments. As my Grampy used to say, “You gotta walk before you run” so plan on starting small and building as your markets and knowledge of this new crop grows.

References:

1 http://phytocultures.com/catalogue_details.asp?id=78 and http://www.fruit.usask.ca/articles/new_varieties.pdf

2 http://www.haskap.ca/BobBorsLectures/Growing%20Haskap%20Mar%202008.pdf

3 http://www.fruit.usask.ca/articles/pollinationstrategy.pdf