'Boreal Beast' Haskap - Lonicera caerulea 'Boreal Beast'

Discover the 'Boreal Beast' Haskap, a revolutionary variety from the University of Saskatchewan's breeding program! This exceptional shrub truly lives up to its name, displaying remarkable vigor and producing massive berries with unmatched firmness. Its robust structure supports a heavy fruit set, offering sweet berries that hold firmly onto the branches until full maturity. It is the perfect choice for adding a bountiful, healthy, and flavorful harvest to your edible garden.

The Harvest: Yield and Flavor

The 'Boreal Beast' Haskap stands out for its mid-to-late season harvest. Its plump fruits possess excellent holding power after picking and are easy to harvest thanks to the shrub's accessible habit.

• Harvest period: Mid to late July
• Visual description: Large, wide, heavy oval berries boasting a deep purplish-blue hue covered in a beautiful waxy bloom. The flesh is very meaty, and its superior firmness makes handling incredibly easy without bruising the fruit.
• Flavor profile: Delightfully sweet and aromatic. It features a rich, complex taste that is less acidic than earlier varieties, leaving a pleasant, lingering aftertaste.
• Culinary uses: Ideal for fresh eating as a healthy snack, it also excels in desserts, pies, coulis, or frozen to enjoy in your favorite recipes all year round.

Planting Guide

To ensure your 'Boreal Beast' Haskap establishes successfully and encourages fast fruiting, follow these key steps:

1. The ideal location: Install your 'Boreal Beast' in full sun to optimize photosynthesis and maximize the sugar content of the berries. Its naturally upright habit and sturdy branches require no staking or structural support.
2. Soil preparation: This shrub thrives in fertile, loose, well-drained soil, but it requires consistent moisture. Unlike traditional blueberries, it tolerates neutral to slightly acidic soils, making it easy to integrate into your garden. Mix a generous amount of compost into the planting hole.
3. Planting out: Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball. Position the plant so the base of the stems is buried slightly (about 2 to 3 cm below the surrounding ground level) to encourage the growth of vigorous new shoots. Tamp firmly and water thoroughly. Space your plants 1.2 to 1.5 metres apart.
4. Pollination:
   • Type: Self-sterile. The 'Boreal Beast' Haskap requires the presence of another compatible haskap variety blooming during the exact same period to set fruit.
   • Suggested partners: 'Boreal Beauty' (the ideal match) or 'Boreal Blizzard'.

Care and Maintenance Guide

• Watering: Provide regular, deep watering during the first two years to establish a strong root system. Afterward, ensure a steady supply of water during flowering and fruit development to maximize berry size.
• Fertilization: Top-dress with a generous layer of mature compost around the base of the shrub every spring. A natural fertilizer formulated for small fruits applied at the start of the season effectively stimulates healthy foliage and abundant flowering.
• Pruning: This shrub requires very little maintenance. Do not prune the plants for the first 3 to 4 years. Afterward, perform a thinning pruning in late winter to remove older or weak branches from the center of the plant to let sunlight penetrate.
• Protection:
  • Against birds: Birds quickly spot these large blue berries; installing protective netting is essential as soon as the fruit begins to change color.
  • Winter care: Gifted with extreme cold hardiness (Zone 2), the 'Boreal Beast' Haskap braves the harshest Canadian winters without any trouble. Its flower buds resist late spring frosts remarkably well.