New Honey Gin

Description

Overview: The berries are sweet plus with great smoked plum flavour. Good variety for wine, gin and vodka production. Ideal for fresh, frozen and blending.

Other names: none

Origin: Russian. F4 from Lonicera caerulea Turzcaninowii Pojark.
Plant size and shape: Width 4 feet x Height 5 feet. Upright and dense branching structure and develops dome shape crown
Productivity: Over 8 pounds in fourth or fifth grow year
Needed pollinator: Unrelated Honeyberry cultivar blooming in Mid Harvest Group – Eg:Blue Banana (RBU3) and Blue Angus (RBU2)
Harvesting Group: Mid Harvest Group within general mid-June to mid-July window
Other harvest notes: Harvest at Brix of 15 plus. The berries are machine harvestable

Berry size: 2.0 cm (3/4 inch plus)
Flavour Group: Tart/Sweet
Shape: Elongated with flat thick tip Berry shape – 8
Stem scar: Dry when ripe
Hardiness: Zones 2-9
Ideal growing Latitude zone: Approx 40 to 60
Chilling hours required: Approx 1,000 hours

Flowers bloom: April
Soil pH: Tolerates 5.5 to 7, but ideal 6.4 and Soil type: Natural rich balanced and fungal soil
Planting time: Fall preferred
Plant spacing: 4 to 5 feet. Avoid aggressive tilling under maturing bushes, as damages the carpet type roots and Row spacing: 10 to 12 feet
Pruning: Annual pruning not required. After 10 years of fruiting consider cutting back the central woody stems to about one and a half feet.