Haskap Bloom Ripe Charts

Haskap Compatibility, Flowering and Ripening Charts for U of SK Varieties
By Bob Bors, Dec 2016

Like many other fruit crops, haskap requires pollen from an unrelated variety in order to set fruit.
Generally speaking, closely related plants will not set fruit with each other. Haskap plants have
complete flowers meaning they have pollen and ovules. Haskap does NOT have separate male and
female plants. When two compatible haskap varieties are planted close to each other, both bushes will
set fruit.
But it is not enough to have compatible pollen. To pollinate each other both plants must bloom at the
same time and be genetically compatible. At the U of SK, we categorize our varieties and breeding stock
into 5 bloom periods: very early, early, mid, late, and very late. There is overlap between nearby groups
but peak bloom is usually 5 days different between categories. For example, it is estimated that a very
early and an early haskap will overlap 75% of the time. But a very early and mid-bloom varieties might
only overlap 50% or 25% of the time. But a very early and a late blooming haskap usually won’t overlap
at all. Table 1 takes into account both genetic compatibility and overlapping of bloom.
Table 1: Compatibility chart for haskap cross pollination of University of Saskatchewan varieties. This
is based on crossing these varieties together and observing peak bloom times under recent years in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Haskap is a world-wide species found in northern areas and mountains of Asia, Russia, and North
America. Wild haskap in Russia and Canada bloom much earlier that wild plants from Japan. Plants
from the Kuril Islands bloom even later. Russian breeders likely bred for earlier blooming as that is
certainly a desirable trait if you want early fruit. At the U of Sask, we have been deliberately breeding all
the types of haskap to make a better varieties which include have varieties that bloom and ripen at
different times.
Time of bloom varies from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 attempts to show how haskap plant overlap
their bloom under different conditions. But it is quite possible to have alternating cold and hot spells
which may not fit any of the tables below. As an example, in a normal year maybe some variety starts to
bloom 2 days after another. But if in that slight delay very cold weather arrives, that 2 day delay could
turn into a week delay.
Table 2.
Haskap Bloom Overlap, average year

Very Very
Early Early Mid Late Late
Russian Varieties XXXXXXX
Tundra XXXXXXX
Borealis XXXXXXX
Indigo Series XXXXXXX
Aurora XXXXXXX
Honey Bee XXXXXXX
Boreal Blizzard XXXXXXX
Boreal Beast XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
Boreal Beauty XXXXXXX
Table 3.
Bloom Overlap, slowly warming year

Very Very
Russian Varieties XXXX
Tundra XXXX
Borealis XXXX
Indigo Series XXXX
Aurora XXXX
Honey Bee XXXX
Boreal Blizzard XXXX
Boreal Beast XXXX XXXX
Boreal Beauty XXXX
Table 4.
Bloom Overlap, fast warming year

Very Very
Russian Varieties XXXXXXXXX
Tundra XXXXXXXXX
Borealis XXXXXXXXX
Indigo Series XXXXXXXXX
Aurora XXXXXXXXX
Honeybee XXXXXXXXX
Boreal Blizzard XXXXXXXXX
Boreal Beast XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
Boreal Beauty XXXXXXXXX
Haskap fruits obtain almost full size 4 weeks after blooming and begin to turn purple. At 5 weeks old
they are fully purple but at 6 or 7 weeks old they are fully ripe and tasty. That is for a normal year. But
some varieties do develop slower especially if not pruned to let in enough light. Table 5 summarizes
observation made over several years in Saskatoon and might be a good estimate for much of the
prairies. But if growing haskap elsewhere it might be best to compare to harvest times of other fruits.
Haskap from our breeding program usually can last 2 weeks in prime condition on the bushes once fully
ripe. Some of early types have held on for 4 week, if the birds don’t find them.
Table 5. Ripening times of University of Saskatchewan haskap varieties compared to other fruits grown
in Saskatoon and to other types of Haskap. Weather conditions have shifted ripening a week earlier or
later. If growing haskap far from Saskatoon it may be best to compare to other fruit crops to estimate
ripening in your location. Fruits usually hold on 2 weeks after ripe, sometimes longer if cool weather.
June July August

3rd week 4th week 1st week 2nd week 3rd week 4th week 1st week 2nd week
Strawberries Raspberries
Other Fruits
Saskatoons Dwarf Sour Cherries
Borealis Boreal Beast Boreal Beauty
U of SK Tundra Boreal Blizzard
Haskap Indigo Series
Varieties Aurora
Honey Bee
Other
Haskap Russian Varieties* Japanese Varieties** Kuril Varieties***
* There are dozens of varieties bred in Russia but other breeders in Eastern Europe have used Russian stock
** This is based on plants tested from Maxine Thompson's program and seedlings we obtained from Japan.
*** Kuril varieties are an ornamental, low yield type of haskap and not widely available.

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Haskap Compatibility, Flowering and Ripening Charts for U of SK Varieties

By Bob Bors, Dec 2016

Haskap Bloom Overlap, average year

Bloom Overlap, slowly warming year

Bloom Overlap, fast warming year

June July August

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