Category: Southcentral Alaska

Growing Honeyberries (Haskaps) in Alaska

 

Honeyberries, or haskaps, are a unique berry. Honeyberries have a huge range in shape, size, productivity, taste, timing and evenness in how they ripen and how easily they come off the bush. The taste of honeyberries is often compared to other berries. I think the taste is unique, and you should try them and make your own comparisons (or not) with other berries.

I have written several articles on berries and they are roughly in order of my personal preference: first, on cultivating wild blueberries, next strawberries, then raspberries and then currants. So now I’m tackling honeyberries or haskaps, so they are my fifth favorite berry. They would be sixth if you include cloudberries, but I’m not going to write about cloudberries since they are generally not cultivated, although there may be ways to protect and promote their growth in the wild.

Haskap bushes with ripe berries on them.

Some berries require full sun, a narrow pH range and well-drained soils. Honeyberries tolerate partial shade, wet soils and a wide pH range. Their pruning requirements are more manageable than other types of berries, and they won’t take over your backyard with thorny bushes like raspberries tend to do. What’s not to like about a berry that is easy to grow, cold-hardy, highly productive and ripens earlier than most berries?

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The Alaska Peony Industry Turns 25 in 2025

 

Twenty-five years after University of Alaska Fairbanks horticulture researcher Pat Holloway’s initial discovery that Alaska held a niche in the peony market due to its unique bloom time and access to markets, the peony farming scene has ebbed and flowed. 

From the first research plots being planted around 2001, to the boom between roughly 2014 and 2016, to post-COVID and high inflation rates that have left no business untouched, many farmers have come and gone. Those on the scene today are business savvy, hard-working, energetic, and have the health and lifestyles that allow them to focus on peonies full-tilt for at least six weeks during the height of the summer.

The peony farming gold rush in Alaska started because the flowers garnered a high price per stem due when they bloom. That is, they bloomed in Alaska in July and August during prime wedding season. At that time, peonies are not blooming elsewhere or at least nowhere with ready access to air transport and other infrastructure needed to export them. 

The number of peonies planted in Alaska increased exponentially from 20 roots in 2004 to over 120,000 roots in 2012. In 2013, 150 peony farmers (or interested farmers) attended the Alaska Peony Growers Association (APGA) meeting which was close to the peak of interest. There was an effort to reach a global market (including Europe and Asia) through cooperatively marketed peonies. 

coral charm peonies blooming in a field
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What Your Plant Hardiness Zone Won’t Tell You About Your Garden’s Climate

 

Although we can’t predict the weather, by learning more about past weather we can make a more educated guess about the future. By understanding your garden’s microclimate, you’ll be able to choose plants that will thrive in your particular neck of the woods.

Many gardeners rely on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for a quick and dirty way to decide what to plant based on their “zone.” Zones are also a favorite qualifier of some nurseries and seed companies. Be aware that your zone is only based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature. The zones were just updated in 2023 and it’s interesting to compare the changes from the previous map.

A map of Alaska indicating USDA Plant Hardiness Zones by color variation. Much of Northern and central Alaska consists of growing zones 1a to 2b, with coastal regions 2b to 4a and Southeast Alaska contains zones ranging from 4a to 7b.
map of Alaska shaded with different colors according to zone hardiness
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Homer is Passionate About Local Food–and Those Who Produce it

 

In spring of 2018 I had the happy excuse to visit five farms in Homer–to film high tunnels and season extension techniques for a YouTube series called, In the Alaska Garden with Heidi Rader. While I was there, I kind of fell in love with those farmers. Their passion, tenacity, and creativity was infectious and rekindled my own dream of being a farmer I discovered they’re innovating in lots more ways than high tunnels. I say farmers but they all also identify strongly with the term “market gardener”–a term that describes farmers who grow food predominately for direct markets using mostly low-tech, hand tools on small acreage. They are voracious readers, watchers of YouTube videos, and sharers of ideas. Some of their favorite authors and vloggers include Eliot Coleman (The Four Season Farm), Ben Hartman (The Lean Farm), Curtis Stone (The Urban Farmer), and Jean-Martin Fortier (The Market Gardener).

Heidi Rader stands with Katie Restino while she demonstrates how to cut greens with her Quick Cut Greens Harvester. The harvester is powered by a cordless drill.

Carey Restino demonstrates how to cut greens with her Quick Cut Greens Harvester. The harvester is powered by a cordless drill. Photo by Jeff Faye.

My first stop was Homer Hilltop Farm where Carey Restino has carved out a farm that winds through forest and devil’s club on Diamond Ridge. Carey exuded energy as she showed me her high tunnels and hoop houses that have helped her dramatically extend her season in a microclimate that is cooler than Homer proper due to its higher elevation. She had an impressive lineup of the latest, low-tech tools designed for market gardeners including a six-row seeder, a Quick Cut Greens Harvester, and a soil tilther to name a few. Continue reading