Weed management is critical to the establishment and success of your plantation and the importance of weed management cannot be over-emphasized. Haskap are not strong competitors for available space, nutrients, moisture, and light and can be easily overgrown by annual and perennial weeds. Diligent weed control is essential to maximize plant growth and yield, especially when establishing a new plot with young plants. Monitoring and control of weed development during the growing season will aid an effective weed control program.
Pre-plant weed control
Once you’ve determined your plot location, survey the site for perennial and annual weeds. It is highly beneficial in the long-term to try to eliminate as many weeds as possible (and as permanently as possible) prior to planting your Haskap crop in order to avoid competition.
Weed Control in New Planting
Mulch is the method of choice for many commercial growers, while hand weeding is common practice for home gardeners’ scale. Options include various types of landscape fabric, black plastic, or woven fibre barriers or the layering of organic materials like shredded bark to prevent weed germination and growth. Tillage is not recommended as Haskap are rather shallow-rooted plants and as such vigorous tillage around and under foliage may damage shallow roots
Haskap plants are highly sensitive and will react negatively to applications of Roundup and Velpar. These are both not registered for use on Haskap and will kill plants with minimal exposure.
Weed Control in Established Plantings
Established, healthy bushes are more tolerant of weed competition but will still benefit from continuous weed control. Weed control is one of Phytocultures’ crop management research targets; contact us for more information.