[Puenktchen]

In Germany Honeyberries are quite common soft fruit and you can normally buy them in every bigger garden centre. The difference is that you buy established plants in big pots, like how they sell currents or goosberries here in the UK (the plants you buy are normally like a small bush about 1 m high). I have eaten honeyberries from these established plants and they were really delicious, 2-3 times bigger than blueberries and a similar flavour but sweeter.
As soon as I got my allotment here in England I bought two plants (2 1/2 years ago). The plants were tiny when they arrived (like a small twig) and only have their first berries this year. I was really looking forward as I know they normally taste really good. But the berries are tiny and have this very sharp and sour taste described here. I was very dissapointed.

I can only think that the plants are too young yet to produce a good crop as normally the berries are much bigger. I hope the flavour will improve as the plants get older. I don`t think it has something to do with the variety as I have never heard of one in Germany which has sharp and sour tasting berries, nobody would buy them.

[lacewing]

It really is puzzling. Could it be lack of sunshine, of which we have had very little so far this year. As far as I can gather, all fruits sweeten with heat from the sun. Perhaps we will also get larger friuts when out bushes are a bit more mature.  Here's hoping!  

[Trillium]

I found this information on honeyberries that might answer a few questions here.

And yes, there are varieties of honeyberries. Also found that you definitely need two varieties, one of a specific pollinator variety that will pollinate up to 4 other plants of a 2nd variety. First year yields are very small and fruit must be fully blue to be sweet. By the 5th year, production hits its max and should be good until the plant is about 50 yrs old when it needs replacing. Basically, its needs are minimal except for protection when young from nibbling rabbits and deer and at maturity when birds will steal the berries.

If you have only one plant, then it sounds like someone nearby also has one.

[lacewing]

Thanks Trillium, at least I won't have to replace them . When I bought the plants they were described as a pollinating pair. Perhaps next year they will produce a better crop.

[sunshineband]

Thanks Trillium, at least I won't have to replace them . When I bought the plants they were described as a pollinating pair. Perhaps next year they will produce a better crop.

I shall wait to see, as I do like the sound of them especially given Puenktchen's post

[allotmentann]

Yes, I feel more hopeful of there being nice berries eventually now. If they are nice and keep producing for fifty years they will be quite a bargain in the end!