North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kathryn Mathews" <kathmath@charterinternet.com>]

Those of you with small fruit gardens (I hesitate to call mine an orchard) containing tart cherries may want to consider planting a honeysuckle bush (Lonicera tartarica 'Arnold Red').  This year I didn't net my cherry tree because due to lack of bees early in the spring, I didn't have much fruit.  I figured I'd just let the birds have what little fruit there was.  Much to my surprise, after some initial sampling, the birds, including robins, have left it alone and spent most of their time eating the fruit of the honeysuckle, which ripens just a bit earlier and stays on until the birds have picked it clean.  Maybe they prefer the honeysuckle berry because it's smaller and easier to eat.  One of the reasons I planted 'Arnold Red' in the first place was because it is a fairly narrow, upright shrub (10' tall x 6' wide), tough and hardy, fast growing, and usually blooms after the apples and before the roses.  It has definitely "earned it's space" in my small garden now that I know it will also keep the birds from eating my cherries!

Kathryn Mathews

Southern Minnesota 

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