Carmine Jewel cherries arrived in leaf...what to do?

11 years ago

My purchase of Carmine Jewel cherries is cursed....

Last year my bushes arrived in early summer fully leafed out, in small pots. I planted them immediately and babied them. They immediately became sunburned and only one survived. I found out later that they were tissue cultured in a greenhouse and had never been outside.

A replacement order this year first delivered Black-Eyed Susans. The nursery finally sent the the cherries last week, again in leaf. They arrived the week we had lows in the mid-teens. I have them in the dark in my barn. What would you do? It's now 70 degrees here. Would you plant them out now or repot them and place them in semi-shade, then plant them out early next spring while dormant?

Thanks,
Marc

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Comments (3)

drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
11 years ago
Well if it was below freezing in your barn, and the roots were exposed to those temperatures, they could be dead. Oh, they were in pots, they should be fine.
Here is a set of directions from Stark brothers who sell greenhouse stuff: Definitely put them in the ground this year!

Acclimate

Plants grown in a greenhouse must be acclimated carefully before planting or placing them outdoors. This is especially true in hot or sunny locations. Many species should never be grown in full sun. Before purchasing a plant, learn about its sun requirements. Knowing the plants requirements can avoid any damage to the plant by incorrectly giving it the wrong conditions.

If your plant has been grown in a greenhouse, here are a few steps we recommend you follow:
Ã¢ÂÂ After purchasing your plant, place it outside in a sheltered, shady spot or on your back porch.
Ã¢ÂÂ Leave it there for 3-4 hours and gradually increase the time spent outside by 1-2 hours per day.
Ã¢ÂÂ Bring the plants back indoors each night.
Ã¢ÂÂ Water it regularly to keep the plant moist.
Ã¢ÂÂ Occasionally spray the leaves with water.
Ã¢ÂÂ After 2-3 days, move the plants from their shady spot into morning sun, returning them to the shade in the afternoon.
Ã¢ÂÂ After 7 days, the plants should be able to handle the outdoor temperatures, if they stay around 50 degrees F.
Ã¢ÂÂ After 7-10 days, your plant is ready to be planted in its permanent location. Try to do this on a cloudy day and be sure to water the plant well.
Ã¢ÂÂ Observe foliage daily. If any type of leaf discoloration occurs, put the plant back into filtered light and attempt this step at a later date.
Ã¢ÂÂ Special care must be taken to avoid burning the leaves.

These are general guide recommendations. Some plants take longer than others to acclimate.

This post was edited by Drew51 on Sun, Apr 7, 13 at 16:01
northwoodswis4
11 years ago
What you need to do is break them into the sun gradually. Start by putting them outside in the shade for just a few hours a day. Keep them in the sunniest window inside the house the rest of the time. Work up to full day in shade outside after a few days. Then put them outside in sun a few hours, shade the rest. Work up to full day outside in sun. When they seem to be handling the sun okay, plant them out, if hard frosts are past. Otherwise, bring them in at night. If you are gone to work during the day, this can be a problem, so you may need a neighbor's help. Also, they dry out very quickly in those tiny pots. You might need to have someone keep an eye on them during the day, or else move them into large pots with a wick into them. I have some Carmen Jewels, the first one planted in fall of 2008. I hope to get my first taste of them this year.
Northwoodswis
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don555, thanks for the info and sharing your experience. That is reassuring. I had a North Star cherry that died after 2 years & I thought it might have been too wet, even though it was in an improved area (it also might have gotten Preen sprinkled near it). If I did use pots permanently, they would be some of those big things than trees come in and put in one spot to stay. Hungryfrozencanuck, thank you also. Those articles were interesting and fun (esp. liked the one about the catch frame). Watering is the downside to using pots -- our water rates have been zooming lately, not from shortage but to pay for upgrades in the sewage system in my city. My bill is triple what it was in 2010, and I am already keeping blueberries in pots. I am really excited about these cherries. I have a pot with nanking cherry too, it bloomed for the first time last year, and it is covered with blossoms now, so maybe this year some fruit if tonight's freeze doesn't kill them?
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Noogy
11 years ago
I got my carmine Jewels from Honeyberryusa a couple of weeks ago and they were dormant. I picked up their 18" CJewels for $18 and Crimson Passion for $21. Big roots. Get them before they're gone. I bet they fruit next year.
I still have a 3" CJ runt from Gurneys that Petered out on me. I'm hitting it with some kelp and 49-0-0 to see if it makes a difference.

Carmine Jewel cherries arrived in leaf...what to do?

Comments (3)

drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a

northwoodswis4

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Noogy

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