Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

In message
, Jim
writes
Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

sci.bio.botany is moribund; if you don't get any help here try
rec.gardens.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message
, Jim
writes
Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

sci.bio.botany is moribund; if you don't get any help here try
rec.gardens.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

MH lights are very hot. THe young leaves may be getting burnt or
dried out.

On Mar 15, 11:07*pm, wrote:
In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:





In message
, Jim
writes
Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

sci.bio.botany is moribund; if you don't get any help here try
rec.gardens.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

MH lights are very hot. *THe young leaves may be getting burnt or
dried out.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have the light about 10" to 20" avove the tops of the trees at this
point. The recommended distance I believe is one to two feet, though
it does seem too close. However, I have an in-line fan running and I
do not believe that heat is the issue, as when I place my hand under
the light at just a few inches below it does not seem unusually hot.

I am trying so hard, but I cannot seem to find the answer. The soil I
used is potted top soil, and I think this should be fine. I have not
added fertilizer, only water about every two to three days.

In article ,
Jim wrote:
On Mar 15, 11:07*pm, wrote:

In message
, Jim
writes
Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

MH lights are very hot. *THe young leaves may be getting burnt or
dried out.

I have the light about 10" to 20" avove the tops of the trees at this
point. The recommended distance I believe is one to two feet, though
it does seem too close. However, I have an in-line fan running and I
do not believe that heat is the issue, as when I place my hand under
the light at just a few inches below it does not seem unusually hot.

I am trying so hard, but I cannot seem to find the answer. The soil I
used is potted top soil, and I think this should be fine. I have not
added fertilizer, only water about every two to three days.

It may be the dryness rather than the heat alone that's doing it then.
The fan as well as the heat could be contributing to very low humidity.
Also, the heat from MH's is mostly radiant heat. To find out how hot
they are, use a thermometer. Your hand has a blood supply that is
carting away the heat before it builds up.

You may be trying too hard. I used to live up near the northern limit
of P.serotina's range, west of Ottawa, where normal winter temperatures
dropped to -40 (F or C, your choice). While black cherries occasionally
grew into trees, they mostly grew as short scrubby bushes around rock
outcrops, covered with black knot disease, but blooming, fruiting and
persisting nonetheless.

I suggest you put your plants out, with a bit of shelter from the sun
for a few days perhaps. They can tolerate a lot of cold, even after
breaking dormancy. IIRC, while P.serotina's range extends far south
from here, it's at higher altitudes as it goes south, so even if your
seeds originated from further south, they'll likely be okay. I can't
tell where you are, but here in Toronto we had a record-breaking mild
winter, and spring is much further advanced than usual. The silver
maple (Acer saccharinum) across the street is fully budded and snowdrops
and botanical crocuses are in bloom.

If you're interested in North American Prunus spp, you may want to try
some others. There's a chokecherry that makes a nicely formed small
tree and blooms profusely and early. I don't recall its botanical
name right off, but there's a clone called Schubertii that's widely
planted as an urban street tree here. This species is at least as
cold-hardy as P.serotina and to my observation is resistant to black
knot, even when growing close to heavily infected black cherries.

I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

On Mar 16, 10:12*am, wrote:
In article ,





Jim wrote:
On Mar 15, 11:07*pm, wrote:

In message
, Jim
writes
Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a question concerning the
health of potted Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) saplings, and I hope
someone here can help.

For years I have been potting these small saplings and they have done
quite well outdoors. This year I potted some and brought them inside
and placed them under a 1000 watt metal halide grow light. They budded
and began to leaf out, but now the small leaves are appearing to
crumple and discolor. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot
afford to have them die on me. I wanted to bring them in to get a jump
on the growing season. Can anyone suggest anything? Watering or
fertilizer regimen, different light, number of light hours?

Thank you all so much!!

MH lights are very hot. *THe young leaves may be getting burnt or
dried out.

I have the light about 10" to 20" avove the tops of the trees at this
point. The recommended distance I believe is one to two feet, though
it does seem too close. However, I have an in-line fan running and I
do not believe that heat is the issue, as when I place my hand under
the light at just a few inches below it does not seem unusually hot.

I am trying so hard, but I cannot seem to find the answer. The soil I
used is potted top soil, and I think this should be fine. I have not
added fertilizer, only water about every two to three days.

It may be the dryness rather than the heat alone that's doing it then.
The fan as well as the heat could be contributing to very low humidity.
Also, the heat from MH's is mostly radiant heat. *To find out how hot
they are, use a thermometer. *Your hand has a blood supply that is
carting away the heat before it builds up.

You may be trying too hard. *I used to live up near the northern limit
of P.serotina's range, west of Ottawa, where normal winter temperatures
dropped to -40 (F or C, your choice). *While black cherries occasionally
grew into trees, they mostly grew as short scrubby bushes around rock
outcrops, covered with black knot disease, but blooming, fruiting and
persisting nonetheless.

I suggest you put your plants out, with a bit of shelter from the sun
for a few days perhaps. *They can tolerate a lot of cold, even after
breaking dormancy. *IIRC, while P.serotina's range extends far south
from here, it's at higher altitudes as it goes south, so even if your
seeds originated from further south, they'll likely be okay. *I can't
tell where you are, but here in Toronto we had a record-breaking mild
winter, and spring is much further advanced than usual. *The silver
maple (Acer saccharinum) across the street is fully budded and snowdrops
and botanical crocuses are in bloom.

If you're interested in North American Prunus spp, you may want to try
some others. *There's a chokecherry that makes a nicely formed small
tree and blooms profusely and early. *I don't recall its botanical
name right off, but there's a clone called Schubertii that's widely
planted as an urban street tree here. *This species is at least as
cold-hardy as P.serotina and to my observation is resistant to black
knot, even when growing close to heavily infected black cherries.

I hope this helps. *Let us know what happens.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you so much for your time and help. I greatly appreciate it! I
am in the US, west of Chicago. We do have both Black and Choke cherry
here, though the Choke is always diseased, and this is why I prefer
the Black cherry.

I will try to increase the humidity and see what happens. However, the
fan is an in-line fan that attaches to the light, so there is no draft
blowing on the trees. Also, I try to spray them once or twice a day to
help keep them moist. I am afraid of over-watering as they are
apparently not flood tolerant at all.

Again, thanks so much for your time!