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| Anyone have success with a sourwood fall planting in zone 6? I do have acidic soil and I think I read it will do well in aras where rhododendrons thrive (check).
Potted vs. B&B? Seems these do well when they're transplanted smaller. There's a nice 8' potted one at a local nursery, but the nursery I've used with great success has them larger B & B. Since they're slow growers, I would like to spend a little more on a larger one if it's not too risky. Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| My experience in this year of extremes... I bought 4 sourwoods from ArborDay - Strike 1 Only 2 leafed out - Strike 2 Late freeze killed some leafs - Stike 3 Record heat and drought - ended up pitching a Perfect Game against me and my sourwoods All died and only 1 made it to June, all were planted late March or early April Zone 7 Watered when necessary. They hate me down here. John |
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- Posted by bfrederick 6A (My Page) on Tue, Sep 13, 11 at 10:13
| I live in zone 6A Massachusetts. I planted 2 sourwoods on my property in the fall, 3 years ago. Because they are such slow growers, the first one I got was as big as I could get at the time, about 6 feet. A couple weeks later I got a smaller one of about 3 feet also. Both were container grown. They took to the fall planting very well. However, despite both being healthy; the smaller one has grown much faster than the larger like you suggest. I expect it to catch and eclipse the larger one within another year or so. I think you will find this happens with most trees. If you are willing to wait an extra couple of years, a smaller tree at time of planting will often grow faster and be more robust than one that has been in a pot for several years or has much of its root mass cut off ( B & B). It held true for me with the sourwoods. If you don't mind; what is the nursery you have used with great success? I'm always looking for new/better ones in my area. |
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| The point of my post (which I obviously forgot to include) is I would not do bare-root again and potted would be my #1 choice. The pathetic root systems on the ones I was sent was no doubt the main determining factor in my failure more so than the environmental conditions that together ganged up and killed the 2 that survived the trip to my house. Larger BnB I would think would be much better, but for me, the less I had to mess with root disturbance for sourwood the more confident I would be. John |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 13, 11 at 10:45
| However, despite both being healthy; the smaller one has the smaller one has grown much faster than the larger like you suggest. I expect it to catch and eclipse the larger one within another year or so. I think you will find this happens with most trees. ===>>> who was that masked man, who has said this repeatedly for years .. lol ken ps: and why is he wearing a mask .... IMHO.. instant gratification does not work with trees .... pps: buying from arbor day is not only strike one.. its two.. and three and you are out ... |
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- Posted by ghostlyvision (My Page) on Wed, Sep 14, 11 at 15:25
| I bought a sourwood from Arbor Day this past Spring and had the same experience as you John, it had very little root system (really just a few stragglers) when it arrived and after 6 weeks or so it crapped out. I e-mailed them and they are replacing it with another one later this Fall, hopefully it'll do better, esp. if it has more roots and the temps cool down. It's mid-Sept. and still hitting at least 100 every day, I hope Fall doesn't pass us by. |
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| One more question. For transplanting the sourwood, the nursery said amend the soil with peat moss. Spoke to another nursery who said peat moss with make it too damp for sourwood and to use manure instead. Any suggestions? |
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- Posted by alexander3 6 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 27, 11 at 19:57
| The wisdom now is to not amend the soil in the planting hole. The transition between amended and non-amended soil can cause trouble. Alex |
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