North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dr. Lucky Pittman" <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

I planted a bunch of pecan seedlings, started last year in 3-gallon pots, today in the ground. Noticed that the pots were icey blocks and wondered if such the pecans' roots might be damaged by freezing. The parent seed is from a thick-shelled northern type, planted now in Marshall, NC, zone 6b.

I don’t know how your zone 6 NC winter temps compare to mine in z6 western KY.   Several years back, I had a similar situation – had a dozen or so pecans in 3-gal containers – I’d dug some 2-yr old seedlings, pruned the taproot off to fit in the pots, and grafted them to named varieties.  Didn’t get around to getting them in the ground before hard winter freezes set in.  Next spring, some ‘woke up dead’, but others were unfazed, and are still alive today.

I may be wrong, but I’m inclined to think that some of the issue with potted plants above ground has to do with dessication – if the soil in the pot is frozen solid, the plant can’t move moisture up into the above-ground portion.  In a lot of cases, the pecans will root into the underlying soil, through one or more of the drain-holes, and I think those plants have a better likelihood of survival than those whose roots don’t manage an ‘escape’, because they can replenish moisture lost to dessicating winds and cold, dry winter air.

Lucky Pittman

Hopkinsville, KY

 

Concerned about my day's plantings...

James Geoffrey Steen

c/o Raven Ridge Farm

284 Catawba Drive
Marshall, NC 28753
(828) 649-9261  (h)
(617) 470-9436  (c)

--- On Tue, 2/16/10, Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org> wrote:

From: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] carmine jewel
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 4:02 PM

Ernest, little plants still need strong protection and careful packing.
Believe me, I once worked as a mail handler.

Also, while I don't know about the U.S. post office there is an almost
sadistic quality to Canada Post's rate schedule for small parcels.

Years ago, plant shipments from nurseries got, informally, extra care
from Canada Post. That was a hangover from the days when the interests
of rural people got special consideration from politicians. No longer.

Bill MacKentley has been in business for a long time and I guess he
means to stay in business. Fair enough, I say.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada


Ernest Plutko wrote:
> I started ordering two Carmine Jewel cherries from St Lawrence
> Nursery until I discovered the $16.50 mailing charge.  $16.50 for two
> six inch plants?
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