From: Jay Cutts <cutts@cuttsreviews.com>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] cornus mas
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 5:09 PM
Because of the very early flowering, I tried it here in NM at 7000 feet where
most trees get subjected to late frosts and don't set fruit. I assumed that if
it blooms that early, it must have built in resistance to frosts.
Unfortunately, it seems to be susceptible here to a strange syndrome which
affects certain plants that are unrelated to each other. Part way through the
season the leaves begin to die back from the edges, turning brownish and
drying up. Eventually this works its way to the center of the leaf. It
affects all the leaves on the plant and I have never had a plant recover from it.
I have theorized that the cause could be high ultraviolet or perhaps the high
mineral content of the soil or the irrigation water. The syndrome has
affected Cornus mas and kousa, pawpaws (which are notoriously susceptible to
direct sun in their early years), hardy kiwi, sweet cherries, among others.
Some other cherries seem to be mildly affected but survive. My Montmorency's
leaves get a bit ragged on the edges by late summer. My chokecherries pretty
much have their leaves destroyed by late summer but survive anyway.
I'd love to grow Cornus mas but haven't figured a way around this. By the
way, sometimes people say to grow it in some shade but we don't have shade
here. At least any shade that exists is under very competitive pines and
junipers.
Any ideas?
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