Author Topic: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .  (Read 1437 times)

Doug

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Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« on: July 19, 2019, 08:34:57 AM »

I understand Rio Grande Cherry plants are slow starters. But, my little plants are almost a year old, and some of them are still only eight to ten inches tall. They look very healthy, but is there something I can do to help them speed up a bit? Is there an optimum pH? Types of fertilizers? Whatever? Sigh. At 75, one of the very few regrets I have in my life is that I didn't move to CR much sooner and start this great hobby. LOL

Rex Begonias

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2019, 09:49:18 AM »
Not sure on the cherries, but I hear you on the idea of moving to Costa Rica, can we start a new thread on how and where to buy land in CR? :) :)

Doug

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2019, 11:31:56 AM »
Not sure on the cherries, but I hear you on the idea of moving to Costa Rica, can we start a new thread on how and where to buy land in CR? :) :)

Rex, how to buy land here is very simple (if you find a good lawyer) . . . for anyone. It's a buyers' market! And, the Ticos REALLY want your money! LOL. Where to buy is a very complicated question. There are a million mini-climates here, and there are many different areas with differing (more or less) cultural characteristics. Everyone has their own desires and lifestyle demands. I was very specific about what I wanted to buy. I rented for years and and really enjoyed exploring the country before I found my "paradise" with pretty near everything I had on my list.

Having said that, it's a great little country (nearly everywhere except maybe San Jose) . . . VERY unique compared to other Central American countries, very US friendly, great climate, amazing diversity of flora and fauna, and still VERY affordable if you keep it relatively simple. Why don't you start the thread and see what happens?

Doug


K-Rimes

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2019, 03:05:57 PM »
I have a fairly large CORG that is around 7 years old. When I amend the soil with natural fertilizers (I've tried Dr Earth, Bone meal, blood meal, etc) it pushed out an obscene amount of growth. At this stage I'm trying to shock it with some selective trimming and wood ash to get it to flower... But with no success. I just acquired a small seedling about the size of yours, and will be re-potting to a large pot soon and amending again.

The other thing I mess around with is mycorrizhae and it seems to be the most effective thing to do to get rapid growth out of stuff. I heavily dosed a surinam cherry I have and it grew so much in the last flush I've had to stake it up.

achetadomestica

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2019, 03:25:02 PM »
I have a fairly large CORG that is around 7 years old. When I amend the soil with natural fertilizers (I've tried Dr Earth, Bone meal, blood meal, etc) it pushed out an obscene amount of growth. At this stage I'm trying to shock it with some selective trimming and wood ash to get it to flower... But with no success. I just acquired a small seedling about the size of yours, and will be re-potting to a large pot soon and amending again.

The other thing I mess around with is mycorrizhae and it seems to be the most effective thing to do to get rapid growth out of stuff. I heavily dosed a surinam cherry I have and it grew so much in the last flush I've had to stake it up.
Who do you get your mycorrizhae from?
I got some and I always wonder if it's legit.
I have not seen unreal growth which adds to my paranoia

hellosf

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2019, 11:04:22 AM »
How big was the 7 year tree when planted? Mine has grown very slowly.

K-Rimes

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2019, 03:20:15 PM »





I would presume it started from a 5 gal size like the first photo, from Exotica. The Brazilian Shark on here was who sold it to me this size. It is flushing a huge growth again just after adding more Dr Earth. I trimmed it back quite heavily this year and it flushed a ton after the last trim.

I have been fiddling with using Mykos. I’ve done a few not so laboratory style tests, but tried adding it in small, medium, large doses compared against the same plant in the same medium without it. It is most effective when re-potting to a larger size and directly applied to the roots.

The seedlings or plants growth is better with mykos (adds more leaves quicker), and when repotting I see substantially more fresh white roots on those treated with it. Maybe it’s just fluke, but it certainly seems to be consistent across tests, and per amount added.

K-Rimes

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2019, 03:24:39 PM »



This pitanga was my heaviest dose of mykos, and it has added almost 10x the foliage since, with some shoots extending more than a foot in a month. It needed to be tied up all over to support the new growth.

spaugh

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Re: Helping Rio Grande Cherry plants along . . .
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2019, 03:30:44 PM »
Throw some chiken manure or if you have bag fertilizer an avocado citrus type will work.  They dont seem to be very sensitive plants.  Ive got ine going in full sun and it tolerates salt fertilizers and dry hot weather. 
Brad Spaugh