Firstly would like to say hello to all the community members,lovers of mother earth and floral enthusiasts.
Been browsing this lovely flowerofindia website for a while now but just signed on the forum recently.will try and be more regular here from now on.
Ok now the question/query..i'm in love,yes in love with this gem of a flower called Cheery Blossoms(Sakura the japanese name)look here :->

http://images.google.co.in/images?hl=en&q=sakura+cherry+blossom&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=F7j6ScPKMM-JkQXK1MD6BA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title
http://dsphotographic.com/g2/10366-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Newark_cherry_blossoms.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom

i absolutely adore it and would like to have this planted in my farm,i'd like the experts to help me with the query--
1)Is it possible to grow it in my farm,i'm located in Indore(Madhya Pradesh) that would be central India.
2)Where could i find genuine sapling of the tree here and around where i am.
3)what extra measure/precautions would one need to take for having this awesome tree in full nurture.
4)How much time it takes for the tree to reach its full bloom
5)Best places in india to see this tree.Any nursery/wild etc..
6)Has anyone tried growing it in the country


Thats about it for now,will wait patiently and looking forward for some response from the experts.

Thanks In Advance.
Sunshine

 

--Last edited by Sunshine on 2009-05-01 14:54:53 --

 

i totaly agree with you that the sakura cherries are just tooooo gorgeous!

sadly i haven't found it anywhere in northern plains on for sale. i haven't found it even in himachal. it is said that it puts up with warm weather, but experience is very different from theoretical statements. it might perform well in indore (due to it's low humidity and relatively bareable summer). the nurseries in sikkim, kashmir, ooty, kodaikanal or dehradun might have your treasured flower.

happy hunting!!

oops!

sorry....i mixed up the sakura cherry with the Kazan cherry. the statement i gave was regarding the flowering cherries and not specifically sakura. sakura usualy can't bear summer heat.
sorry.

hey harangad appreciate your reply mate,yes i'm talking about the sakura tree and not kazun.Also if you see the wikipedia page,there it says....
Natural history

Sakura is indigenous to many Asian states including Japan, Korea, China, and India. Japan has a wide variety of sakura; well over 200 cultivars can be found there.

(quoted from wikipedia)

I'm looking for more information,suggestions and especially from someone whose had some practical knowledge in planting this beautiful tree and had experiences would really come handy.

cheers
Sunshine

 

--Last edited by Sunshine on 2009-05-01 14:50:07 --

hi,

the term sakura is generaly used for ornamental cherries by the japanese; i.e. members of the prunus genus family which may have inedible small fruits similar to the cherry and are or can be used ornamentally. this term applies to all flowering cherries (including the Kazan. we're both talking about the same thing with two different names.. There are many varieties of cherry (actually the Prunus genus)indigenous to the himalayan region which may/may not be edible, ornamental, medicinal etc. most members of this genus require the winter chill to flower succesfully.

most alpine plants require the low temperature for a minimum required duration as this signals the plant to prepare the coming spring or warm seaseon. without this condition being met the biological clock of the plant overlooks the flowering cycle. this means that though the plant will not die. it will not flower as it will never be able to figure out how to do so.

there's a huge botanical explanation behind this phenomena. simply put unless the chill is provided the plant will not flower as is the case with most rhododendrons, prunus, irises, malus etc.

it might be a good idea to look at varieties being grown in other zones of the world with and zonal characters similar to Indore. the US has a well developed zonal xhart and their temperatures are easy to figure out. the zone of Indore would be similar to a zone 10 in the us. anything above 35 degrees C is between zones 10 and 11. Delhi is the extreme of something like zone 11 going above 40 upto 45 easily.

in some parts of the world though the summer is mild, the winter is not cold enough, which is why some plants do not do well there.

The nurseries in sikkim, kashmir, uttaranchal and may have varities for you. They will also provide you with information as to which will do well in your region.

The indigenous varieteis of prunus are best suited for cultivation as they are least susceptible to diseases and pests. grafting sensitive varieties on native prunus varieties increases the survival rate of your plants for example you can graft a flowering cherry on a desi arhoo/ desi peach or apricot which are more suited to warm weather and can bear even the plains.

best of luck with your cherry hunt!