I don’t grow plants in pots either but will leave my grafts in pots for the first year. I regularly leave temperate fruit outside, never hide it in unheated garage(it’s full of subtropicals like figs, pomegranades, young persimmons, pakistani mulberries etc.) and never saw any losses.
I even left bunch of 1 year old figs outside and while the tops of few of them died all resprouted from the roots. It was mild winter, only 18F minimum. I gave my inlaws young kiwi (deliciosa which is much more cold sensitive than arguta or kolomikta) the year before and they forgot it outside in a pot, it was 8F that winter and the plant survived! Of course plants like apples or pears will survive worse, cornus as well. I cannot comment on temperatures below 5F, we experience those once in 10 years.
Here it\s always below zero a week or so here… Single digits although every ten years it hits double digits. My garage is filled with sub tropicals too. I’m getting a few pomegranates this year, first time. They are just about ripe.
Past two years…pots of cornelian cherry 100% survival in pots here in Kentucky.
A small, unassuming tree at my new office location flowered for the first time this year, and I finally realized it was a Cornelian cherry! It set some fruits which continue to hang on. I’ll do a taste test this fall to see if they’re any good, assuming I can beat the birds.
I’m also considering surreptitiously grafting a named variety onto a branch to improve pollination.
After 7 years I will hopefully have my first 3 fruit. I noticed one is starting to change color here in Zone7A NJ.
This branch I am preaty sure is coming off the rootstock. That will hopefully help pollination in the future
I bought this tree from Raintree in 2017 along with a companion. The companion died. got a replacement the next year it died. Tried grafting a few years before I got one to finaly take. Graft Flowered for the first time this year and I have 3 fruit set. On on the graft and 2 on the original.
Falling off on its own. My First Cornelian Cherry
Kinda like a sour patch kid candy. Sweet start, then a sour finish. Some supprise vegitable flavor but fruit finish.
It is ripe (and very sweet) when dark and squishy. We are having a drought and the cornelian cherries in my garden, but also the ones I checked in the forest yesterday are getting dark while still unripe, drying on the trees/bushes and dropping. I’ve managed to save some of my harvest at least on one tree by extra watering and heavy chop&drop mulching.
