plum trees.. can you plan single. or do you need two to fruit?

[Soundguy]

I know some plants want parts.. didn't know if plum is happy by itself.

I have some wild ones on property.. but nowhere near where I am planting the new one.

thanks

 

[teejk]

I did plums years ago. As I recall at the time I needed 2 of different varieties. Maybe it's changed now. But I still remember a particularly dry year where a tiny 6 year old tree (Santa Rosa I think) got stressed and sent off plums galore. We ate some, we made jelly/jam, we took pounds to work to give away. That went on for 3 weeks. The other tree (I don't recall but I'm sure you can find it) was solely there to pollinate. That was the same year that a tiny black walnut tree dropped enough nuts to feed the rodents for years. At the time I did pears and apples also. Pears also required a cross pollinator (I think I had a bartlett and a duchess). Apples I did red and yellow delicious and a mac. I didn't have much money at the time so bought my trees on "close-out" sales. I have to say it was a lot of work with pruning and spraying and such but was actually kind of fun. We now live in a glacial "sand pit" but I think I might take up the hobby again.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Everything depends on the species and even the variety. Just need to note when buying them if they are self-pollinators or not.

 

[sixdogs]

Plums are a mixed bag but pairs and some cross pollination always works better. Some plums, like the blue Stanley plum are said to require only one tree but two work better. If I recall, Miller Nursery has a nice on-line catalog that breaks plums down by variety. I'll bet yours are on the Stanley or Italian plum type and a second or similar tree would be helpful.

 

[Soundguy]

the one i looked at said 'needs polinator'

I couldn't tell if that meant it needed insect help to polinate.. or if it needed a pair of plants...

 

[sixdogs]

the one i looked at said 'needs polinator'

I couldn't tell if that meant it needed insect help to polinate.. or if it needed a pair of plants...

Means tree or trees. With plums, the more the merrier. Find the variety and then you can look up what it's "pollinator" is. You also need the bees to do the pollinating.

 

[Soundguy]

thanks

 

[RobertBrown]

Get some bees and some plums........I once recieved 10000 bees trough the US mail. You should have seen the people backing up through the post office as I walked out with those insects buzzing away..
Japanese plums grow like weeds here. They are small but tasty. Might make a good jam....dunno.

 

[oosik]

The original homesteaders here had plums. Still have three really old trees. Seems the chipmunks, squirrels & raccoons like the plums more than I do. Deer & porcupine eat those that fall. Wasps chew holes in all of them. Its somewhat of a loosing battle getting those that are supposed to be mine. I've even seen the coyotes eat them off the ground.

 

[forgeblast]

I have a stark bro plum that has 3 varieties grafted on one tree.

 

[MossRoad]

When a tree is listed as "needs pollinator" that means it needs another tree somewhat close by. However, it does not mean it should be of the same species. Some do and some don't. What erks me the most is when it says it needs a pollinator, and it even lists what species to be the best pollinator, but the store does not sell that best pollinator species!!! GRRRRrrr!!! I see that a lot at the big box stores nurseries. If in doubt, call the nursery and ask for the best pollinator and if they carry it. If you don't get a pollinator, you can end up with no fruit, or very small fruit that doesn't set, or taste good, ect.... I've had a peach tree for 15 years that was supposed to be self pollinating, but all I every get is hundreds of green marbles that fall off mid-summer. Last fall I bought a big box rescue peach tree for a couple bucks. I'll plant it near my older tree and see if it makes a difference this year. Of course, with the late winter we are having I won't be surprised if everything gets frost killed this year anyway.

 

[Western]

MR, it 's the opposite here at the box stores, the carry one tree and then usually 1 or 2 of the recommended CP's,. We also have a good nursery about an hour away, that pretty much carry's anything that grows here.

 

[J_J]

Fruit Tree Pollinators Chart

 

[flusher]

I know some plants want parts.. didn't know if plum is happy by itself.

I have some wild ones on property.. but nowhere near where I am planting the new one.

thanks

Hi SG. There are thousands of acres of plum tree orchards around here. They all go to the Sunsweet dryers located up and down the Central Valley to be turned into prunes (the senior citizen delight.

Here's info on plum trees from UC Davis--the big ag university here in CA.

http://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/391-552.pdf

Almost all commercial plum trees are self pollinating, but the growers use bees to hedge their bet and ensure that the ****** process gets done right.

Good luck

 

[Soundguy]

i have jap plums right now that are maintaining the bird population in my neighborhood i think!

 

[Soundguy]

thanks fo rhte extra info guys!

 

[MossRoad]

i have jap plums right now that are maintaining the bird population in my neighborhood i think!

I use this bird netting to keep my cherries safe from robins. Works great.

Dalen Bird-X® Protective Netting, 14 ft. x 14 ft. - Tractor Supply Co.

 

[Soundguy]

it's making more than we can possible eat.. so we don't mind feeding hungry animals.

 

[MossRoad]

it's making more than we can possible eat.. so we don't mind feeding hungry animals.

You could be making plum wine!! :licking:

 

[Soundguy]

if i knew how.. ;0