Asian / European plum grafting compatibility

yeah…I hear you. It does at least have the look of legit stuff though.

Okay… Here we go…

Yesterday I grafted Mirabelle de Nancy (Prunus Domestica Syriaca) onto a purple-leaf cherry plum (Prunus Cerasifera), which I think is a Thundercloud. Cerasifera is thought to be an ancestral parent of Domestica, so I am hoping these are “wood compatible.” I also hope to graft other pollen-compatible Euro & mirabelle plums onto this tree.

Has anyone else here fooled around with multi-budding grafts onto Cerasifera plum trees like Thundercloud or Krauter Vesuvius in order to convert these largely ornamentals trees into fruit-bearing trees? Anyone have any succeses or failures to report on this front?

How can you tell it is purple leaf plum or purple leaf sand cherry? I have a purple leaf something growing in the yard which I don’t particularly care for , have very small pink flowers. I am wondering if I can graft something? into it.

I’m suddenly finding this idea exceedingly interesting. I think my year-long multi graft plum-wrestling issue and lack of a good site can be fixed with some grafting: the base subject being my mystery mislabel peach (which I think is Elberta at best, BoG at worst). Had an epiphany while floating in the pool. If its Elberta, one scaffold of that peach will stay.

So by a descending aging construct, the early peach death may be more of a failure at the chlorophyll level and/or downward transit of nutrients versus the root itself and the upward nutrient flow? Given the crazy rapid rate of peach canopy growth that could make sense to me, as the rapidity of cell turnover could be the herald of a system that - on some level - thus burns out early. Hmmmm. Utterly fascinating.

So I may try my hand at some practice grafting soon, just to mess around. And eventually put some plum on that tree; its perfectly sited with fabulous drainage, one of the best spots I have.

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When I bought my house 5 years agree there were several peach trees that were struggling to survive. I’ve grafted European plums to them and have enjoyed a couple of seasons of fruiting.

Raintree nursery sells multi-grafted European plum trees on peach seedling root stock.

:relaxed: Thanks Murky. I have reading to do on grafting. At least I’m comfortable with ‘procedures’ due to work.

What methods(s) did you use for grafting? Anything better than another in that plum ->peach combo?

I did bark grafts because my scions were pencil diameter or smaller and the under-stock had cut diameters of 1-3 inches.

I tend to graft later in the spring than other people I know in the area. If the scions are in good condition, take rates re near 100%, similar to apple and pear.

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Do you or anyone else know if I can graft European plums and peaches to my three plum trees (Aubrum, Producer, and Methley)?

I grafted a European plum onto a Methley plum tree this year and it is growing nicely. I don’t know how it will do long term.

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I’ve never done it. I’ve never mixed Japanese plums with anything but each other and St. Julian root stock.

I’d be surprised if the grafts didn’t take due to compatibility. The rest I think is what this thread is about.

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Thank you

Thanks

It is my understanding that plums will not accept peach grafts in general. There are exceptions with some of the plum roostocks, such as St. Julian, Citation, Krymsk 1 and Krymsk 86. There maybe some other exceptions, but I don’t know of any.

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More thanks, Murky.

I will have to watch for proper temps and not jump the gun when it retrogrades back to winter and isn’t warm enough. I guess I can try T-budding later in the year if I don’t get any takes the first time.

Thank you. Using compatible interstems might increase the options. Bill

I was pondering that same thing myself Bill.

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I once did some one-shot interstems: combine the scion with interstem wood in a wedge graft, then immediately graft that onto the stock the same day. They all took. This was with pears (putting incompatible pears on quince) but it should work on other fruits.

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I’m also intrigued by the idea of plum grafts keeping a peach tree alive. I grew a peach tree from the pit of a unknown heirloom in 2004 and dragged it around in a pot for years, then planted it in 2009 when I moved into a permanent house. I just grafted it this spring and have the following grafts that I can happily describe as “flourishing”: EURO PLUMS: 2 Coe’s Golden drop, 2 Green Gage de Bavay, 2 Italian prune, 2 Mirabelle de Nancy, 2 unknown, probably Mirabelle. JAPANESE PLUMS: 3 Golden Nectar. PLUOTS: 2 Dapple Dandy, 1 Flavor Supreme. As well as numerous other types of peaches and apricots.

My peach might just be due to start wearing out in the next couple of years, due to normal short life span AND that it had PLC badly and for many years would lose its first set of leaves and have to grow a second set, and that in its early years in a pot it was mistreated (left by a relative in standing water for months, butchered by a “gardener”, allowed to dry out, etc.) I would LOVE to think that being top grafted with Euro and Japn plums and suchlike that it might stay vigorous for longer. Especially since I put a massive amount of time and work into those grafts. If anyone has more info on this possibility (plum grafts increasing peach longevity) please let us all know!

Wow Lizzy, you’ve been a busy grafter! Just for info, what types of grafts did you use?

Lizzy, I have a peach just like you describe and have been considering it’s removal for a few years now. I decided this year it was time to go. After making that decision I got to thinking about doing something similar to what you’ve done. I like plums a lot, I don’t think I’ve ever had a homegrown one I didn’t like.
My questions are simple…what grafting method did you use and what was the timing of the grafts? I’m not going to be here for too much longer, maybe 6 years or so and I like to graft, so I see it as an opportunity that may or may not produce useful results.
Do you or anybody else have any suggestions for varieties that may do well given the aforementioned criteria?