Bubblegum ( Toka) Plum if You Only Grow One

General Fruit Growing
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Attributes:
A small one inch flavor bomb. Great ice cold and at room temp. You pop it into your mouth and when you bite into it you get the cascade of favors first the sweet juice then comes the initial unique flavor ( tutii fruity is the best way I can describe it) followed by the more recognizable plum flavor and then just the right amount of tartness form the peel and the pit comes free.

Size from a large cherry to walnut size.
It is cold hardy.
No thinning required
Disease resistant for me in Z5b New York.( 42.2841° N, 74.0201° W)_
Easier to control the growth.

For me, this year it ripened over the last 10 days with the last picked yesterday. Right after Santa Rosa and Ozark Premier and overlapping with Geo Pride Plumcot.

I will admit that I don’t yet have enough harvest or tasting experience with all the plumcot/aprium etc. (whatever), but for those here who like the plum varieties … BUBBLEGUM/TOKA gets my enthusiastic vote.

See previous thread on Toka below

Mike

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I added a graft to my Satsuma, which is almost ripe itself. I won’t have fruit probably for a couple years. Yes, an oldie but goodie. it also is a great pollinator from what I understand.

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I grafted it this spring and it has grown six feet. Can’t wait for a harvest.

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Any tricks to grafting plums? I tried grafting into my superior twice now and each year the grafts failed. I have no problem grafting apples tho… One year I tried black ice and another I tried toka…

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I find them very easy to chip bud. I think all my Superior buds i placed last summer took. The bud on a mature cot grew over 4 feet so far…on K1 looks to be a tad over 3 feet.

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My only Toka plum for this year. Hopefully it will last for tasting.

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upright grower so beautiful shape.

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How I graft, and it goes against all advice on this forum, is to graft about four weeks before the rootstock appears to break dormancy. I believe the cambium is active though and has a chance to heal before any demands are put on it.
I’m not saying it is the best way but I get nearly 100% take. You may want to give it a try. If it doesn’t take you will still have time for a second try.

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How fast of a grower is Black Ice? I grafted two on prunus cerasiferia and they are healthy but have only grown a foot. Maybe a total of 10 leaves. For a j. plum that is very slow.

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My Toka is taking a year off, we are in mourning.

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Grafting on an existing tree or a rootstock?
I have found grafting plum on plum (J and hybrids) on J plum and E on E plum) is as easy as grafting apples. Spring time, I like to graft when leaves start to push.

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I broke my main Superior branch (too many fruit) so i had to rebud…so this year i had none. Next year we are back baby…

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For me the trick is to wait until well after they begin growth.

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Does anyone know how resistant Toka plum trees are to black knot? I have a black knot problem on the property that is impossible to control. I’ve heard President is pretty resistant. Any plum or cherry I plant would have to be strongly resistant to it.

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I have read in this website that all the Northern hardy plums are susceptible to black knot.

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I have black knot issues on most of my Euro plums but have not seen any at all on my american hybrids (ex: Toka, Superior, Kaga). Most of what I’ve read seems to confirm that american hybrids are more resistant. Also, President and Blue Byrd are the two Euros that are supposed to be resistant. I have both trees and have never seen any on them, but I’ve only had them for 3 or 4 years. Of course, 3 years has been plenty of time for all my other Euros to get hit. I have several tart cherries and a few sweet cherries and have not had any on them at all. Assuming you are in Western Penn, I am not far from you in NE Ohio. The first plum trees I planted were all Euros, lots of gages. They get hit pretty hard. If I could start all over, the first plum trees I would plant would be Toka and something to pollinate it. I’d still plant Euros but maybe not as many as I have. Off the top of my head, I’d probably plant President, Blue Byrd, Castleton, Damson and a Green Gage then graft other varieties.

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I’ve had good luck with mine. I’m done with fighting black knot, if I see it, I pretty much pull the tree. No matter how many times I cut it out it would come back even stronger. I never have found a silver bullet spray for it. My Toka has with stood the time and knock on wood is still doing well.

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Thanks so much for the replies! That’s great to hear. Black knot can be just demoralizing. I am quite excited to buy a Toka plum tree and another resistant variety!

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I would send you a cutting if you are interested in grafting… Let me know

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Thanks for the offer! I don’t have any plum trees to graft onto right now. Just a few really old trees infested with black knot. I will have to purchase some. I’m mostly growing paw paws at the moment and just got some persimmon, jujube, and apple this year.

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I’m glad to hear you are not having any Black Knot issues on your Toka. I grafted several this year and was nervous since I’ve had a Black Knot issue in the past. Anybody know how resistant Black Ice is?

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