I’m interested in this tree. Any idea on chill hours? I have sweet treat and it’s doing well in my zone 10a. I received a little over 400 chill hours this past winter. How is everyone’s trees doing this year?
I’m in zone 9b, and my tree produced after just 2 years. Despite out blistering summers, it did well. Grew like crazy, albeit in a very vertical manner. Training the branches may be necessary.
Candy Heart should do well in your zone. I limit the height to 12 feet, the branches then grow horizontally that carry most of the fruit. Sweet Treat is a very good pollinator, grow Burgundy near by as an additional pollinator. Graft other varieties to it during grafting season for more fruit and pollen diversity. The fruit is sweet, syrupy and crunchy, one of the best tasting, not perfumey like Sweet Treat and Flavor King.
4 Likes
Thanks Rich. I don’t have burgundy, but I do have a Santa Rosa plum, a satsuma plum, flavor king, and flavor grenade as a pollinator in addition to sweet treat. I plan on growing it espalier to a height of 5-6’ and 8’ horizontal. Hopefully I’ll find a whip during bareroot season.
Rich and all,
Has anybody harvested and tasted the Sugar Twist Pluerry? It sounds better than the Sweet Treat Pluerry.
http://www.davewilson.com/product-information/product/sugar-twist-pluerry-interspecific-plum
Tony
1 Like
Hi Tony,
I tasted Sugar Twist Summer of 2017, the tree did not produce any last season. There should be quite a few fruit on the tree this season. .It had a watered down taste to me, there should be a Sugar Twist thread in this forum that has more information. It has sweetness but the flavor was not quite there. On the other hand, we ALL perceive taste differently, this is only my opinion as far as Sugar Twist Pluerry taste goes. I do not recall off hand any one else on this forum having tasted it yet, I could be wrong.
2 Likes
itheweatherman, texancharlie and jaypeedee tasted Sugar Twist last season. See the Sugar Twist Pluerry thread. I stand corrected. They did not do a detailed taste report on it.
2 Likes
Chill hours are extremely low. Only SpiceZee started earlier among the stone fruits. Blooms for weeks and handles heat well. The favorite fruit in our home orchard.
1 Like
Last summer was the first time we got fruit from our Candy Heart, and what a treat. I have moved since and had to leave them behind (I bought a new one for the new place) but it still stings a bit seeing it completely covered in flowers now.
Either way, looking forward to when I can eat some more in a few years.
8 Likes
You didn’t make a deal with the new owner to share some fruits with you?
2 Likes
I have yet to sell the house. Will hopefully be putting it on the market in 3 weeks. Trees/fruit is one thing, but I’m also leaving behind 3 beds of garlic (about 300). I can’t harvest until June 1st, so I might have to make a deal there. 
1 Like
Sugar Twist pluerry tasted like a plum with a cinnamon after taste, so it probably be great for preserves but not for eating fresh?
1 Like
Sugar Twist tasted good but not as good as Candy Heart, my opinion. More taste testing will happen this Summer including a Candy Heart spin-off. I grew out several Candy Heart pits last season, here is the progress now.
The one with the blossoms has the fruit, the set rate is very high, second leaf! Nadia has a very low set rate. My hope is that the pollen parent is Nadia. Never expected fruit set so soon!
13 Likes
I hope the fruits turn out to be a good one so We all can have a stick or two of your creation.
Tony
5 Likes
I removed my Candy Heart . She didn’t perform too good in cold wet Seattle weather. And maybe will remove all whatever in the group of Japanese plum as well in later year. Their blooming do not like wet Spring .
Below my Emerald Beaut plum in the third year after heavy pruning last Fall 2018.
4 Likes
Looking great! I lot a few seedlings this year, but few survived. Not of Candy Heart, but I too will grow some Candy Heart eventually. Then again if you want to trade cultivars down the road, sounds great.
1 Like
I would very much like to trade these crosses with you. The mediterranean climate that I am in is ideal for working on these, very little climate, pest or disease pressures. The photo below is an Indian Free peach cross with Mid Pride (probably) peach. This is also second leaf. The blossoms are a very light pink. The photo does not do the color justice, much more subtle pink shades in reality. This, I hope may produce fruit, if not, next season. It is very healthy, no leaf curl, much more vigorous than the original third or fourth leaf tree where the seed pit came from.
7 Likes
Some pictures of my candy heart as of this afternoon. Haven’t tried the fruit, but it looks like I have a good chance this year.
7 Likes
Love how neatly arranged and geometric your orchard is!
2 Likes
