Cherry Plum seedlings results

I’ve read on several pages that stone fruit seedlings in general are more true to the seed giving three than apples and pears. Especially cherry plums are told to be copies of their mothers.

This doesn’t sound likely to me. Especially if the three isn’t self fertile, then the seedlings naturally should be a mix of genetics from both parents.

What’s your experience? Anyone that got pictures of different appearing fruits from the same mother? How great could the difference be? Should I spend my time on something else instead of putting time on cherry, plum and cherry plum seedlings?

This thread includes some discussion of seedling cherry plums with a focus on their leaf color, but might be a starting point:

Thanks! Sadly there’s not really much public info to read about seedlings and crossings. My searches on Google tends to point to this page :wink:

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Sometimes you have to try multiple search engines…foreign ones can often give you better results. Or duckdduckgo.com can give you private searches and no tracking and remembering what you looked at.

What’s your goal?

One of them is a plum on its own root, mostly because then it’s easy to share with the community and so on. Also if it’s damaged by animals (or by middle aged mens with grass trimmers) it would regrow. The ones around here (Finland) that grows on their own roots are usually small and sour and got a really short shelf life. So taste and shelf life would be primary goals after the first criteria.

Of course I’m also doing this because it’s interesting and fun (especially to see what fruits they will produce after 6-8 years and so). And then, it would be really amazing if a openly pollinated seedling turns out to be a hybrid och different prunus.

I’m also growing cherry seedlings. There’s the goal to get a sweet cherry on its own root that survives our cold winters (or a crossing between sweet and sour on own root with a sweet flavor profile).

Well given that you’re in the native range / area with more genetic diversity. You’re defiantly going to have more variability with your seedlings.

As for the cold hardy sweet cherry or a “sweet” sweet cherry cross. People plant thousands of sweet cherry seeds every year with that plan in mind. But since a prunus Avium on its own roots can get to be a 18m tree they arguably also most all failed.

Chery crosses are of course famous for loosing the cherry flavor in the first generation. Nadia was one of 3 successes after 200 attempts. 200 is honestly nothing for attempts. But believe me we all dream of a dwarfed Sweet cherry with plum sized fruit.

Good luck.

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Well, i don’t mind a large/high tree. In cold climates they take a long time to to grow that big even if it’s possible. And yes, I guess a lot seedlings, trials and errors, and a hefty amount of good luck and time is needed.

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