Shiro and Satsuma are Asian plums.
Let’s go back to talk about European plum types on this thread. This way, people, esp. those new to plums, won’t get confused.
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Great idea!
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Let me sneak in before the gate is all closed… I have been really enjoying my Flavor Kings, it is now one of my very top plums. When I give them to people I see their eyes light up. But, I can also see why it’s not the most popular plum ever as the skin is thick and sour/bitter. I like bitter skin myself, and I am really liking the thick skin in terms of minimizing the damage. My Euros coming in now are getting lots of fruit fly damage.
Speaking of Euros let me get back to the topic at hand. The French Improved are coming in now, they are doing relatively better than the Green Gage in terms of damage (but, a lot worse than the near-perfect FK). Some of the GG were just perfect, but there was a narrow window between underripe and soft mush. They also had lots of fruit fly entry where the skin might be a bit thin, commonly around the top or stem. I put in a whole new tree of GG but I am thinking I will put some other plum on part of it.
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I have about 8 varieties of Euro plums. All are loaded this year (none last year and probably none next year). But this year has been quite rainy and, at times, we got monsoon-like downpours.
Only Vision and Coe’s Golem Drop have minimal cracking. They are late ripening so that could be why.
The varieties that have suffered serious cracking are French Improved and mirabelles. Not only they have gotten rained on during ripening time, I believe they are also prone to cracking.
Once they cracked, yellow jackets move in and cause further damage. I lost so many lbs of these plums. It is very frustrating I thought it could take advantage of a low pest year this year. (does not happen often at all). Little pests but lot of rain, I cannot win.
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Really frustrating. The same thing happens to my nectarines. No fruit on 3 of 4 varieties due to splitting and brown rot.
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Your unknown looks just like my Italian Prune Plum. Not really flavorfull till ripe!
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I think my unknown is Autumn Sweet. At least, the look and color is correct.
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What is the mirabelle variety? I tasted my first mirabelle a couple of weeks ago brought by a fruit grower from the Santa Cruz area. It was wonderful. Mirabelle de Metz. I have NY Mirabelle, Mirabelle de Metz and Mirabelle de Nancy growing on European rootstocks so hope they will survive. They may be a few years from fruiting.
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I have Mirabelle Parfume de Septembre, Mirabelle de Nancy and Reine des Mirabelle (American bred Mirabelle).
This year, the first two are good, despite the rain. The American was watered down.
If people like straight, sweet plums, mirabelles are it.
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I have grafted Parfume de Septembre twice without success. Maybe the graft wood from the scion exchange is not healthy. I rarely miss on plums.
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Let me know if you want to try again next spring.
I planted Parfume de September (with Geneva Mirabelle and Purple Gage in a 3-in-1 hole) this spring. I can send a few scions if needed.
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We are not supposed to import Prunus into California so I’ll get the scions locally. But thanks.
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Gotcha.
Forgot some places actually grow fruit commercially!
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The Mirabelle Parfum de Septembre to me is the most floral, and fragrant and best tasting Mirabelle.
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Now I want to find Mirabelle Parfum de Septembre to compare with Ersinger, which is an August fruit. Two years (2022 was its debut sample) Ersinger delighted me with its floral character, quite unexpected.
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