European Plums: Empress vs Valor

Yes, but I can’t be bothered when your Castelton looks identical. Also Empress looks much the same as does Mt Royal and several other prune plums I grow. Only FV is a round plum in the prune category.

There is some flaw in either my phone, computer or my wife’s technical skills (mine are nonexistent) that make downloading photos here a PIA.

I don’t think I’ve ever grown Empress, so it must have been someone else who sent you that one. I know I’ve had it from the farmer’s market, and I think I tried some from Alan as well. I liked it a lot- even the FM ones were over 20 brix.

I don’t need to pick cherries either- the birds do it for me :roll_eyes:

Maybe I should try grafting it- I’ve gotten almost no production out of most of my Euro plums.

I would just call it “ACN’s Valor”, or maybe “ACN’s round Valor”, as it sounds like ACN sent out the legit Valor in some years.

As noted above, my productivity is almost nil. I don’t think I’ve gotten a single plum from my “Valor” tree (planted in 2014). Last year I thought that I had let them get too big (especially for 5’ spacing) and tried to prune them back. After cutting them back to get good light exposure throughout, I had high hopes for this year. I still got almost no fruit set, even though there was a reasonable amount of flowering (and many cultivars for cross-pollination). I’ve had trouble staying ahead of black knot too.

Which reminds me- I’m still seeing a lot of knots- should I cut them out now, or wait until the trees are dormant for the winter?

I think I remember a note from Cornell about how RG is one of the most brown-rot (black knot too?) prone plums. But they were releasing it anyway, since it tasted so good.

If I was in your area I would definitely be a customer!

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I cut them out when I see them and am working on a lot of it now. Perfect dry conditions for it. Not sure that matters as I believe I read spores are inactive now.

Be sure you cut right down to the wood and follow the stains until they stop on the wood itself. Go about an inch beyond stains.

Postponing seems to lead to worse and worse problems based on my anecdotal experience. I have sites where customers said they’d do it and we end up having to cut down the trees when it gets completely out of hand. Sites I manage this is very rare and only Methely has required removal.

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Bob,
If you lived near me, you’ll have free sample of everything I grow since many scionwood came from you :smile:

This ACN new Valor is delicious if you like prune plum type. I let them hang until they are soft. It is very sweet, soft, gooey with a little hint of tartness to balance it. A lot better than Castleton.

They tasted good last year. This year they tasted even better because we have long stretch of no rain weather, perfect for ripening fruit,

I plan to graft more of it. Thank you for the scionwood.

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Alan,
Are these Valor?

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Empress to my eye. Valor is a bit more oblong. Valor ripens over a very long period. Started here on the first week of Sept and there’s still plenty left. You have to feel every one on the tree if you are trying to only pick them once they’ve softened and are at peak sweetness. If you were making preserves from them you could just shake the branches a bit and pick the ripe fallen plums from the ground. Actually, if they don’t hit a rock they often are sound after falling.

Those are Valor, per the Cornel Store. They are oblong and medium to large in size. Color is blue/purple.

Last year, my Empress’s shape was like a tear drop and is very large, about a size of an egg or a bit large. It did not set fruit this year.

Could be. I don’t trust my eye and a photograph is never quite real anyway.

However, I really don’t see much difference in the appearance of the two plums. Maybe I will take a picture since you are so determined to get things straight.

I am satisfied with what Cornell Store shows. They should know what they are selling. The pic I took was a close up so they looked large. They were about a medium size, oblong blue plum.

I really like the taste of my ACN Valor from @BobVance so I consider myself lucky to have such a good plum. Taste is more important to me than the name of a variety.

I think it’s slightly better than Castleton, but really, once they get over about 22% brix, it doesn’t really matter to me the variety of a prune plum as long as they aren’t mush (which may be how you like them). Castelton tends to bear much more consistently here than fake Valor from what I’ve seen so far. However, at your site there may be no difference.

Overall, Empress bares more consistently around here than Valor, but in my orchard Valor is very consistent. The main differences are that Empress bares younger and starts to ripen its fruit later over a shorter period.

Victory is a similar plum to both that is less consistent bearing than either. Seneca as well.