Interesting learning. I have a row of stone fruit planted into the ground in the (I think) coldest part of my yard that gets afternoon Sun. I’m only 1-2 years in so let’s see. I see a lot of bloom this year though so am hopeful. One of the trees is a 4-1 pluot. Last year was the first year it flowered after being planted into the ground in Sept 2022. I got a handful of fruit (I think maostly Dapple Dandy) but the squirrels and/or rats for most of it. And I also didn’t harvest it at the right time I think. I “may” have gotten one FK. But I think it was damaged. I didn’t keep a good record unfortunately. Will do better this year and report back.
Does the fact that these are supposed to be climacteric help? Or do you feel that tree ripened is the best approach. I’m asking since I “think” I might have to take them off the tree sooner than I’d like because of the wildlife menace here (squirrels, rats). Though I got some wire mesh bags this year to try bagging. The plastic mesh bags I tried last year were ok but also got gnawed on a bit. A local grower swears by the wire mesh bags. Let’s see.
Nearly all fruits ripen after being picked, but every fruit has its limits. For plums I have found they can be picked a bit early, like a week or so, but more than that and they will lack flavor. Every variety also differs somewhat, some can be picked earlier than others without a loss.
I was just out baiting my squirrel traps… I get no fruit if I don’t trap the squirrels.
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I have a local friend who is not on this forum, i checked out his tree and he has a combo plum tree. with 4 varieties:
-italian not productive
-satsuma the branch barely grew ( he ended pruning it off)
-most productive was green gage and shiro plum.
Im wondering i see your satsuma plum all very productive in comparison. i think perhaps his combo tree the other grafts over took so the satsuma branch did poorly in comparison. What do you use for satsuma as a good partner for cross pollination?
For combo trees it very much has to do with the position of the grafts on the tree, both relative to each other and to the sun. Satsuma is a reasonably vigorous plum.
Shiro is by far the most productive plum, my tree produces about 10x too many plums. It is so many that thinning becomes quite a pain. Satsuma some years oversets and other years doesn’t need much thinning. This year I won’t need to thin it too much. It also is not liked so much by the curculio, who knows why but it gets many fewer bites than the other plums around it.
Most Asian or hybrid plums should pollinate Satsuma. Around mine for many years I had only Santa Rosa and Shiro and it always got pollinated well.
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thank you i think it is a graft issue. the same variety on it own tree would most likely do better.