Trialing Gulf Series Plums in S. Georgia

General Fruit Growing
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Greetings all. There is nearly zero information out there on how well Gulf Series plums from the University of Florida breeding program do in general. There is a guy from Orlando Florida who has posted some good pics of fruit from his trees on the Plums and Other Stone Fruit for the Hot and Humid South FB group. I got scion from him this spring. I grafted some on Toole’s Heirloom Chickasaw cultivar and some on Munson Plum. I got some good take of Gulf Beauty on each (two trees total). I got 4 good takes of Gulf Blaze on Toole’s Heirloom. And I got six good takes of Gulf Rose. Two on Monson Plum and four on Toole’s Heirloom. Most of the trees grew vigorously and well exceed 6ft in height. (There are exceptions.) All have set bloom buds for next year. The Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University indicated that they plan to buy one of each of the three varieties to trial at their location.

The biggest question mark about the Gulf Series plums is as follows. “Will their super low chilling requirement cause them to bloom too early in Georgia?” My guess is that I will know the answer to that question in this Spring. I know a guy in Pace Florida who has a Gulf Beauty which he says blooms with his wild Chickasaw plums. His chickasaw plums get yacked more often then mine do even though he’s very near the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently I’m optomistic. But we shall see.

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The photo above are three Gulf Rose grafts on Toole’s Heirloom Chickasaw plum.

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The above are three Gulf Blaze Trees.

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The final photo is of the two Gulf Beauty Plums in the middle. On the far right is a Munson where the graft failed. I will try again with something else on it this spring. On the far left is a small Gulf Rose on Munson. I haven’t fully decided which Gulf Beauty I’m keeping and which I’m selling to Georgia Southern.

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This is Gulf Rose posted by Anthony Pocholek from Orlando FL onto the Plums and Other Stone Fruit of the Hot and Humid South FB Group.

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Both of the above are more Gulf Rose pics from the same person.

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From left to right Gulf Ruby, Gulf Beauty, Gulf Blaze and Guld Rose. The photo source is Anthony Pocholek out of Orlando.

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I might have to try these, 9b doesn’t leave me man options, but finding them has been difficult.

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If I don’t have scion this year, I should have some next year. Their future in my yard depends on whether they bloom late enough to ever be productive in my context.

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A local nursery sells Bruce and Methley, they say they produce most years… I don’t think I want Methley, Bruce sounds decent. I can find Gulf Blaze but nothing to pair it with.

Gulf Beauty / Gulf Blaze / Gulf Ruby Scionwood
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I don’t think either of those will work in the climate the OP is talking about. He won’t get enough chilling hours. Methley is a wonderful piece of fruit for the Deep South as long as you don’t have much black knot pressure. The big issue is that the plums are to soft to hold well when fully ripe. It’s an order of magnitude better flavor than Bruce. Where Bruce will work, Robusto will work. But you need a wild type pollinizer for Robusto. Neither Robusto nor Bruce have good pollen for pollinizing other plums. I haven’t seen any evidence of Methley pollinizing Robusto.

Thanks
Marcus Toole

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I might have a grafted Gulf Rose to sell you, but I won’t know until December. I plan to graft all three of my Gulf Strains to sell next year. But for my posts evaluating it for SE Georgia come spring. That will impact what I do for Gulf varieties going forward. Thanks.

Marcus Toole

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