Ate first red fleshed apple of the season…a Niedzwetzkyana that had fallen from the tree.
A rotten spot in the side probably the cause of the early drop. Other apples on tree not ripe.
This particular apple probably the best tasting specimen I’ve eaten to date from Niedzwetzkyana… sorta’ dry, sour but not bad, and the tannins were under control.
It likely pollinated by Redfield…and I am saving seed. Flesh redder than an over-ripe tomato but not quite burgundy.
Today I got to try my first ever Byron’s Gold plum. I was so excited because they were so beautiful and the yellow color is unique and really sets off my fruit gift boxes I love to give away because almost all my other plums are some shade of purple/red. But I was deeply disappointed in the taste. And I let it hang until it started softening a good bit. I also tried one that was still firm. I didn’t like either one much! Oh well. Can[t win them all, I’ll probably keep it for the color.
I also got to try my first flavor grenade pluot ever today. Of course it to is sort of a yellowish color. In fact I’m wondering if that might be what is in @IL847 's photo above- those look just like my flavor grenades? Well, this was a whole different story/report. I honestly believe flavor grenade pluot may be one of my new absolute favorite fruits. Not just favorite plums or even favorite stone fruits, but its near the top of my flat out favorites. Just sweet as sugar and wonderful. Sadly, a LOT of mine had split pitt. Is that common for FG?
My Flavor Grenades had a lot of split pits too, but not much rotting, perhaps due to my sprays. Wait till they become kind of red (could be 3-4 weeks from now) and they will be a lot better!
I made red currant jam the other weekend with fruit from my one bush, which I posted about in the Red Currant jam thread.
Last weekend I made a cake to bring to a July 4th party that had been put off due to rain. It was a chiffon type cake made into 4 layers, each coated with red currant jam and filled with mascarpone stabilized whipped cream. Mostly commercial berries with a few homegrown raspberries on top. It was very tasty!
That day I picked the stuff in this bowl, which we just ate while working on the cake. Some tomatoes, jostas, gooseberries, raspberries.
Also picked a kale salad to take to the party but I didn’t take a picture of it. I seem to have no trouble growing way more kale than anyone wants to eat at my house. We like kale salad best with a tahini and lemon based dressing.
Kevin, the yellow plum in my picture is Shiro. Majority of Shiro are still unripe yet. These have some damages ripe earlier. I have to beat squirrels, raccoons to harvest the fruits
Holly, fabulous looking cake. Too perfect to cut!
Wow those berries look great! I’ve been eating cherry tomatoes daily, and last night I made a fresh sauce from Roma tomatoes for some pasta. I have a couple of berry plants but the birds get them before I do. I did manage to grab a couple of blackberries last week to include with my breakfast. This morning I picked green beans, those will be for dinner tonight.
Are the basil leaves for flavor? 
Yeah, a little flavor. And also because it smells so good while it’s drying.
I’m just trying to keep up with the black raspberry production so it was jam today. ( with some of the frozen haskap added in)
I bought a large wheel of Brie since it on toast, with some of this jam is just amazing. ( so good, my father found it hard to decide between that and a cheeseburger. In the end, he went for a half portion of both)
@speedster1 and others on your Shiro plum.
I hear they do better than most plums on late frost… which is a problem for me.
I am considering adding one next spring.
I think they are listed as being self fertile… or partially self fertile.
I would not mind at all doing a 2 in 1 planting with Shiro + ???
What would you all say would be a good pollinator for Shiro ?
Thanks
TNHunter
I have Shiro grafted to two different plum trees, Methley and Emerald Beaut. I do not have a stand alone Shiro tree. What I can tell you is that I haven’t noticed a significant difference in bloom time or in fruit set between the Japanese plums and even pluots. I had fruit set on both grafts. Shiro does produce a lot of blooms and honestly I can’t really imagine it having trouble finding a pollination partner. Whatever you pick I’d stagger them slightly so that one ripens as the other one finishes. For me in the mid Atlantic Methley is my first plum. I started picking them July 5th and they are about done here. Shiro on the other hand is just now getting ripe. So it’s a nice transition. Others may chime in and have far more knowledge than myself. Good luck
Frost peaches!
When I first started, I had only two J plum trees, Shiro and Satsuma.
Satsuma flower buds got killed quite a few times when we had bad winter or yo-yo s spring. When Satsuma had no flowers, Shiro which had tons of flowers would set fruit and they would all turned yellow and dropped dye to lack of pollination. In my experience, Shiro is nit self fruitful or even partially fruitful. It needs cross pollination.
Shiro is very productive and a good pollination partner to manny J plums and hybrids (possible pluots, too) .
Tastes-wise, It was fine. However, there are several plums I like more. I think @thecityman may be able to tell you what plums do well for a late frost issue you often have.
just picked half of my consort black currants. lower half not colored completely yet. got 2.5 gal out of 2 bushes. ran out of the jam last week. blueberries, royalty purple raspberries, perfection/ johnkeer von teets red currant and jeanne gooseberry all starting to ripen. a few more days for the U of SK cherries. summer raspberries should start coloring soon also.
Been picking blueberries for over a month…got almost a gallon Thursday from 10 plants that are netted. First ripe rabbiteye…a “Premier”. Young plants in one or 1.5 gallon pots, but have several berries.
By first of August most of the highbush blueberries will be finished…but the variety “Aurora” still are green and not yet turning blue.
Mostly eating them fresh/raw and freezing…but plan to make some into an ‘upside-down’ cake in a few hours.
Also had fresh kale mixed with dandelions and a couple young shoots of poke. I guess I more “found” the poke and dandelions, instead of “grew” them!
@mamuang - you are right… I need to hear from someone local like @thecityman, or other TN folks…
I went back and read several post here talking about Shiro and pollinators, and it seems there is no real consensus… It seems what works for one person in one location does not work for others in other locations… and even the weather (little warmer or cooler spring) can change which other tree actually pollinates with Shiro.
Below is some info I found online…
Below from Goog.
“Methley” is a low-chill-requirement plum tree with hardy blossoms, making it compatible with Shiro plum in mild-winter locations. “Starking Delicious” is a registered cultivar that shares the same bloom period and cultural requirements as Shiro plum, making this tree a suitable pollinator for Shiro plum.
Stark recommends… Ozark Premier, Burbank Elephant Heart, Bubblegum, Alderman
Raintree recommends… Early Golden Asian, Emerald Beaut Asian, Golden Nectar Asian
Burnt Ridge says Shiro + Methley on a pollination chart.
For the most part — seems to be no real consensus on the best pollinator for Shiro.
I did find a youtube last night (link provided) and this guy has two Ozark Premier and a Shiro.
His Ozark Premier trees are well into blooming, and his Shiro has just a few early blooms on it. It looked to me like his Shiro had just a few early blooms on it, but the Ozark Premier was a little ahead of the Shiro.
So at least in his location (and not real sure where that was) and in that year, Ozark Premier and Shiro were blooming at the same time.
I found another guy that has a Shiro, Sweet Treat Pluerry and Weeping Santa Rosa and his Shiro was… 4-5 years old and loaded with fruit. I am not sure if those were the only varieties he had, those were the only ones he mentioned. He shows all 3 well, does a taste test, etc…
I think ideally for me, I wouild want a pollinator for Shiro, that is known to be as late frost hardy as Shiro (if possible)…
I grew two varieties of J Plums for 13 and 14 years… don’t remember the variety name, but they bloomed in Feb… one started blooming Mid Feb, and the other about a 5-6 days after it.
In 13, 14 years we got one good crop off them, and a couple small crops.
I had no pest or disease issues with them… just could not get them to crop often enough.
@steveb4 - glad to hear you finally have some stuff ripening up there…
From an old movie… Jerimiah Johnston… winter sure stays long this far north 
@blueberry - I picked a pile of rabbiteye berries last night tiffblue, brightwell, powderblue, but they are starting to slow down here now. the end is coming.
PS… on Blueberry fertilization… I fertilized mine early (before bloom)… and now once all fruit is harvested… Fertilize again ? That is what I have been doing… Hollytone, and some bloodmeal, epson salt. Seems right to me, but let me know how you do that please.
Thanks
TNHunter
