Topic: Pluot fruiting

[realfood]

My pluot (plum-apricot cross) has set fruit for the first time this year, two years since planting. It is always exciting with a new fruit!!
It is absolutely hardy having easily survived the last two Winters. It flowers very early, about two weeks before the plums.
It is proving rather vigorous, needing a lot of pruning on the supplied rootstock St Julian.
Is anyone else growing this fruit and how reliable have you found it?

[Vinlander]

I only have a seedling, and it isn't growing very fast.

However I can tell you that despite the fact that pluots are merely a cross with asian plums they are absolutely delicious (a european P.domestica cross might be 10x better but apparently the multiploidy of european plums makes a euro-pluot impossible).

The other great thing is that (unlike plums) they seem to ripen off the tree - which is good news for those of us who have to buy them - except I haven't seen them on sale for years (sob).

Cheers.

[realfood]

I assume that the seedling is growing on its own roots, and may not come true as I understand that another plum close by improves pollination.

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

except I haven't seen them on sale for years (sob).For you delight then I can tell that T&M are selling them..bought one for myself this year.
I wasn't happy with the tree when it came..it was brutally pruned in the nursery before posting..but seem to be putting growth now ok. So looks like it is going to make a tree..as for fruiting, I might have to wait few years for that  ::)

[Vinlander]

I assume that the seedling is growing on its own roots, and may not come true as I understand that another plum close by improves pollination.

It is a lottery, and given a choice between adding apricot genes (delicious) or asian plum genes (bland) I would have preferred more 'cot.

If I was looking for a plum that flowered at the same time as a pluot (assuming the 'cot part makes it early)  I would choose a cherry-plum or mirabelle - both of which have more flavour than asian plums.

Though I suppose the asian ones might be OK if I ever managed to find a ripe one - but I'm not wasting space on growing one until I'm sure.

On the other hand it's known that having an incompatible pollen partner can boost self-fertilisation - so I'm going to hope the grower used a european plum!

Cheers.

[realfood]

Vinlander,
"It is a lottery, and given a choice between adding apricot genes (delicious) or asian plum genes (bland) I would have preferred more 'cot."
What you need is an Aprium. While I have not heard of these trees being on sale in the UK, they are also known as “interspecific” hybrids, being crosses between related but different types of fruit. An aprium is a hybrid being 75% apricot and 25% plum. Apparently, it looks and tastes like an apricot with a touch of plum flavour, and was developed Floyd Zaiger in California.

Strange though it may seem, a whole series of crosses between plums and apricots, and even peaches, have now been developed. The original hybrid is the “plumcot”, which is ½ plum and ½ apricot. This hybrid was then used to create further crosses in the late 20th century by Floyd Zaiger in the US. One such complex cross now available in the UK, is the “Pluot” whose parentage is ¾ plum and ¼ apricot.