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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Squash64 on September 04, 2009, 04:26:00

Title: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 04, 2009, 04:26:00
My husband planted the stone from a plum (not sure of variety) about 8years ago.  It is now a tree about 12ft high and this year for the first time has produced some plums.
I can't believe how delicious they are!  I know it's a chance you take when you grow a fruit tree like this but in this case they are lovely. 

(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/DSC_02621.jpg)
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: shirlton on September 04, 2009, 07:52:07
They look so good Betty
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: GrannieAnnie on September 04, 2009, 09:18:59
What gems you grew! What will you name it?
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: sarah on September 04, 2009, 10:39:04
they look very tasty!

i have a victoria plum tree which is on its last legs do you think i could do the same? how would i treat it? just pop it in a pot?
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: grawrc on September 04, 2009, 10:57:57
I think, potentially, the only problem might be the rootstock, depending on what space you have and how big the tree might become. Mind you i think you can probably buy the rootstock and graft your tree on yourself.  Pixy and St Julien A for plums I think?
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 06, 2009, 05:50:29
What gems you grew! What will you name it?

Never thought of naming it  :)
Maybe something like 'Colin's Surprise', my husband is NOT a gardener!
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 06, 2009, 05:53:45
they look very tasty!

i have a victoria plum tree which is on its last legs do you think i could do the same? how would i treat it? just pop it in a pot?

My husband saved the stone from a plum he enjoyed eating and put it in a pot on the kitchen windowsill (there was already a houseplant growing there!)  I potted it on to its own pot and planted it outside once it was big enough.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 06, 2009, 05:57:22
I think, potentially, the only problem might be the rootstock, depending on what space you have and how big the tree might become. Mind you i think you can probably buy the rootstock and graft your tree on yourself.  Pixy and St Julien A for plums I think?

You are right about the rootstock.  I underestimated how big the tree is, it must be getting on for 20 feet high so it is almost impossible to pick the plums near the top.

I have never done grafting.  Is it complicated?
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: 1066 on September 07, 2009, 17:57:48
What gems you grew! What will you name it?

Never thought of naming it  :)
Maybe something like 'Colin's Surprise', my husband is NOT a gardener!

 ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: flossy on September 07, 2009, 18:42:01


   Squash 64,  lovely fruit -- well done colin [ and you ]  these are the best surprises aren't they !

    Seeds you pop in a pot and go along with, season after season   --   you didn't give up on

     it, and it didn't give up on you [ and colin ] --  brilliant ,     ;D
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: thifasmom on September 07, 2009, 19:06:40
in the West Indies to restrict the height of a tree that will grow to gigantic heights taking the desired fruit out of reach, we chop the apex off when it gets to the desired height and cover it with a tin more to stop rot setting in through the cut top.

we do it to mango trees, paw paw plants, avocado etc.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: qahtan on September 07, 2009, 20:14:29
 Did the same thing with a couple of gages that we had while in UK on holiday,
 brought the pits back to Canada,
 the tree grew and fruited well, well enough that several years we also made jam with them.
 Also our apricot trees, one apple and quince we have grow from pits/seeds, they may not have the name that some of the fancy bought plants have but they taste as good, for some reason I cannot get pictures uploaded. ;-((((

 qahtan
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: sarah on September 08, 2009, 07:05:08
I am definatley going to give that a go. Good job I have learned patience in my old age (one of the many benefits of gardening I think).
Thats a useful tip about the tin can thifasmom.  ;)
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: grannyjanny on September 08, 2009, 07:26:58
Squash how long was it before you had your first fruit please.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: shirlton on September 08, 2009, 08:01:49
8 years Jan ;D In the opening post
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 08, 2009, 08:27:22


   Squash 64,  lovely fruit -- well done colin [ and you ]  these are the best surprises aren't they !
Seeds you pop in a pot and go along with, season after season   --   you didn't give up on it, and it didn't give up on you [ and colin ] --  brilliant ,     ;D

Thank you flossy  :)
Colin has a habit of planting fruit pips/stones in pots on the kitchen windowsill - in pots already containing a houseplant! It wouldn't occur to him to get a new pot and some compost from the greenhouse.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: grannyjanny on September 08, 2009, 08:36:02
8 years Jan ;D In the opening post
Silly me ;D.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 08, 2009, 08:40:03
in the West Indies to restrict the height of a tree that will grow to gigantic heights taking the desired fruit out of reach, we chop the apex off when it gets to the desired height and cover it with a tin more to stop rot setting in through the cut top.

we do it to mango trees, paw paw plants, avocado etc.
Thanks for that tip, I'll get Colin to sort out HIS tree!
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: grawrc on September 08, 2009, 09:41:51
I've never done grafting myself but there's loads of info online

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles0105/Grafting_fruit_trees.asp (http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles0105/Grafting_fruit_trees.asp)

and here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EwtyO16dFg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EwtyO16dFg)

You can buy rootstocks here:
http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=495 (http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=495)
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 08, 2009, 10:02:52
Thank you so much grawrc, I would never have thought of looking on YouTube.  It is so much easier to understand when you can see it being done. 
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: sarah on September 08, 2009, 10:57:58
yes that did look achievable. 
how would one (complete novice) go about choosing a rootstock and where from?
She said that the top  part (sine?) had to be in bud so presumable this is a spring job.

i think i might have a go.
isnt youtube great.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: grawrc on September 08, 2009, 11:29:07
If you follow my link to Blackmoor they have rootstocks and I'm sure other fruit growers have too. They also explain which rootstocks to use for the type and size of tree you want.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: thifasmom on September 08, 2009, 14:01:50
I am definatley going to give that a go. Good job I have learned patience in my old age (one of the many benefits of gardening I think).
Thats a useful tip about the tin can thifasmom.  ;)

in the West Indies to restrict the height of a tree that will grow to gigantic heights taking the desired fruit out of reach, we chop the apex off when it gets to the desired height and cover it with a tin more to stop rot setting in through the cut top.

we do it to mango trees, paw paw plants, avocado etc.
Thanks for that tip, I'll get Colin to sort out HIS tree!

no probs i look forward to the day i would see tree after tree in the UK with tin cans on teir old apex tip ;) will make feel like i'm back home :).
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: Squash64 on September 08, 2009, 14:23:11
no probs i look forward to the day i would see tree after tree in the UK with tin cans on teir old apex tip ;) will make feel like i'm back home :).
I suppose that once we've cut the apex, we will need to trim the lower branches every year?

What do you miss most about Trinidad?
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: thifasmom on September 08, 2009, 16:42:21
no probs i look forward to the day i would see tree after tree in the UK with tin cans on their old apex tip ;) will make feel like I'm back home :).
I suppose that once we've cut the apex, we will need to trim the lower branches every year?

What do you miss most about Trinidad?

gosh where do i start :-\.

gardening wise would be the ability to grow the foods i really like easily and not have to get to grips with four seasons our two are much simpler (dry and wet :)), it is a steep learning curve learning to grow in the UK's short growing season. i also really miss our tropical fruits a lot :'( and as you are well aware if they are exported they are generally picked green but full and ripened on the way, IE they never taste right so for the most part i don't bother (you would not like to see our family [approx 14 plus when we all get together] greet someone who has either returned from a holiday back home or who has come up to holiday here who has Trini food in their cases - lots of begging, bargaining cajoling, blackmailing, you name it to get a little bit of a taste of home ;D ;D)

and yes the lower branches are normally trimmed approx once a year back home as well, it also encourages more fruiting buds to develop on the fruit trees as well.
Title: Re: Plum tree from stone - photo
Post by: cjb02 on September 10, 2009, 00:35:27
well done squash and hubby, that is a great result
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