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Another attempt at plum sedlings

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Jon and Suzie (U14609562) on Tuesday, 8th February 2011

  Just taken my seedings out of the fridge and potted them up after another attempt at cold stratification to grow my own plums from seed.
  I use supermarket bought greengages, plums and cherries, cracked the shells and refrigerated them for a couple of months.
  I last raised some a couple of years ago and the survivors of these were planted outside last year - waiting now to see if they bud or if the frost killed them off.
  Read somewhere that supermarket plums are often Japanese plums rather than the european species, don't know if these will grow here and they don't reportedly taste as nice.
  Has anyone else been trying to grow fruit from seeds?
  Jon and Suzie

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Tuesday, 8th February 2011

  No. It takes too long and you don't know what you're going to get as named fruit trees are all grown from cuttings and grafts from a known variety on a sutable rootstock.
  
  Occasionally you get a lucky find that becomes a favourite such as Bramleys and Granny Smiths and others, such as Cox's, come from deliberate crossing and breeding but growing one from a supermarket fruit is a very unknown quantity and they tend to be varieties grown for their commercial qualities rather than taste.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Tuesday, 8th February 2011

  Yes My late Ma was a champion seed chuckerer of Victoria plums and the local by ways were littered with her used stones seedlings, used for Jam!
  
  I think the golden rule has got to be to use the largest possible stones you can find, otherwise you will be unllike the great geneticist himself Mendel !
  
  He always chose the largest seeds.
  
  It must be fairly obvious to do that to get the biggest trees.
  
  My most prolific plum tree is a clone of a Victoria plum which was not a big seed, and may even have seeded itself. It is not a big fruit, but it has the most amazing crop every year, and provides juice for about 5 gallons of plum wine every year.
  
  No good for Jam though. too many stones to get rid of.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by pastmemories (U2437829) on Tuesday, 8th February 2011

  You must do as the tree does, plant the seed the day it drops off the tree, ripe. I do that with Walnuts, never a failure.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Jon and Suzie (U14609562) on Wednesday, 9th February 2011

  I think my seedling in the front garden has started producing a few new buds, fingers crossed.
  We realise that this project may produce nothing of value, but we're happy to watch and wait to see. If we can grow a tree we can graft other varieties on to it anyway.
  They say that greengages grow close to the original so that is our biggest chance,
  Nice to hear the Victoria clone story.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Jon and Suzie (U14609562) on Wednesday, 9th February 2011

  Hi Obelixx, talking of supermarket apples we have been working our way through them the past few weeks and are quite surprised that most of the market leaders in America, Japan etc. are almost tasteless. Saying that Jazz and Kanzi are very tasty varieties. Shows you though that people buy for appearance not flavour, very odd.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Jon and Suzie (U14609562) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  Our little trees planted out last year have all started to bud with the exception of 3 poor specimens that we'd left in pots.
  Have to hope we don't get another cold snap and they can grow a bit this year.
  This years seedlings are doing ok slowly, we have about 4 poking through the compost and also a pip (apple or pear) outside that has grown without assistance.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  we have been working our way through them the past few weeks and are quite surprised that most of the market leaders in America, Japan etc. are almost tasteless 
  
  My market leader is a Bramley and I am still eating two or three every day from my last year's crop. I wish i had either stored or bottled some more, to last until raspberry time.
  
  The birds have had plenty until now along with me, the rotten ones go out to the birds; the good ones get guzzled by me!

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by margaretstar (U14415248) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  I don't think it's really fair to judge the taste of plums on what they taste like from a supermarket - especially if they've been shipped all the way from the USA !
  
  The Santa Rosa plum is a really good, juicy and tasty plum, when picked fresh. It's a staple plum in warmer climates, being self fertile.
  
  A lot of the Japanese plums are quite similar in taste to the Opal plum - again when picked nearly ripe.
  
  But with all the different varieties of European plums, not much reason to look furher afield either!

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Jon and Suzie (U14609562) on Tuesday, 22nd February 2011

  No we shouldn't judge the fruits, but if they insist on importing so we have almost year round supply, it's a shame we don't get them at their best, some are very bland.
  Yes european plums are good and we do plan to grow some local varieties soon, the seedlings is a hobby that we would like to bear fruit literally.

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