North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Laura Confal" <laura@innercite.com>]

Hi -
First - I'm new to this list, and I've searched the archive somewhat,
but certainly could have missed answers to my question...so be kind :)
I have a 5 year old home orchard in the Sacramento, CA area - about 30
trees with 80 or so varieties grafted here and there.

Second, I ran across this 1999 article from Mark Albert
http://www.pacificsites.com/~mce/permguide.html

Wow!  Did it ever resonate with me as far as Citation rootstock not
being good for Inland Valley Northern California.  Except for one thing
- I grow great plums and pluots on citation.  Just not anything else.  I
thought it was me...but now I'm thinking it's Citation, which is on
about 90% of my stone fruits.

So here's my situation and question.  I just got back from our local
CRFG scion exchange, and came back with some St. Julian rootstock.  It
(like Citation) is said to be good for clay soils.  But then upon
further research, I found it to be susceptible to Pseudomonas syringii.
Oh No!  This is exactly the thing all my apricots and cherries, and some
of my nectarines have died of, or have serious problems with every year.


So.  Does anyone have any experience with St. Julian's in Inland No. CA.

Oops.  Another question.  In the same article, Mark said Black Apricots
are just not worth it.  And I just came back with two black apricot
scions (Black Alexander and Flor Ziran) from the exchange.  I'm crazy
for apricots, so I'm looking for anything that tastes like an apricot
but grows like a plum.  Thus my many pluots.  Most of which taste like
plums <sigh>.  So I thought - hey - black apricots (and also one
apricot-peach, an Iranian apricot, and a white apricot).  Anything that
is half-something else must do better in my area.  

So.  Anyone have experience with black apricots or anything that tastes
more like an apricot than pluots?  I have yet to find any apriums for
grafting.

Thanks!

Laura