North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kristina & Bruce" <herenorthere@lycos.com>]

It isn't at all unusual to not have any plums two years after planting.  
Getting three might have been quite an accomplishment.  I don't know if 
Japanese varieties, like those you've planted, are as slow as European 
varieties like I have.  But some European varieties won't produce fruit for 
five or more years.

If a hard frost struck after the plums blossomed, it certainly could have 
killed the year's fruit.  I think Japanese varieties bloom quite early 
anyway, so are susceptible to freezes that wouldn't bother later-blooming 
fruit.  Good luck with your collection.
Bruce Wittchen
1/2 mile outside Hartford, CT

>Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:55:57 -0500
>From: "Dianne Stephany" <iluvdanc@rochester.rr.com>

>HI 
>We are newbies to fruit growing, Zone 5/6 in Rochester NY. We have two 
>semi-dwarf plum trees: Simka and Vanier.  They were planted here in 2001, 
>(originally about 5 ft trees) and bore only 3 tiny, hard plums last year.  I 
>was trying to follow your thread about P.americanus and wondered if I need 
>to plant a native plum to get fruit?  We had ordered a third plum, Fortune, 
>but the company sent a Fortune apple instead, so there is an apple tree 
>planted between the two plums.
>
>I do not think that a lack of bees, etc, is the problem because we got quite 
>a lot of sweet cherries that set but did not make it to picking because of a 
>late cold snap in May. Could the cold also have affected the plums? 
>
>We have a small number of fruit trees that we planted when we moved here in 
>Spring 2001:
>Van, Emperor Francis and Ranier cherries; Vanier and Simka plum; Starfire 
>and Coralstar peaches; Noble Bosc and Anjou pears; Melrose, Grannysmith, 
>Twenty ounce and Jonagold apples (the Jonagold died in 2003 and was replaced 
>by a Golden delicious); and in 2003 we added the Moongold and Sungold 
>apricots. As well, some Downy Serviceberries were planted primarily for the 
>birds, but now I hear they are quite tasty..but haven't had any yet. They 
>were whips from the County agency and need to grow a bit more. 
>
>We also have some red currants, red raspberries, black raspberries and black 
>berries. The red raspberries are not doing well, maybe because of some 
>native butternut trees nearby and maybe due to the clay & alkaline soil.
>
>Thanks for your help and looking forward to learning A LOT from you,
>Dianne Stephany.


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