North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dave Griffin" <griffingardens@earthlink.net>]

Steve,

 Most growers in other parts of the country do have a more extended bloom
than I have and I am sure you do as well. I've noticed that the early
warmups that come scouting for spring are warmer and longer and come
further north as you go to the east and south of me. Even the Twin Cities
70 miles away to the SE is about 2 weeks ahead. 
 I wonder if a P.salicina plum would provide the early pollination that you
need. They bloom earliest of all for me in spite of being in the coldest
location in the orchard at the bottom of the north slope. The numbered
Ptitsins are just selections of hardy salicina so they should be wild
enough to be a good pollinizers for the hybrids. I have a number of these
plus some other selections of salicina and they all bloom early and about
the same time. An added bonus is that they are very precocious and start
blooming in the nursery row when they are about 2' tall. 
 As for the wild plums they are in the road ditches here and plenty of
...so no need for trespass.  

Dave


> [Original Message]
> From: loneroc <loneroc@mwt.net>
> To: <griffingardens@earthlink.net>; North American Fruit Explorers
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 5/18/05 9:09:21 AM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
>
> Thanks for the advice, Dave.  I've sort of been keeping my eyes open for
> early native Prunus americana, but have not seen much.  Land owners around
> here are very protective and probably wouldn't like me snitching branches
> from their plums (even if they're bulldozing them later in the week).  I
> suspect that your experience would not translate too well here since your
> bloom season seems significantly more compressed than mine.
>
> And thanks for helping Jean move her trees.  Since I moved to Lone Rock
from
> the Twin Cities a few years ago I can't drop over to help Minnesota
friends
> the way I'd like.
>
> Steve Herje, Lone Rock WI
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dave Griffin" <griffingardens@earthlink.net>
> To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 5:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
>
>
> > Hi Steve,
> >
> >  A few of my plums bloom before the natives but these are mostly the
> > salicina ones like the Ptitsins and they are planted down the north
facing
> > slope to compensate for this. While some are still too early the bloom
> > overlaps with the early natives, this year at least. I did have to drive
> > quite a ways to find an early native for my first bouquets of blossoms
but
> > you certainly could force bloom to compensate. It would be best to mark
a
> > plum patch for this as I find them almost impossible to locate until
they
> > bloom.
> >   A bigger problem for me this year is that some of the late blooming
> > hybrids - Waneta, Pipestone - didn't bloom until the natives were done
and
> > my beach plums hadn't started yet. They finally started over the weekend
> > and I think I may have caught the hybrids with a combination of late
> > natives for the early part and beach plum for the later bloom. We'll
see.
> I
> > don't like to look at fruit set until June drop as it is easy to be
fooled
> > until then.
> >   I met your friend Jean Johnson recently when I went to dig out a few
of
> > her fruit trees before she moves and to do some crosses on her Siberian
> > peach. She seems very kind.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > > [Original Message]
> > > From: loneroc <loneroc@mwt.net>
> > > To: <griffingardens@earthlink.net>; North American Fruit Explorers
> > <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > Date: 5/17/05 5:16:13 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
> > >
> > > Dave,
> > >
> > > I find that my local wild plums do not bloom until my hybrids are done
> > > blooming (almost).  Do you need to cut the wild plum branches early
and
> > > "force" them under warmer conditions so the bloom periods coincide?
> > >
> > > Steve Herje, Lone Rock, WI
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Dave Griffin" <griffingardens@earthlink.net>
> > > To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 2:59 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
> > >
> > >
> > > > My plums also seem to be very dependant on the native bees in spite
of
> > > > having 4 hives on the place - plum blossoms everywhere and the honey
> > bees
> > > > are in the dandelions. Fortunately, the natives seem to have been on
> the
> > > > increase in the 3 years since my apricots began blooming and I am
> > > beginning
> > > > to think that the early food supply they provide may be a factor in
> > their
> > > > increased population density now.
> > > >
> > > > For an excellent paper on plums in general, and especially on plum
> > > > pollinizers, by Rick Sawatsky of the U of Saskatchewan, go to
> > > > www.usask.ca/agriculture/plantsci/dom_fruit/   Click on Fruit
> Articles,
> > > > then Plums on the Prairies, then scroll down to "our recent
> experience".
> > > > Their premise that there are no good hybrid pollinizers for hybrid
> > plums,
> > > > you have to have native plums, is the basis for my having kept
> bouquets
> > of
> > > > native plum blossoms in milk bottles tied into the trees throughout
> the
> > > > orchard all during this years bloom. My wild plum plantings are not
> yet
> > > > flowering so this is a stopgap until then. Native bee activity has
> been
> > > > high during the good times between the bad that make for a normal
> spring
> > > > here (high temp is 48 F today with snow predicted for tomorrow) and
I
> am
> > > > expecting good results. Keep you posted as the season progresses.
> > > >
> > > > Dave
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > [Original Message]
> > > > > From: loneroc <loneroc@mwt.net>
> > > > > To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > > > Date: 5/11/05 8:35:53 AM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
> > > > >
> > > > > Jim,
> > > > >
> > > > > Although I maintain a couple hives for pollination--I notice that
> > small
> > > > > native bees are the most frequent visitors to my plum blossoms.  I
> > > > > occasionally find honeybees on them, but not too often.
> > > > >
> > > > > I presume that you have the native bees as well--maybe you could
> > observe
> > > > > them closely to see if they're only going after pollen or if
they're
> > > > finding
> > > > > nectar, too.
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve Herje, Lone Rock, WI
> > > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > > > From: "Jim Fruth" <jfruth@uslink.net>
> > > > > To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 7:57 AM
> > > > > Subject: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > >    When my plum trees are in bloom, it is a spectacular site.
> Folks
> > > > > driving
> > > > > > by stop to stare but the honey bees don't seem to even notice
the
> > > masses
> > > > > of
> > > > > > white blooms.  They just fly right over them as though they
can't
> > see
> > > > all
> > > > > of
> > > > > > the flowers.  I used to wonder if my honey bees were either lazy
> or
> > > > going
> > > > > > after better flowers.
> > > > > >    This year the bloom is late and the plums and black currants
> are
> > > > > blooming
> > > > > > concurrently, an event that I've not witnessed before.  Black
> > Currants
> > > > > have
> > > > > > relatively insignificant, almost green flowers and the bees had
no
> > > > trouble
> > > > > > finding them.  That leads me to rethink my prejudice(?) about
> honey
> > > bees
> > > > > and
> > > > > > plum blossoms.  So I ask, "Do plum blossoms not have nectar to
> > attract
> > > > > honey
> > > > > > bees?"  Do honey bees frequent the plum flowers in your orchard?
> > > > > > -- 
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Jim Fruth
> > > > > > Brambleberry Farm
> > > > > > Pequot Lakes, MN
> > > > > > www.bberryfarm.com
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
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