North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["MARIE ASHTON" <bwoodtx@verizon.net>]

There are several dwarfing rootstocks for plums. Krymsk 1 (not compatible with all varieties), Pixie (one of the better ones), and the good old Sandcherry (Prunus besseyi) will dwarf plums.

 

A new rootstock developed by the University of California/USDA/ARS called Controller 5 (a cross of a Japanese plum and a peach) is not widely available but should be in the next few years. It dwarfs about 50% of normal size.

 

But the best option, in my opinion, is to prune to obtain the size of tree you want. Just graft/bud or buy your tree on the common widely available rootstocks and then prune to obtain the tree size you want. I believe you get a healthier tree this way. An example is what the wholesale nursery L.E. Cooke is doing with the trees they call "EZ Pick".  Shown at: http://www.lecooke.com/Nursery/EZ-PICK/EZ-PICK.html . It is just a matter of pruning your trees to branch low and encourage branch development low on the trunk. Then prune each year after you have picked the fruit to the size you want to maintain your trees.

 

Regards,

Richard Ashton

Oak Creek Orchard

www.oakcreekorchard.com

bwoodtx@verizon.net

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Doreen Howard

To: North American Fruit Explorers

Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 3:05 PM

Subject: [NAFEX] Dwarf Plum Rootstock

Which are the best rootstocks to dwarf plums in your experience?  Are there any super-dwarfing rootstocks that would keep a plum under ten feet in height and spread?

Doreen Howard

gardendiva@charter.net

http://www.desperategardens.net

 

---

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