Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Gage', 'Jefferson', and 'Washington'. These varieties are used primarily fresh
and for canning.
Yellow egg.
Not widely grown, these plums are used for canning. The best-
known variety is 'Yellow Egg'.
Imperatrice-andLombard-type.
These plums are sometimes lumped togeth-
er under the Lombard group. The two are similar in most respects, except
that the Imperatrice plums have blue skins with heavy, waxy blooms on the
skin and the Lombard plums are red. These varieties are mostly used fresh
and include 'Bradshaw', 'Diamond', 'Grand Duke', 'Lombard', and 'President'.
European plums require similar site conditions as other stone fruits, al-
though European varieties tend to be more cold-hardy than sweet cherries,
peaches, and nectarines. Particularly in cooler climates, such as the North-
eastern United States, European plums are longer-lived and provide more
consistent cropping than Japanese varieties, partly because their later
blooming allows them to better escape frost damage. Trees often perform
poorly in southern, warm-climate areas. Pest and disease problems are sim-
ilar to other stone fruits.
European plums are naturally rather small trees, and rootstocks that
provide some dwarfing are available. For home orchards, plant the trees at
least 18 to 20 feet apart. For high-density commercial orchards, trees can be
spaced as closely as 6 feet apart in rows that are 12 to 15 feet apart, although
spacings of 10 to 20 feet in rows that are 16 to 20 feet apart are more com-
mon. Training methods include modified central leader for upright varieties
to open vase shapes. Plums are normally not grown on supports.
Many European plum varieties are available, some of which have been
cultivated for centuries. There is a relatively small number of commercially
acceptable European plum varieties and an even smaller number for organic
growers. It is critically important that you select disease-resistant varieties.
In the fruit-growing regions of British Columbia, 'Demaris' and 'Greata'
are sometimes recommended. California varieties include 'Empress', 'Express',
