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Late-Season:Japanese


South Dakota:Medium-small, yellow, oval,
excellent quality, American x Japanese hybrid,
good quality, good pollinator for Japanese
plums.

Wickson:Large, heart shaped, dark red, yellow
flesh. Inconsistent cropper in South Jersey.

Friar:Large, round, dark blue to black, yellow
flesh. Inconsistent cropper in South Jersey.


Thereare many other Japanese and Japanese x

American hybrid varieties that have not been observed or
tested in New Jersey.

European Plums are generally longer lived, more
productive and more consistent in cropping than Japanese
varieties. They do experience many of the same
problems.

Early-Season:European


Earliblue:Medium, ovate, blue, fair quality,
inconsistent, needs pollination,not as firm as
other European varieties.


Mid-Season:European


Mohawk:Medium-large, oval, blue, good quality.
Good cropper in the northeastern states but has
been inconsistent at Cream Ridge.

Richards Early Italian:Medium-large, oval, blue,
excellent quality. This has been an excellent
cropper in the Northeast, but an inconsistent
cropper at Cream Ridge.


Late-Season:European


Brooks:Large, dark blue, ovate, excellent quality.
This plum is an excellent cropper in South
Jersey and Cream Ridge. Self-fruitful.

Stanley:Medium-large, oval, blue, fair quality,
consistent cropper in South Jersey. Self-fruitful.

Italian:Large, oval, blue, excellent quality.
Moderate to heavy cropper in South Jersey. Self-
fruitful.

Valor:Large, oval, dark blue, excellent quality,
good cropper in the northeastern states. At
Cream Ridge it produced higher yields than
Stanley.

Bluefre:Large, ovate, dark blue, very good quality,
but inconsistent cropper in southern New Jersey.

There are many other European varieties not tested or
observed in New Jersey.

Rootstocks

Myrobalan seedlings and Myrobalan 29C clonal
stocks are the recommended rootstocks for all European
plum varieties. They are compatible with many Japanese
and Japanese x American hybrid varieties, but tend to be
short-lived on sandy or drought sensitive soils. They are
more adapted and longer lived on loamy or clay-loam
soils. Lovell and Halford peach seedlingsare used on
many plum varieties. Trees are short lived and
susceptible to most problems experienced with peach
varieties. Some Japanese plum varieties on Lovell and
Halford peach seedlings are better adapted to sandy soils
than European varieties on Lovell or Halford peach
seedlings.
Mariana 2624 clonal rootstock is compatible with
most plum varieties. Trees of all varieties are more
sensitive to low winter temperatures on this rootstock
than other rootstocks.
Citation appears to be promising rootstock for semi-
dwarf plum trees in New Jersey.

Pollination

All Japanese and Japanese x American hybrid plums
benefit from cross-pollination. Methley, Shiro, and Early
Golden will set heavy crops in some years without cross-
pollination. All other varieties should be planted as a
design with at least three varieties.
Most European varieties require cross-pollination.
Varieties described as self-fruitful will set better and more
consistent crops with cross-pollination.

Do not pollinate Japanese plum varieties with
European plum varieties.

68

1998 New Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide