Date: 16/10/2015 14:15:37
From: Happy Potter
ID: 789019
Subject: European Plums

I am very lucky to have been gifted two healthy European plum trees, a Rein claude De Bavay and the other is ‘Zwetschge’. Could anyone tell me what pollinator I need for both that will blossom at the same time, or if they will pollinate each other? I plan to espalier both. I can’t seem to find answers online so any help is very much appreciated. xx

Reply Quote

Date: 16/10/2015 19:43:13
From: roughbarked
ID: 789205
Subject: re: European Plums

Happy Potter said:

I am very lucky to have been gifted two healthy European plum trees, a Rein claude De Bavay and the other is ‘Zwetschge’. Could anyone tell me what pollinator I need for both that will blossom at the same time, or if they will pollinate each other? I plan to espalier both. I can’t seem to find answers online so any help is very much appreciated. xx

Never heard those names but this is probably worth downloading Pollination and fruit set

You can not cross pollinate European plums with Japanese plums. Plum trees require a cross pollinator, for they are not self fertile. With all fruit trees there are a few exceptions, for example, Damson and Stanley plums are self pollinating European plums and make great pollinators for other European varieties.

Reply Quote

Date: 16/10/2015 21:10:48
From: Happy Potter
ID: 789268
Subject: re: European Plums

roughbarked said:


Happy Potter said:
I am very lucky to have been gifted two healthy European plum trees, a Rein claude De Bavay and the other is ‘Zwetschge’. Could anyone tell me what pollinator I need for both that will blossom at the same time, or if they will pollinate each other? I plan to espalier both. I can’t seem to find answers online so any help is very much appreciated. xx

Never heard those names but this is probably worth downloading Pollination and fruit set

You can not cross pollinate European plums with Japanese plums. Plum trees require a cross pollinator, for they are not self fertile. With all fruit trees there are a few exceptions, for example, Damson and Stanley plums are self pollinating European plums and make great pollinators for other European varieties.

Thanks RB, I’ve bookmarked the link. They are both greengage plums. I can’t wait until they’re established and fruiting.

Reply Quote

Date: 16/10/2015 21:46:12
From: buffy
ID: 789287
Subject: re: European Plums

HP….do you have a copy of The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia by Louis Glowinski? It is well worth the money.

On page 70 it says of Reine Claude de Bavay: Mid season; Fruit are large rounded dull green or pale yellow with white spots, occasionally red spots in warm seasons. Very rich gage flavour. Tree is small. Raised by one of Napoleon’s cavalry officers, Major Esperin, also known as a pear breeder; Said to be self fertile but don’t rely on that. Also an unreliable cropper, so perhaps interplant with Grand Duke.

The other one is not in this book. The other gages listed are Jefferson, greengage, Cole’s golden gage and Coe’s golden drop.

But seriously, this book is extremely well researched, a brilliant read on its own (when I got it, I read it cover to cover, like a novel) and chock a block with pretty much all the information you could ever need.

Reply Quote

Date: 17/10/2015 04:16:33
From: roughbarked
ID: 789386
Subject: re: European Plums

buffy said:

HP….do you have a copy of The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia by Louis Glowinski? It is well worth the money.

On page 70 it says of Reine Claude de Bavay: Mid season; Fruit are large rounded dull green or pale yellow with white spots, occasionally red spots in warm seasons. Very rich gage flavour. Tree is small. Raised by one of Napoleon’s cavalry officers, Major Esperin, also known as a pear breeder; Said to be self fertile but don’t rely on that. Also an unreliable cropper, so perhaps interplant with Grand Duke.

The other one is not in this book. The other gages listed are Jefferson, greengage, Cole’s golden gage and Coe’s golden drop.

But seriously, this book is extremely well researched, a brilliant read on its own (when I got it, I read it cover to cover, like a novel) and chock a block with pretty much all the information you could ever need.

Yes there are good books like that which I never regret having purchased. Though that wasn’t one I’d ever purchased. My mother had a couple of gage plums. They always had plenty of fruit, not that I ever ate any. I preferred the satsuma to the gages she had. Pollination was never a problem but that would likely be because in the town, among the street trees were a lot of Prunus cerasifera Nigra and Prunus blireana.

I do enjoy some plums, mainly the prunes but the gages have never really done it for me. Damson/Angelina cross would have to be the one I would grow other than D’agen.

Reply Quote

Date: 17/10/2015 16:35:50
From: buffy
ID: 789613
Subject: re: European Plums

I have been ‘gardening’…..removing an environmental weed I found at the gate to our Digby bush block. This photo is from some years ago, not today’s little crop:

 photo Disaweed57Nov10.jpg

It’s the South African Disa orchid. Spreads by seed and tuber and smothers the locals. Todays ones are now in a plastic bag sweating to death.

Reply Quote

Date: 17/10/2015 17:37:48
From: buffy
ID: 789618
Subject: re: European Plums

Sorry, that was meant for the Chat thread.

Reply Quote

Date: 18/10/2015 06:52:06
From: roughbarked
ID: 789858
Subject: re: European Plums

buffy said:

Sorry, that was meant for the Chat thread.

I removed a lot of those at jj’s place in Adelaide. Every day I’d take a plasctic bag with me when I walked. I’d come back with it full and zipped up then leave it on the bins in the sun for a few days to cook them.

Reply Quote

Date: 19/10/2015 08:48:51
From: Happy Potter
ID: 790155
Subject: re: European Plums

buffy said:

HP….do you have a copy of The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia by Louis Glowinski? It is well worth the money.

On page 70 it says of Reine Claude de Bavay: Mid season; Fruit are large rounded dull green or pale yellow with white spots, occasionally red spots in warm seasons. Very rich gage flavour. Tree is small. Raised by one of Napoleon’s cavalry officers, Major Esperin, also known as a pear breeder; Said to be self fertile but don’t rely on that. Also an unreliable cropper, so perhaps interplant with Grand Duke.

The other one is not in this book. The other gages listed are Jefferson, greengage, Cole’s golden gage and Coe’s golden drop.

But seriously, this book is extremely well researched, a brilliant read on its own (when I got it, I read it cover to cover, like a novel) and chock a block with pretty much all the information you could ever need.

Thank you Buffy, I think I will buy it. Sounds like I need it :)

Reply Quote

Date: 19/10/2015 08:54:48
From: Happy Potter
ID: 790157
Subject: re: European Plums

I do love the satsumas too, and the small dark cherry plums. I know where trees are for the picking. Their owners are happy with fresh eggs or returned goodies in jars to trade with :)

Reply Quote