Grafting ume to enjoy its flower for whoever living in the hot and dry climate!

bonhe

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Hi all,
I post this subject to help whoever loves ume can have one to enjoy its flower in a few seasons!
I live in the hot and dry area. Because of this fact, making the ume from the cutting is impossible.
In 10/2011, I collect American apricot seedling which popped up in my garden (my neighbor has an American apricot tree with lot of fruits). Then on 2/14/2012 (right in the Valentine Day:D) I used one of the ume branches cut from the tree posted on the forum at this time tp graft on the American apricot seedling.







On 4/8/12, you can see the new shoot coming out.


4/24/12


At first, I pinched the top of the American apricot, then wait until the ume shoot growed longer. At that time, I completelyremoved the trunk of American apricot down to the grafting site. As you can see, the grafting site is very low. It almost next to the root-trunk base.

Here the tree on 12/1/2013. I let it grow unchecked. Now, you can see flower buds (yellow arrows)







Yesterday, 12/15/2013




I can not wait to see its flowers!:)
I plan to train it into the cascade tree.
Bonhe
 

edprocoat

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There is also the Scarlet Beauty Plum which has an almost identical flower, needs 200 hours chill (45 degrees) and blooms and sets fruit in zone 9. I do not know why there is not anyone trying them, they are usually found as grafted but could be air layered above the graft.

I am trying a low chill apple Ein Sheimer and a Gala sport developed and grown in Florida with the low chill hours for the flowers, not for the fruit.

ed
 

bonhe

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This is very cool. More people in North America should enjoy the ume.
Thank you. I agree with you 100%

There is also the Scarlet Beauty Plum which has an almost identical flower, needs 200 hours chill (45 degrees) and blooms and sets fruit in zone 9. I do not know why there is not anyone trying them, they are usually found as grafted but could be air layered above the graft.

I am trying a low chill apple Ein Sheimer and a Gala sport developed and grown in Florida with the low chill hours for the flowers, not for the fruit.

ed
Is the Scarlet Beauty Plum flower fragrant? Thank you.
Bonhe
 

edprocoat

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Thank you. I agree with you 100%


Is the Scarlet Beauty Plum flower fragrant? Thank you.
Bonhe

Yes it is very fragrant, is that a problem? I know some people are allergic to certain scents, those scented candles nearly choke me off, especially the cherry and blueberry scents.

ed
 

edprocoat

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Bonhe, I just re-read this post and can't believe I missed this. You grafted a plum onto an apricot, was this for quicker growth or for the warm weather. I was looking for apple trees the other day and seen a fruit cocktail tree, it had four different types of fruit on one tree stock. The branches were all noticeably different but it was a weird idea that worked. It was Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches and Plums. I do not know what the trunk species was but the plums were growing out and the tree had two other fruits and one flower but they were too young to see what they were.

Anyhow, great idea and I can't wait to see how it looks when it blooms too. How did you come up with the idea or did you just give it a shot?

ed
 

drew33998

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They also do the same with citrus trees down here in Fla. Anything you can dream up. Orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, on the same trunk
 

bonhe

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Bonhe, I just re-read this post and can't believe I missed this. You grafted a plum onto an apricot, was this for quicker growth or for the warm weather. I was looking for apple trees the other day and seen a fruit cocktail tree, it had four different types of fruit on one tree stock. The branches were all noticeably different but it was a weird idea that worked. It was Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches and Plums. I do not know what the trunk species was but the plums were growing out and the tree had two other fruits and one flower but they were too young to see what they were.

Anyhow, great idea and I can't wait to see how it looks when it blooms too. How did you come up with the idea or did you just give it a shot?
ed
Hi Ed,
I decide to graft because I want to multiply my ume stock! ;)
As I said, cutting of ume in my area is impossible.
Prunus Americana can be used as a rootstock for ume, peach, plum and nectarines! I learned this from Ota sensei!
Bonhe
 

bonhe

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Why's cutting impossible here?

It is too dry and hot here! I tried it twice! However, I think I was too lazy to pull it out after 4-6 weeks to trim off the callous formed around the cutting surface, which led to the failure!
Bonhe
 

Poink88

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I have a boxstore bought plum I might try grafting an ume branch on.

Thanks! :)
 

bonhe

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This year, the ume have not been blooming yet in my area!

This morning I pulled this one out to remove its leaves.


I almost lost this tree last summer due to my vacation! Luckily it came back well :)
Its flowering buds are swelling.




I plan to train this one as semi-cascade later on.




Bonhe
 

bonhe

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It was this afternoon.
The first flower is coming out.
Bonhe
 

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blablaulo

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Where I come from, the same is done with tangerine
-blablaulo
 

bonhe

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This morning.
Bonhe
 

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edprocoat

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That's great that it worked and bloomed for you. Good job. My Ein Shemer apple I mentioned in this thread has flowered too, had about 11 flowers on two of the four branches. I did not expect that with an apple. The other one a Florida Gala did not flower, I did not expect it to either.

The Ein Shemer buds about to open, I guess I did not get any pictures of them fully opened but I thought I had taken some . :confused:
Einshemer bloom by edprocoat, on Flickr

ed
 

Giga

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this seems like a good idea since my local nursery has plum of decent size
 

bonhe

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That's great that it worked and bloomed for you. Good job. My Ein Shemer apple I mentioned in this thread has flowered too, had about 11 flowers on two of the four branches. I did not expect that with an apple. The other one a Florida Gala did not flower, I did not expect it to either.

The Ein Shemer buds about to open, I guess I did not get any pictures of them fully opened but I thought I had taken some . :confused:
That's OK. We can enjoy the flower buds, too. Thanks for sharing.

this seems like a good idea since my local nursery has plum of decent size
So, let try!
Bonhe
 

bonhe

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This tree was also pruned back this morning.
Its height was about 6 feet!!!
4.png

After being pruned.
5.png

It is hard to see the grafted site for untrained eyes!
7.png

It is growing fast at least in my area!
8.png

It is ready for flowering in January 2016! However, it is long way to reach the finished stage. I hope it will become "something" in 10 years!
9.png

Bonhe
 

bonhe

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Its flowering buds are swelling at this time.
19.png 23.png 22.png

Trunk base.
20.png


I will remove the big branch in the future when its trunk base is big enough for me.
21.png


Bonhe
 
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