Satsuma Plum

Two more trees to go before finishing this fruit tree series(for this year).  It has been a lot of fun recalling my experiences with these plants last year and also sharing the research done before putting them into the ground.  The simple truth is that having fruit trees on your property is very exciting....for color, smell, and taste:)  Plums are some of my favorite fruits to eat. 

The Satsuma Japanese plum is at every garden center currently in town.  You can buy this plant bareroot or potted.  I purchased it bareroot and it grew really well in a sunny spot in the garden.  While it didn't produce any fruit during the first year, it did double in size. This plum is popular in Tucson and again is hidden from the general public.  It is a juicy flavorful plum that ripens over a 2-3 week period in late July and early August.  Some years it will bear heavily.  The chill hours required are 250-300 hours and are perfect for our area.  It does need a pollinator however or it won't bear fruit at all.  Pollinate with a Santa Rosa or Beauty.  I put a Santa Rosa plum tree nearby so that they will help each other out:) It is a recommended tree for Tucson gardeners as it performs well in our area.  I have one more fruit tree that I am currently growing in the El Presidio Gardens to talk about which means one more post to go....I'll also have a general link of information on fruit/berry bushes, and nut trees that I did not cover.  There are a lot of choices out there and it is a time to dream and get excited.  Fruit trees should be planted, like your bareroot roses, this month. So don't wait....go and have yourself some fun! 

Not related to the fruit trees series is yet another series coming up...the Citrus Garden. It is my current project that has been ongoing for some time. However, several major events have happened on the progress and I hope you'll find it informative. There is some major writing to do in the upcoming weeks. We were outside today for 5 hours reshaping the future of the gardens. There are also several other individual writes that I am investigating currently and I cannot believe the excitement that I feel inside. Watch as a garden transforms into a magical oasis in the middle of Tucson. And watch as we, the residents, have come up with solutions to deal with several problems on our property. There is a lot to write about my friends and I can't wait to get back to my photo shoots after I finish with my fruit tree segment.