# Plum Good Jelly



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

It has been a good year for fruit trees in our area of East Texas this year...and our plum trees have not been an exception. Two trees, one a methley and another a santa rosa, produced about 15 gallons of fruit. 

The plums are delicious when eaten right off the tree, but the best use IMO is in plum jelly which is simply fabulous. I trade plums for cases of jelly with an expert local jelly maker and enjoy it all year around.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Looks good. My dad had a plum tree, not sure what type, but it wasnâ€™t ever productive and declined after a couple of years. Evidently, Chill hours are a big issue for the fruit trees right next to the coast. How many chill hours does your area of Texas tend to get? 

I like plum jelly better than fresh plums. Fresh peaches beat peach preserves. I like raspberry jam better than the fresh ones. Funny how different fruit is better one way or the other.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Yes, chill hours are an issue for plums but much easier to satisfy their requirements than peaches, it seems. 

I'm in 8b about 600 chill hours. The methley and santa rosa plums I have are well suited for the 8b region and consistently produce even when peaches do not. 

Many plums are called "self fertile" but I have found through experience that they significantly benefit from a pollinator. 

Plum jelly is number 1 on my list...far above all others...but I do agree when it comes to eating fresh, the jelly is better.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I sort of gave up buying store bought plums. I couldnâ€™t seem to find any that werenâ€™t either rock hard and half sour or total mush. 

Good to have a jelly maker you can collaborate with. My dad has traded some of his fresh blood oranges for jars of blood orange marmalade. Marmalade is an acquired taste unlike plum jelly which most everyone likes.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I agree about plum jelly. I had an Aunt that would make fabulous plum jelly from wild plums that we would pick. It just didn't get any better.

Of my 3 varieties of plum trees, 1 didn't make it this winter. Lots of varieties are kind of iffy in Zone 3. Of the 2 remaining, 1 was still too young to bloom. The other had lots of blossoms but none of them set. It does need a cross pollinator but I thought that at least a few would set from wild plums. Maybe a late frost got them, but the Cherries and Apples did blossom set OK. The Cherries bloomed before the Plums and the Apples bloomed after the Plums.....So I'm not sure what happened.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Agree Dick, fruit tree pollination is a tricky thing. Plums are advertised as self fertile, but my experience has shown that they significantly benefit from another pollinator. 

The folks who homesteaded my place 70 plus years ago always planted their fruit trees in pairs. I still have two pear trees that they planted and they have consistently produced great crops every year for more than half a century. Those folks probably did not understand why but they knew that pollinators can significantly add fruit production.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Nice haul Meadow!!!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks Ranch! A big hearty Welcome Back Ranch!

Things are sure looking up for the Garden Forum when one of the best gardeners I know anywhere is active here.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Thanks Meadow!!! It's good to be back.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

YES! I second the big hearty "WELCOME BACK!" Ranch.

We have been leaning on Lark's shoulders pretty heavily since you have been gone. I'm sure that he will appreciate having you back to help with all of our questions.


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

I don't have real good luck with plums-probably chilling hours but shouldn't be. Im in a 400-500 hour zone. But when they don't bloom, pollinators don't help. Going to give couple a serious haircut this winter, see what happens. But the trees just don't look healthy/ happy. Real acid soil which I will lime this fall also. Got some wild plum starts going, may try grafting onto them later. Had bumper crop peaches, danged ***** left me enough for two pies. Hoping Mrs. Joe's health is better so I can tend to business rather than support the medical profession net year.


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