On Mon, 7 Aug 2006, David (in Normandy) wrote:

Can plums be grown "true" from stones? A neighbour gave us some small but
really nice sweet plums, grown locally. I've no idea what variety they are,
but would like to have a go at growing some from the stones - if they come
true?

Well, I *think* so. I have here a number of plum trees and some were
grown from a stone and they seem to have plumes like the ones on the
original trees. But they may be a basic sort of breed - I don't know
what they are!

However a few years ago I got some lovely yellow plums from a grove of
trees at my allotment site. The grove there looks as though some of the
trees are self-sets from stones. Anyway I planted some of the stones and
one has now produced a nice tree which is planted in my back garden in
Reading and this year it is having its first plums! Great excitement!
Only problem is - we're here in France with a glut of our ordinary
plums. Anyway I've asked our house/cat-sitter to watch the tree and to
tell me what colour the ripe plums are. I've told her she can eat them
if they ripen well before we get back!

The answer is - it's worth a try. Plant plenty of stones and you should
be lucky but you'll have to wait around seven years before you get any
fruit.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France