I have just bought a greengage - Reine Claude Doree. Is this greengage
self-fertile? Another thing - is it wind or insect pollinated - our new
garden is going to be in what can be quite a windy corner of the island,
but should be reasonably well drained. I've read that most of the plum
family are frost tolerant, and I assume that this one is too. I wonder
if it will "do" OK up here on Arran where it can be very wet as well as
very windy? I hope it will be fruitful - I just adore ripe greengages
picked straight from the tree. Thanks for all your help over the past
years - happy new year for 2003.
--
Susie Thompson, Isle of Arran
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Good morning. No one had answered you, so I got out one of my old catalogs
and Green Gage plums do not need another type of plum to make fruit. It
also says that they are OK in zones 5 - 8. I don't know what zone you are
in, but I live in Kansas, and am in zone 5, and it can get to -20 degrees F.

You ask if it can handle very wet and very windy. As with any tree, they
don't like to have their feet wet. A lot of rain probably wont hurt them,
as long as it drains away pretty fast, but the wind might be something else.

You might get onto the Internet and type in "growing Green Gage Plums" and
look at your responses. I have found a number of Colleges that have web
pages that tell you how to grow almost anything you can imagine.

Good luck. Dwayne



"SusieThompson" wrote in message
...
I have just bought a greengage - Reine Claude Doree. Is this greengage
self-fertile? Another thing - is it wind or insect pollinated - our new
garden is going to be in what can be quite a windy corner of the island,
but should be reasonably well drained. I've read that most of the plum
family are frost tolerant, and I assume that this one is too. I wonder
if it will "do" OK up here on Arran where it can be very wet as well as
very windy? I hope it will be fruitful - I just adore ripe greengages
picked straight from the tree. Thanks for all your help over the past
years - happy new year for 2003.
--
Susie Thompson, Isle of Arran
SPAM BLOCK IN OPERATION! Replace "deadspam.com" with "arrandragons.co.uk"
to
reply by e-mail.

In message , Dwayne
writes
Good morning. No one had answered you, so I got out one of my old catalogs
and Green Gage plums do not need another type of plum to make fruit. It
also says that they are OK in zones 5 - 8. I don't know what zone you are
in, but I live in Kansas, and am in zone 5, and it can get to -20 degrees F.

You ask if it can handle very wet and very windy. As with any tree, they
don't like to have their feet wet. A lot of rain probably wont hurt them,
as long as it drains away pretty fast, but the wind might be something else.

Dwayne, thanks for the help which is much appreciated. I'll plant the
greengage in the most sheltered corner I can find, and then cross my
fingers! Happy New Year.
Regards
--
Susie Thompson
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by e-mail.

Frost tolerant can mean several things. The Trees themselves will tolerate
a lot of frost, but if you get a heavy frost at or just after blossom time
you will get no fruit. So flowering time is important.

Plums are insect pollinated. If windy then this can mean less insects
flying around.

Having said all that, I'm in Wakefield, West Yorks at about 350ft, in a
windy situation and have had 2 years successfull crop of Oullins Golden
Gage.

An old book on growing Peaches, Apricots and Greengages in the UK seems to
suggest that the trees need a winter frost for the fruiting buids to
develop properly. Also it warns that finches love to eat Greengage fruit
buds over winter - result no crop. I don't have any resident Chaffinches
or Bullfinches so can't comment.

Good luck.
Jim



Dwayne wrote:
: Good morning. No one had answered you, so I got out one of my old catalogs
: and Green Gage plums do not need another type of plum to make fruit. It
: also says that they are OK in zones 5 - 8. I don't know what zone you are
: in, but I live in Kansas, and am in zone 5, and it can get to -20 degrees F.

: You ask if it can handle very wet and very windy. As with any tree, they
: don't like to have their feet wet. A lot of rain probably wont hurt them,
: as long as it drains away pretty fast, but the wind might be something else.

: You might get onto the Internet and type in "growing Green Gage Plums" and
: look at your responses. I have found a number of Colleges that have web
: pages that tell you how to grow almost anything you can imagine.

: Good luck. Dwayne



: "SusieThompson" wrote in message
: ...
: I have just bought a greengage - Reine Claude Doree. Is this greengage
: self-fertile? Another thing - is it wind or insect pollinated - our new
: garden is going to be in what can be quite a windy corner of the island,
: but should be reasonably well drained. I've read that most of the plum
: family are frost tolerant, and I assume that this one is too. I wonder
: if it will "do" OK up here on Arran where it can be very wet as well as
: very windy? I hope it will be fruitful - I just adore ripe greengages
: picked straight from the tree. Thanks for all your help over the past
: years - happy new year for 2003.
: --
: Susie Thompson, Isle of Arran
: SPAM BLOCK IN OPERATION! Replace "deadspam.com" with "arrandragons.co.uk"
: to
: reply by e-mail.

In message , J Jackson
writes

Frost tolerant can mean several things. The Trees themselves will tolerate
a lot of frost, but if you get a heavy frost at or just after blossom time
you will get no fruit. So flowering time is important.

Plums are insect pollinated. If windy then this can mean less insects
flying around.

Thanks for the information Jim. It's going to be around next Autumn
that we move into our new house/garden, so there's time to sit and plan.
When the weather warms up a bit, I'm going to walk round the village to
see what other gardeners are growing. I shall be especially interested
in the vegetable department as well as the fruit. Happy New Year.


--
Susie Thompson, Isle of Arran
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