Plum Thicket Planting Density Question

[bwoods11]

Plums did well on west side row of conifers, sandy soil in Minnesota.

 

[buckdeer1]

My american plums turned purple but couldn't get that ripe as the birds got first

 

[buckdeer1]

bwoods, that looks great.I have quite a few fragrant sumac and once they start maturing they grow great and the gamebirds really like the seeds

 

[Telemark]

My american plums turned purple but couldn't get that ripe as the birds got first

Throw a net on one of them to keep the birds off. Plums make amazing jam that pairs well with pork and all kinds of game meat. I have loads of plum jam in my freezer, plus a bag or frozen plums for when I run out of jam.

 

[bwoods11]

bwoods, that looks great.I have quite a few fragrant sumac and once they start maturing they grow great and the gamebirds really like the seeds

Sumac is really an interesting shrub. I have natural sumac, so beautiful in the fall!

I’ve never planted any ? Makes me think … I do cut pockets in south facing hillsides and the deer bed in there.

In this pic the sumac is in the background and deer bed on this south facing hillsides.

 

[buckdeer1]

Theres lots of sumac in Kansas also and deer bed in them and game birds eat seeds.

 

[H20fwler]

I put in around 50 American plum and 25 Chickasaw mixed 3-4 years ago, caged them in patches. Loamy heavy clay soil..mine haven't hardly grown at all yet.

 

[Mortenson]

I put in around 50 American plum and 25 Chickasaw mixed 3-4 years ago, caged them in patches. Loamy heavy clay soil..mine haven't hardly grown at all yet.

Is it weird to think some batches are better than others? Some lots I've bought from mdc over the years I felt came with dry roots or just didn't take off for some reason. I bought a bunch of American plums from them after my initial success, and that group didn't grow. Also, my initial successful attempt has never grown a plum. Even though the trees themselves are substantial.

 

[H20fwler]

Is it weird to think some batches are better than others? Some lots I've bought from mdc over the years I felt came with dry roots or just didn't take off for some reason. I bought a bunch of American plums from them after my initial success, and that group didn't grow. Also, my initial successful attempt has never grown a plum. Even though the trees themselves are substantial.

Bought mine from Coldstreamfarm, I'm not sure wild plums like my clay. I don't know of any native growing around me at all.
Maybe it will just take them some time to take off? I hit them with gypsum and triple 12

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Is it weird to think some batches are better than others? Some lots I've bought from mdc over the years I felt came with dry roots or just didn't take off for some reason. I bought a bunch of American plums from them after my initial success, and that group didn't grow. Also, my initial successful attempt has never grown a plum. Even though the trees themselves are substantial.

I believe the American plums that come from MDC are actually one of multiple species of plums: https://mdc12.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/TreeSeedling/Home/ProductDetails/89?

 

[Mortenson]

Dang! Never realized that. Guess that explains why I don't get fruit. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Dang! Never realized that. Guess that explains why I don't get fruit. Thanks for pointing that out.

Most places list American plum as being self fertile. I think most plum species have the potential to be self fertile but they nearly always recommend having multiple pollinizers nearby. I'm assuming that MDC does not specify the species because they are open air pollinated and it would be difficult to say for certain which species the seedlings are.

I have several American plums that are more of a tree form growing around each other and each is more than 6 inches in diameter. None of these trees have ever produced fruit. I've been planting plum seedlings for the last several years all around them hoping to get them to fruit. The seedlings from MDC are finally getting to the size of other wild plums I find around the properties that are producing fruit, so I'm hopeful to find a lot more fruit this year.

 

[bwoods11]

This pic was from 2017 & I have hundreds with that kind of fruit on the same sandy soil farm in Minnesota. Some years are great, this year was below average .

This would be American Plum from the local SWCD . The deer and pheasant definitely use the plum thickets !

 

[buckdeer1]

Those look like chickasaw plums as far as fruit but leaves are different. and I don;t get plums every year also

 

[T-Max]

I’ve planted these from Kansas Forest Service with good success. Just another source to consider.

American Plum

25 plants per unit Prunus americana, or American plum, often called Wild plum, is native to most of Kansas. It is the most common wild plum in Kansas except in the west where Sand Hill plum dominates. Found naturally in pastures, road sides and woodland borders, it has also been planted...

kansas-forest-service-3749.myshopify.com

 

[bwoods11]

Those look like chickasaw plums as far as fruit but leaves are different. and I don;t get plums every year also

I doubt they are Chickasaw, but who knows when you get them from Soil/Water? They always sell American Plum.

 

[buckdeer1]

I was reading on the Kansas forestry site and they said that the size and shape of the leaves can be different depending on soil,I bet those are some variation.The thing I like about sandhill plums are you don't have to cage them or protect them from the animals unless you want fruit.