victoria plums

Subject: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 May 02 - 05:57 PM

yesterday after waiting a couple of years, i had to cut down the plum tree in my garden. up until a few years ago, it'd been the apple of my eye!

anyway, the last two seasons, no sign of life - obviously tree dead

i'd waited a while in case it might've sprung back into action

what's prompted me to write here is from seeing some other threads describing shop plums as hard & tasteless- much like my experience of these

the fruit of my late tree were superb- soft & juicy 'n flavoursome

i need to plant another - where from uk? any answers

Because of a wrong date setting on a Mudcat server, this message may appear out of order. It was actually posted on 6-May, not 5-May. --JoeClone, 7-May-02.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: IanC
Date: 07 May 02 - 04:48 AM

Any reputable garden centre. Where are you?

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 May 02 - 05:11 AM

Check with the Queen, she's a plumb lover.
Hence the line "Send her Victorias" in the anthem!

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: GUEST,An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 07 May 02 - 06:17 AM

Didn't realise how punningly appropriate my nickname would be to this thread until I started typing it!

Plum wood is coming back into favour among some uilleann pipe makers who are diversifying from African blackwood and ebony. If you haven't already chopped the old one into firewood, and if it hasn't rotted while still standing perhaps there's some instrumentmaker within striking distance of you who would like to get his hands on the timber.

Let's see if my blue-clicky-literacy of last week was just a flash in the pan:

You can find a page of links to pipemakers on the NaPíobairí Uilleann website.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 May 02 - 06:32 AM

Agreed, Victoria Plums are what plums are supposed to be like, and quite put you off all other varieties.

We planted one only a few weeks ago in our garden, and I bought it from a small local garden centre. I don't think you'll find it too hard digging one up. (Well, with "apple of your eye" puns like that are in order.)

The handy thing is they are self-fertilising, so you only need one they say.

But are you sure your plum true is dead? Just because you cut it down needn't mean the end, if the roots are healthy. (I always think that is a very encouraging metaphor for a lot of things. And then I think of nettles and it gets discouraging.)

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Hrothgar
Date: 07 May 02 - 06:49 AM

It's too bad you didn't have a pear of them.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: GUEST
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:48 AM

Mc Grath of Harlow "But are you sure your plum tree is dead?"
What, you think it might be "pining for the fjords"?
It has joined the choir invisible, it has gone to meet its maker, it has rolled up the final curtain, it is a late plum tree!

Shame though, the Victoria plum has beautiful foliage.... :o)

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: GUEST,Crazy Eddie
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:49 AM

That Python thingy was me! BTW

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 May 02 - 09:50 AM

Yeaj but parrots don't have roots, so you it's a bit easier knowing they've gone to glory. Trees tend to have this Mary Ellen Carter attitude, and rise again likely as not.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 07 May 02 - 03:43 PM

Victoria Plums is also the title of a show and CD put together by Sheila Steafel, who lovingly researched Victorian music hall songs. The CD has 25 songs - a miscellany of mirth and misfortune,peculiarly poignant songs of pain and pleasure. One song even includes the line "And the parrot died of grief a week ago".

Kitty

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 May 02 - 04:07 AM

another query

the plum tree in question was on a rootstock when we first bought it

i don't know what sort of rootstock

anyway, i've left about a metre of the four main trunks + roots still intact because there's one green branch with leaves growing out from the lower part- i suspect that it's coming from the rootstock- but i hope it's a new plum growth

any advice out there?

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: GUEST,Crazy Eddie
Date: 08 May 02 - 04:18 AM

Well, it may have been just restin' after all! (embarrassed rictus-like grin in McGrath's direction)

Hapiness, all you can do is wait until you can definitely identify the branch as being one or the other. You may be able to do so by the leaves. If not, you'll have to wait & see if it brings forth plum blossom.
In either case, I think you'd be better off getting a new young tree. Even if the new growth on the old one IS plum, it may take a long time to recover.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 May 02 - 01:01 PM

sequel to dead plumtree saga

'er indoors has requested that now there is a vacant area available in the garden that i should move our small cherry tree into this space.

the cherry produces a goodly crop each season, and has just ended blossoming and tiny fruits can be seen at the base of the old flowers.

i have a question for any expert arboriculturalists out there in mudcatland- when's the best time to move a tree so as not to damage it?

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 May 02 - 01:23 PM

If it's a big solid root ball, grown in a pot for example, like the ones you get in garden centres, any time of year can be OK. But for a tree growing in the ground the move is best done in the winter season, when the tree is dormant.

I don't know hw that works in places where they don't really have winters.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: gnomad
Date: 11 May 02 - 03:06 PM

If the tree was grafted and your new growth is from below the graft the one thing you can be sure is that it won't be a Victoria (wouldnt need to graft to same root stock) so you may be in for a surprise. I've a feeling they sometimes graft onto damson rootstocks.

There are some other self-fertile plums if you are looking to replace, but do check with a reputable supplier about a suitable rootstock as plums can get quite big, and the choice of stock determines how big it gets.

Best of luck, I can almost taste the results.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 May 02 - 09:07 AM

An Pluimer Ceolmhar

i,ve still got the four main plumtree trunks, if you know any makers of the irish plumbing kit... :) near me, they can have them with pleasure

i'm in cheshire uk

is your irish name connected with plums?

to everyone else who's given advice about the cherry, ta very much

and to gonad :) i liked your news that my roots may be transformed into damsons!

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Aug 02 - 10:17 AM

more news about plum wood!

i hope all those out there sensitive to loud noises will forgive me- as no instrument makers took up my offer of the plum trunks, i gave them to my pal wiggy.

he's made bodhran beaters from the wood + some very nicely turned little vases with lids.

if there's any 'real' inst. makers out there within striking distance of west cheshire/wirral uk- there's still some wood left if you want it.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 09:51 AM

Another instalment of the long running plum tree saga!

With all the heavy & frequent rainstorms this year, the foliage in the garden's been rampant, along with some luxuriant growth from the bottom of the old plum stump.

It blossomed around April/May, then began to form tiny green fruits.

Aha! I thought, perhaps some damsons will come.

However, the fruits have gone well past the usual damson size & are looking decidedly PLUM shaped!

Plums usually ripen round end August onwards, so I'm looking forward in anticipation to, perhaps, a fresh crop of Victorias!!

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 09:55 AM

So good to year your plums have grown back.

I was walking with my bestest friend on Sunday and found a small stand of wild damsons... Still rather firm and limey to the taste, but perfect for ripening off and putting in vodka.

If only we'd had a bigger bag with us, there would have been enough for me too...

LTS

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 10:03 AM

Absolutely Liz!

I've done Damson Gin & Vodka most Xmases, also its the best cough medicine [any excuse!]

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 10:30 AM

Mr Happy

Let us know when your plums are ready to drop.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 11:48 AM

Hokey-Cokey!!

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Anne Lister
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 12:22 PM

If you have any to spare, I'm making damson gin again this year, plus a fresh batch of jam. Just need the damsons!

Anne

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Travelling Audience
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 12:24 PM

Our little victoria plum tree is that ladened with those delicious plums three branches have snapped with the strain! Can't wait till they ripen.

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 05:00 PM

Look, I attempted a post about music in 2002, but why is this thread now above the BS line?

Kitty

---

Probably because nobody noticed it until now.
-Joe Offer, putting it below the line-

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 05:04 PM

Scum rises to the top Kitty?
G ¦¬]

Subject: RE: victoria plums
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Aug 07 - 08:07 AM

Plums are starting to ripen already!

Mrs H picked some yesterday - they are 'Victorias' & so delicious & juicy!!