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If You Had To Choose One Variety Of Plum

Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
in Fruit & veg
I would like to plant a plum tree in my garden. I have had a look and realistically there is only room for one. I am not knowledgable about the many varieties available so I thought I shall ask the ladies and gents of the Gardeners World Forum.

I am interested in a dessert plum with taste the number one priority. I am situated in the West Midlands and the soil is a medium loam.

Also recommendations of a good online nursery to source the final choice.

Thanks

Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We had a lovely Victoria Plum in our garden, it's one of the most popular varieties to grow and eat, but it got very bad Plum rust, and we got rid of it.  I found out that it is more prone to disease than other varieties, so do some research into it if you are thinking of getting that one.

    As a replacement we bought a Marjorie's Seedling.  It had great reviews for being tasty and disease resistant.  It's too small to have given us any fruit yet, so I can't confirm if either things are true.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I have a small space, so have a dwarf root stock Victoria plum. It is five years old 8ft high and 6ft wide, but only because it is kept that way by pruning.  This has been its best year for fruit ( any tree will take time, so the bigger you buy the sooner you harvest) with 38 lb of fruit which eats and cooks well, the rest are in the freezer. I went to Belton House garden centre as they always have a good selection of fruit trees, but I'm sure you will have a specialist near you.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Some useful info in this link - https://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/fruit-trees/plum-trees-for-sale They are a well regarded supplier.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Plum 'Jubileum' is very well regarded by those who grow it (including my son).  It's bred from Victoria, I believe, and has similar looking fruit (though bigger), with a great Victoria-type flavour.  Its main advantage over its parent is better disease resistance.

    It's sometimes sold as 'Jubilee' but be aware there's another, older and inferior, variety called Jubilee.  'Jubileum' was bred in Sweden in 1985.  You can find it on line, quite a few suppliers.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Oh @pansyface if only I'd known about Opal 6 months ago, when we bought our Marjorie's Seedling.  Ho hum.....such is the gardeners life.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    A friend had an Opal .... wonderful fruit ... deeply envious. 

    https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/trees/plum-trees/dual-purpose-plums/opal

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • marionjohnsonmarionjohnson Posts: 1
    can I move a 3 year dwarf stock victoria plum tree and if so now?
  • Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
    Apologies for the delayed response. I have taken the advice of forum members and ordered an Opal plum tree, 2 year half standard. I assume it will arrive November onwards after leaf fall.

    What is the latest thinking on planting a semi vigorous plum tree, does one improve the soil or do you allow the tree to acclimatise to surrounding soild conditions. The soil is a medium loam.
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