So if you have read this blog for any length of time you'll know that I love damsons. When ripe they're up there with some of my favourite fruits. One reason why I put about another 14 in this year in our new hedge in the second field.
Unfortunately, other than the one in the photo above (a Merryweather - my favourite as it is a "freestone" damson), the others don't seem to be doing so well in the
orchard that I planted 8 years ago.
One seems to have reverted back to it's rootstock and is growing like crazy. But no fruit and very spiky. I'm not sure if I should try grafting or budding this one over to something else, or to rip it out with the digger and plant something else completely, especially as I'll have more damsons than I'll know what to do with with once the hedge as established.
The second had started growing with a serious lead. Duel domancy I think it's called where it ended up growing two leaders. Unfortunately this has lead to a weak tree, I did some serious pruning to try to shape the tree and then noticed the huge split in the main trunk.
Again I'm tempted to rip this one out and start again with it!
The third tree just hasn't really grown at all, considering this one is nearly 8 years old I think it could just be a dud. The land around it has been used to store a bit of rubble, so I wonder if that's had an impact on it's growth, compaction of roots and stuff. It had lots of suckers growing around it.
What do you think I should do - try to save them? Or cut my loses as I already have plenty of damsons coming on and plant something else?
### Update as I wrote this post on Sunday. The split tree split more so it was just a stump so I took the decision to rip it out. The spindly tree I did the same to and so far I've left the one growing from it's rootstock. At worst I'll take it down in the winter and use the time for some green woodwork as it's got a good dimeter on it in the trunk now.
Just need to decided what to replace the other two with now! Plums? A better Quince? Grafted Hawthorne?
Plums - if you really think you have enough damsons. I'm not sure that you can have enough damsons, but there are some really excellent plums and gages (and bullaces) out there that aren't fashionable enough to appear in commercial orchards but which have great flavour and are often very regional in their adaptations to soil and climate.
ReplyDeleteI've built a good collection of plums but all planted quite close together. Think I have 16 types in all now, but I could promote one of these to grow as a big tree or happily get another - have a favourite you'd recommend?. have some bullaces planted with the damsons and looking forward to seeing them fruit in the future.
Deleteor cherry plums (or crab apples - they are easier to grow than quince and just as excellent for making jams and jellies, and pies).
ReplyDeleteI'm trying a cherry plum hedge along the garden, early days yet as only planted last winter but about 30 plants in there so far with victoria plums as standards in it.
DeleteQuite a few wild crabs about. I think I like the idea of a quince more than it would be useful - they do smell nice though!
I only have one damson , always fruits well, but is prone to scale insect. Think I would grow a crab apple, or risk an apricot and cherry.Failing that plums (can you have two many !)
ReplyDeleteKathy
The cherries I have I just seem to grow for the birds! I have one apricot tree but it hasn't really grown since I put it in, maybe another on a more vigorous rootstock would do better?
DeleteAs it seems you have no emergency needs for fruit, I would sure try some grafting! You already have established roots for your new little tops. The stonefruit family (in my experience here in Iowa USA) will happily graft onto their cousins. I have plums growing on peach roots all over the place. I might suggest coppicing the tree to induce some sucker growth. Then, next year, you could graft new things onto those sucker sprouts. T-budding is easy and for me at least very successful. Multiple varieties on one root?! Have some fun.
ReplyDeleteI seem to be good at grafting but fail at the budding - maybe I'm getting my timing wrong? Coppicing the rootstock one seems like a good idea. I get the timber then and some new rootstocks.
DeleteWhen you bud, you MUST leave a little 'handle' on the bud. That handle is the leaf stem. Cut off most/all of the actual leaf, but leave the stem. If you break that off, it will kill the bud. That little handle/stem is enough to give the bud energy, and keep it alive. Otherwise, it is just an odds game. Cheers
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