Matt's 9b field note
“Several planted the previous fall, already fruiting. Cultivars unspecified.”
Background
Pluot is a registered trademark of Zaiger Genetics for interspecific plums: complex crosses roughly 75% Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) and 25% apricot, built up over generations by Floyd Zaiger starting in the 1980s. At least 25 varieties exist (Dapple Dandy, Flavor King, Flavor Supreme, Flavor Queen, etc.). They are hand-pollinated the old-fashioned way, not genetically engineered.
Distinguishing traits
Plum-like smooth skin in many colors; fruit usually larger and sweeter than plums with intense flavor. Upright trees intermediate between apricot and plum. Most need a Japanese plum pollinizer, which the Santa Rosa in this zone provides.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- Varies by cultivar, roughly 400-600 hours for most; choose low-chill types for reliable Queen Creek crops. (Matt's cultivars are unspecified; the fact they fruited in year one suggests low-chill selections.)
- Cold hardiness
- Generally USDA zones 6-9.
- Heat tolerance
- Good; grown commercially in California's hot Central Valley.
- Water
- Regular deep watering; thin fruit for size and quality.
- Soil
- Well-drained; avoid waterlogging.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun.
Where to buy
- Willis Orchard Company
- Bay Laurel Nursery