vgkg,

cannot offer u an answer to your question, but if possible may i ask another ?

i'm planning on a shiro this year. put a yellow egg on my maybe list for another year. research 1st.

out of curiosity can u provide me with a review of fruit quality for these plums?

regards,
wildlifeman

Hi wildlifeman, wish I could help you out but my 2 trees are just 5 years old now and last spring was the first year they both bloomed, but the frost bit them good then. Am still hopeful for a good crop this year but it depends on the last freeze date here. These globally warm winters (esp here) aren't helping the situation as they coax out the buds too early and then they get hit with a late freeze.

Shiro is fine but a bit boring in flavor compared to other plums. On the plus side it is my easiest growing and most productive plum.

vgkg, I didn't notice any major bud swell on my plums in that recent warm spell but I will look again to see if I didn't miss it. It got down to 10F last night so I sure hope the buds didn't get over-eager.

Scott

Scott, if my 70s = your 60s then you may be somewhat behind me in bud growth.
BTW, at my old homestead I also had a shiro plum for 12 years before the borers got it. I thought they were very sweet, not as large as I would like but sweet and yellow.

KaBloom! ---Update
Well the 70F here yesterday has forced one plum to bloom with the other 1-2 days behind. I doubt the freezing temps are behind us...:o(

Would the small heaters made out of coffee cans and candles be of any help in case of a late freeze? There was a post here earlier that showed how to make them. Seems like an inexpensive way of providing emergency heat when and where you need it. California is often being hit by sudden cold spells, and growers have to scramble to save crops.

Thanks for the suggestion altadenamara but I'll have to take my chances. Have also seen where water sprinkler would encase the buds in ice to hold at 32F rather than have them exposed to 28F air.