I read that some people use a feather duster in their plum trees to spread pollen. I wasn't home when mine blossomed this year to try that. Also someone suggested interplanting so close that their branches intermingle. I haven't personally tried either. I've had very poor pollination in my six varieties of plums, too, with 12 plums the max on any tree so far. Northwoodswis

The Methely should do the trick. I don't find J.plums hard to pollinate at all and I have several sites where Methely and Shiro consistently bare together. Probably not the varieties I'd be growing in maritime NW, however. Raintree has a lot of great varieties that should do better in that climate, flavor wise, I'd guess.

My 4-in-1 plum doesn't have pollination problems, which makes me think that cross-grafting different varieties would be a good idea. I plan to try this with my Spring Satin tree next spring.

The cross grafting sounds like a great solution to me to. I think I'll try it next spring.

I have a Weeping Santa Rosa and a Toka Plum . Both have flowered beautifully for years but not at the same time. then last year my wife bought me a 'Fruit Cocktail' tree, (Frost Peach,Juneglo Nectarine,Shiro Plum and a Puget Gold Apricot)It bloomed profusely this year and pollinated both of my other plums

eukofios

A pollen source probably isn't your only problem.

I believe the cold, rainy, extended spring has meant a meagre plum season for a lot of people.

I am trying to find my childhood plum tree..I am a mile and half from coast..and am looking for a small to med dark burgundy plum with...thin TART skin and DEEP red flesh...first I was sold a Satsuma and then went to get another tree to pollinate it and was sold a Burgundy....my questions are ...do either of those plums sound like what I am looking for and will the Burgundy pollinate the Satsuma ?...I was planning to plant them 24 inches apart in the same hole and keep them approx 8 feet tall by heavy controlled pruning...I am finding that the information I am getting at the nurseries around here is varied and seriously inexperienced with the many varieties of plums and fruit in general....out of the 2 varieties I got...the Burgundy is the strongest and best formed tree...but I have the most doubts about its fruit being what I want.....the satsuma is smaller and I am not really sure about its fruit either...the fruit I am looking for used to be quite common as I grew up...my family farmed from Oxnard down to Torrance...Mostly Culver City and we always had these delicious plums somewhere on our property...the season was short for the trees...and the fruit did not keep well...they all seemed to get ripe at the same time and we would be giving away bags of plums...I am afraid they have ruined this variety trying to make the fruit better for storage...or whatever they have been doing to our food...its hard to find good plums anywhere...they all seem to be pluots anymore..

When I was growing fruit in S. CA in the early seventies the two red-fleshed plums that were generally available were Satsuma and Elephant Heart. Satsuma is smallish and properly thinned Elephant Heart can get quite large. Unthinned, and commercial growers don't necessarily thin plums, they can run smaller, of course.

Elephant Heart has an unusual shape which is somewhat described by its name and Satsuma is rather oval and all the fruit on the tree tend to be about the same size.

If it wasn't for the deep red flesh part, I'd think you were describing Santa Rosa.

I have been thinking about the plums....they were pretty small and they were very juicy as they ripened...you could not eat just one...you would stand over the sink and eat maybe 5 of them and the juicier ones the skin would pop off whole in your mouth...very sweet but also tart skin and around the small seed....does this still sound like a satsuma.??...have they changed the satsuma trees or are they still selling original fruits in the nurseries...if they have messed with the fruit...would they say "hybrid" or let you know it is changed...it is so hard to trust the sellers sometimes...like the lady who sold me the burgundy tree....i really have my doubts that it will fertilize the satsuma...all I have found in the books is that I should use santa rosa or beauty....do you know what a Burgundy is like?

If they change it they will give it a new name in most cases- at least when you're buying from a reputable supplier. Sometimes apples will change somewhat by way of sports and keep the name but I've never heard of that with plums and a Satsuma today will be the same as the one you remember if it is in fact the right plum.

I think you are mistaken to believe that none of the new varieties are as good as what you remember. I think the difference is about relative ripeness. The good thing with the pluots is that they sweeten while still quite firm so they store much longer when very sweet than many old fashioned J. plums. That doesn't mean that all of them available are as good as they should be, however.

Satsuma skin is not that tart, but it meets the rest of your description. There are several old red plums but Satsuma is the oldest brought to the US and the most popular and I expect that is what it was.

Most Japanese plums will pollinate each other so I wouldn't worry about that issue.

Scott

Well...that did it...I feel pretty sure now that the Satsuma is the right one...thank you all for helping....it is funny how hard this was trying to find the right plum...one would say Santa Rosa...another would say that that plum does not grow close to the beach...etc...etc...and no one seemed to even know the plum from eating them...maybe I exaggerate the tartness of the skin...I will put the trees into the ground this weekend if I can lasso my husband....I am going to plant both trees in the same hole...keep them organized and short..and hope for the best...I understand that pruning is key...I have only cared for citrus trees in this small yard we have now....I would love to add an apricot and nectarine and make it four trees in one hole but my husband just wants to try 2 first...I will keep an open mind on the pluots...but it is the messy ripe plums that I enjoy...THX again...I will let you know in 2 years how the fruit is...:)