Stanley Plums

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Greyt.Chase
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Location: Mid Michigan

Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

Anyone have a Stanley Plum tree? They are fairly common around Michigan. You see them a lot at farmers markets. Once I get my apple trees going, i'm going to plant a few plum trees.

Anyone else growing some plums?
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

I have a Stanley plum that I planted one year ago on the east side of my house in south central PA. It gets full sun all day long. It grew well and even has flowered this year. The sub freezing weather we had last night did not seem to affect the blossoms so hoping for a few plums this year. I also planted two new plums last month: Green Gage to the north and Italian to the south.

Mike
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Greyt.Chase
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

Stanley plums are the ones I like the most. Every fall, my mom would buy some and I loved them.

I want to plant one of them in the next few years. Once I get my apple trees going in the right direction!
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

We have had strong wind gusts the past three days. Unfortunately the branch that flowered and started producing fruit broke off :(
Calville Blc,Hewes,Nehou,Fearns P,Siberian,Cox OP,Spitz,Ananas Reinette,BdB,Kingston Blk,Tremlett's,Muscat de Bernay,Ashmead's,Rambo,Stayman,Macoun,Jefferis,Winesap,Red Berlepsch
Greyt.Chase
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

PA_Docent wrote:We have had strong wind gusts the past three days. Unfortunately the branch that flowered and started producing fruit broke off :(
That's LAME! Sorry to hear it!
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

I have attached a picture of my Stanley Plum. I just let it grow this summer and will trim back after the leaves fall. I am hoping for fruit next year.
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Calville Blc,Hewes,Nehou,Fearns P,Siberian,Cox OP,Spitz,Ananas Reinette,BdB,Kingston Blk,Tremlett's,Muscat de Bernay,Ashmead's,Rambo,Stayman,Macoun,Jefferis,Winesap,Red Berlepsch
Greyt.Chase
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

Looks pretty good! What is the projected height for the tree?
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

Henry Fields estimated the Stanley Prune will to grow 15' to 20' tall. The Italian and Green Gage that I planted this year are semi dwarf so they will probably get 12' to 16' tall (purchased from Antique Apple website).

I planted the Stanley Plum the autumn when I first moved into my house so it had time to adapt to the environment. It was just a single shoot about 4' high when planted however has grown well here. The other two plums were planted this spring and they have not done much of anything. I always generously enrich the soil down to about 3' and 2-3' across when I plant a fruit tree. I expect they will take off next year.
Calville Blc,Hewes,Nehou,Fearns P,Siberian,Cox OP,Spitz,Ananas Reinette,BdB,Kingston Blk,Tremlett's,Muscat de Bernay,Ashmead's,Rambo,Stayman,Macoun,Jefferis,Winesap,Red Berlepsch
Greyt.Chase
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

It's been one of those years I suppose. I planted six apple trees in March and one of them grew about 2 foot, but the rest haven't done much. I seriously doubt my Orange Pippin gained any height. The side branches maybe a little, but not much. It was a crazy summer here in mid Michigan. No one has any apples. First, it didn't freeze, then it got warm early, then it got frosty, and then it was like a drought and a ton of 90+ degree days.
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

I have heard the same, however here in PA, we only have a 50% harvest of normal this year. Get set for apple prices to skyrocket.

As for my Stanley Plum, Richard and Scott from Orange Pippin visited my home orchard yesterday. Richard does not believe the pictured tree is a Stanley plum even though I had small fruit resembling plums on it earlier this year and that is what it was advertised as. More next year I guess. Will have to post a picture of the fruit if the wind does not snap off the branches again!
Calville Blc,Hewes,Nehou,Fearns P,Siberian,Cox OP,Spitz,Ananas Reinette,BdB,Kingston Blk,Tremlett's,Muscat de Bernay,Ashmead's,Rambo,Stayman,Macoun,Jefferis,Winesap,Red Berlepsch
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

The Stanley just finished flowering and set fruit again. Hope to have some fruit and pictures later this year.
Greyt.Chase
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Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

I was looking at Stanley Plums at a local nursery when we were buying some veggie plants. Thought about buying one, but i'm putting in 10 blueberry highbushes this weekend so I might hold off until next summer.
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

After the fruit fell off this year again on their own, I have decided to chop down this tree. When Richard visited last year he mentioned that the tree did not look like a Stanley. It grows so quickly I should have known it was not a Stanley :oops: . I will order one this autumn again and replant or maybe if I can find one, a mirabelle plum. :mrgreen:
Greyt.Chase
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:29 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Stanley Plums

Post by Greyt.Chase »

PA_Docent wrote:After the fruit fell off this year again on their own, I have decided to chop down this tree. When Richard visited last year he mentioned that the tree did not look like a Stanley. It grows so quickly I should have known it was not a Stanley :oops: . I will order one this autumn again and replant or maybe if I can find one, a mirabelle plum. :mrgreen:
That sucks! I would be mad if I had bought, planted, and cared for a tree only to be forced to cut it down!
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PA_Docent
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Re: Stanley Plums

Post by PA_Docent »

I will never by another (fruit) tree from a mail order catalog like Henry Fields, Gurneys, Arbor Day Society, etc. They either don't guarantee what they sell or don't replace gratis if the tree dies.

I plan to cut down and dig out the roots of the dead tree this autumn. In its place I will plant a semi-drawf Mirabelle that I bought from Trees of Antiquity.
Last edited by PA_Docent on Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:41 am, edited 3 times in total.
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