There usually are Japanese plum scions. I have grafted some and I'm thinking of bringing some too.
John S
PDX OR

Greenthumb – good question and great idea. You’ll have your base plum tree (a Satsuma, Shiro or Santa Rosa would be a good choice) and it will need several balanced, or well placed limbs; assuming one will be left for ‘it’s’ variety. I’ve always found a good selection of ‘Asian’ plum scions …though, to me, our scion supply is thinning… But I wanted a specific variety (or ‘cultivar’) last year, and found it!

Keep pollination in mind, an ‘extended harvest’ is desirable, but bloom time will still vary – even on the same tree. I’ve had an impossible time finding a pollinator for one of my Asian’s, blooms too late – and was interbred with too many relatives (thanks Mr. Burbank). So have a plan, cuz whomever does the grafting will have their hands full.

Planning to be there, I’d love that challenge. Keep in mind, they’ll have to charge you per graft (to keep it fair). Also, please grab scions as close to the diameter of your limbs as possible. You may even decide which limb gets which scion due to the availability of matching diameters. We can do small to large, reluctantly; but large to small is iffy and ugly…

Keep in mind, most multi-grafted fruit trees are Budded, giving them a very stable limb attachment. A whip & tongue will eventually form a strong bond, too, but it’s not the way it’s usually done. …in fact, you might simply look for a ‘store bought’ tree with some (hopefully researched) complimentary varieties already attached…

If you still want em put on the hard way, see me (or Shaun " title="Laughing" /> ) – sounds like fun!

I'm thinking about bringing Santa Rosa and one that I think is Hollywood-a red/purple leafted plum. I like both and they pollinate each other and Santa Rosa is about done with fruiting when Hollywood is starting.
John S
PDX OR

…I’m confused, thought you were planning on Asian plums, not European’s, like Stanley and Italian

Are both your ‘base trees’ European plums (or “prunes”)? I’ve been told Asian plums graft to European stock, but the other way around is short lived. Personally, I wouldn’t mix the two.

If all’s well, I plan to be at the event for the duration, they line up early!

[quote="greenthumb1981":1v7miqea]
One tree has two Japanese and two European; the other has three Japanese and two European. [/quote:1v7miqea]
I suspect the ‘base trees’ are European, as I’ve been told, that’s the most long-lived combo. Keep in mind, you’ll need two Euro varieties to pollinate each other; I’m not sure if the bloom time will overlap between one remaining Euro and the Asians…

Too early to the show and not all the scions have shown up yet; too late and the woods gone/been picked over. Any time in the middle it gets pretty competitive (crazy ) and the lines for grafting can get fairly long. Last year ‘our guys’ shown up near the end …though I was dragging… it worked. We even had some time to visit, in person!

So make sure the Euros grafts you leave are compatible pollination wise, and again, finding some wood (scions) the diameter of the limbs you’d like grafted over would be very helpful. Otherwise, here it is: http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/scion_exchange/

[quote="greenthumb1981":x6zi3zl0] Ok, now I am thoroughly confused. All the varieties are bud-grafted on a base tree. What the base tree is I do not know, may be able to find out if necessary. I do not want any European plums, so can't Japanese varieties be grafted onto the European varieties close to the trunk? If the grafts are successful, that would leave 4 on one tree and 5 on the other; all Japanese.

John[/quote:x6zi3zl0]
Isn’t this a blast I’m virtually sure your base trees are European (domestica), otherwise the European stock would be as short-lived as has been described elsewhere around here -- and no credible nursery would make that mistake. I’m also ‘virtually sure’ the “Japanese” varieties were budded to the base European tree/s, as Greg suspects. Usually one limb (or bud) on the base tree is left alone to produce ‘it’s fruit,’ which would be one of the two Euro varieties you’ve described.

One of those Euros has been budded to the base tree as well, grafting onto it anywhere along that ‘limb’ would still give the Asian to Euro connection you want; and a pure Asian tree. Make sense " title="Wink" />

An aside, I speak of Asian plumbs as opposed to “Japanese” to give credit where ‘credit’s due,’ the Chinese did the bulk of the plum breading while the Japanese have apparently got the credit, much like ‘our own’ Luther Burbank – crossing long existing cultivars then claiming their fame…