Dorrigo blood plum (forum)

DrGeoff starts with ...
I have a Dorrigo Blood Plum in Sydney.

Gets sun all year round (North facing) and plenty of water. It's well drained. After a few years it's grown to about 3m high.

However there have never been any flowers and the leaves are very small, in small tufts from the branches.

Any clues or advice?


Time: 25th August 2022 10:55pm

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About the Author DrGeoff
TURRAMURRA,2074,NSW
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jakfruit etiquette says...
Some pics might help.
At first it sound like a plant virus or fungus infection ?
But then 3m tall seems tall for a struggling plant ?
Is it grafted or a seedling?
If it looks healthy but odd, it could be an odd seedling,
either of Dorrigo Plum, or of the Plum rootstock,
or a graft mutation. ( the graft has changed or picked up cells from the stock, creating a graft hybrid / chimera )
Some dwarfing rootstocks for fruit trees are funny looking, compact, with short nodes between the leaves ? If it otherwise healthy sounds a bit like this ?
Seedlings of plums could take 5 or 6 years to flower from seed.

Time: 27th August 2022 10:31am

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About the Author jakfruit etiquette
MERBEIN,3505,VIC
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DrGeoff says...
Thanks for the reply. I’ve attached an inage (would only allow 1). As you can see, small tufts of small leaves. No flowers and that’s about as big as the leaves get.
Since it had no flowers I’ve just pruned it back to half size to see if it promotes more leaf growth. If not then I will probably hack it out.

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 28th August 2022 12:48pm

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jakfruit etiquette says...
Seems to be growing OK ? Leaves on tufts are on spurs.
The branches seem fairly thick, even with only the tufts of leaves. Is it a seedling or grafted ? Can you see the graft union, ie the line or change in bark where the graft starts ? Some of the fruiting spurs on plums look like that, pics of new hybrids etc.
Might be a variety mix up ?

Time: 30th August 2022 9:21am

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DrGeoff says...
Yes. Certainly seems to be growing OK. It must be about 4-5 years in the ground by now. I'm not sure if it's grafted or a seedling. Bought from Daley's, but I can't see an obvious graft at the trunk. I expected flowers by now though, all my other plums are flowering and have been for many years.


Time: 31st August 2022 2:17pm

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jakfruit etiquette says...
Well it doesn't really look like this https://plant.daleysfruit.com.au/trees/m/Plum-Dorrigo-Blood-4017.jpeg
Have you thought of grafting it over to something else ?
Maybe Dorrigo Blood and Satsuma as pollinator ?
Seems to have a few good trunks.

Time: 1st September 2022 7:57pm

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DrGeoff says...
I hadn't thought of that. Good idea. The roots are well established so I'll try grafting and see if it takes. Thanks.


Time: 3rd September 2022 9:34am

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