Hi Darlyn, another great topic about dormancy and stone fruit. In my experience 2 main reasons for autumn blooming in our area on what we call Japanese plums (Prunus salicina ?). 1/ Climatic and physiology interference : normally when day length and temperature are lowering, then fruit trees prepare to wintering. What we call dormancy establishes a physiology system in buds that prevents them from burst and grow. If not they would place tender shoots face to frost injuries. If in this period, a stress (like drought) break dormancy, at least partially, some buds may develop. In that case you can see some buds breaking among all over the tree. 2/ Japanese plums are susceptible to a phytoplasm (kind of bacteria without solid cell wall) whose name for us is ESFY : European Stone Fruit Yellow. This phytoplasm is located in roots and limbs, moving , multiplying at low number, travelling from parts to parts of the tree (difficult to detect even with PCR). It uses pathway of wood vessels, and can block sap flow . Due to side effect on sap blocking or to direct effects on physiology of tree, it causes dormancy trouble. In that case typically one limb of the tree may show early blooming among other that do not show symptoms. In our conditions those trees are going to decline, because they are caught by the following winter. Very recently an Italian team found the vector for our area : it is a psylla (Cacopsylla pruni) that do not "nests" in the orchard but colonises the wild species of landscape, hedges, private gardens...
European plum is not susceptible, so we keep on with green gage, small size but still sun and sweet for your taste. Sorry for exotic style this is the limit of my English... Kind regards Jean Marc Jourdain Ctifl Lanxade Centre Jourdain(*at*)ctifl.fr www.ctifl.fr www.fruits-et-legumes.net -----Message d'origine----- De : [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Envoyé : vendredi 3 novembre 2006 04:12 À : [email protected]; [email protected] Objet : Re: Apple-Crop: Biennial Bearing I have another question, just as you thought you were finished with the last one. What's a mother to do about Methley plums blooming for Halloween here at the 49th parallel, sign the Kyoto Accord? Anyone else having out of season bloom? Thanks, Darlyn --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content.
