Author Topic: My 160-n-1 tree this season  (Read 2600 times)

JoeReal

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My 160-n-1 tree this season
« on: May 15, 2019, 11:05:55 AM »
The fruit sets are tremendous this season that my 160-n-1 tree might break apart! Will need to stake this tree or thin out the fruits after strong winds removed only a third of them. There’s still plenty left. Just to give you what’s in store from my 160-n-1 fruit tree! It might split apart if I do nothing!!!










JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2019, 11:07:46 AM »
I am a corporate slave by day, so have to do my gardening at night.  Am doing a maxima/minima calculus approach to strapping my 160-n-1 tree so that the major scaffolds won’t break and the winds won’t make branches rub off the fruits from the tree. Trying to use the minimum number of rope length to maximize strength. You can’t see the ropes? Good! That’s one of the constraints imposed.










JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2019, 11:11:46 AM »
You can view the tree through the years and the grafting and fruit harvests!

For those who can access Facebook, I have a running updates on my now 160-n-1 tree:
https://www.facebook.com/JoeRealOne/media_set?set=a.10152893105681804.1073741916.762176803&type=1&l=b107aec886


And for those that don't like Facebook, I have a backup here:
https://growingfruit.org/t/some-fruits-of-the-150-n-1-tree/16906

JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2019, 11:17:25 AM »
just copied and pasted from Facebook:
The 160-n-1 Multi-Grafted Stone Fruit Tree.
Ornamental purple plum tree turned into multi-grafted fruit tree. You can see different colors, shapes, and sizes. I tried to avoid structuring my tree the same way as commercial orchards do. So I added cultivars along how the tree branches out naturally. I will shape it very much later when I want to cull out the cultivars that I don't like. I don’t want to end up with big trees that bear fruits at the same time. I’m a backyard grower with limited planting space. I have an entirely different growing objectives than conventional farmers. And so my trees aren’t the same as those you would expect in most farmer's fields and people’s yards where they use the same techniques as those in the orchards. It is always good to push the limits and envelopes of fruit growing especially if you don't do it for commercial purposes. I use basic scientific knowledge where to place my grafts and how to make them compatible and bear fruits. It's more of a scientific artwork.

So far it has 160 different cultivars of these Prunus species and their hybrids:
    P. americana (American plum)
    P. angustifolia (Chickasaw plum)
    P. armeniaca (Apricot)
    P. armeniaca x salicina x armeniaca (Aprium)
    P. avium (Sweet Cherry)
    P. avium x salicina (Cherry x Plum interspecific)
    P. cerasifera (Cherry Plum, Myrobalan)
    P. cerasifera x salicina (Cherry x Japanese Plum)
    P. cerasus (Sour Cherry)
    P. domestica (Most European "plums" and "prunes")
    P. domestica ssp. domestica (Blue plums a.k.a. common plums (prunes, etc.)
    P. domestica ssp. insititia (Damsons, bullaces, perdrigon, and other cooking varieties)
    P. domestica ssp. italica (Gages a.k.a. Reine Claude Plums)
    P. domestica ssp. syriaca (Mirabelle Plums)
    P. dulcis or amygdalus (Almonds)
    P. dunbarii or P. americana x maritima (Dunbars Plum)
    P. fruticosa x serrulata (Prunus Rootstock)
    P. maritima (Beach Plum)
    P. mexicana (Mexican Plum)
    P. mume (Chinese Plum or Japanese Apricot)
    P. persica (Peaches)
    P. persica var nucipersica (Nectarines)
    P. persica var. nucipersica x salicina (Nectaplum)
    P. persica x armeniaca x salicina (Peacotum)
    P. salicina (Japanese Plum)
    P. salicina x armeniaca (Plumcot)
    P. salicina x armeniaca x salicina (Pluot)
    P. salicina x avium (Pluerry)
    P. tomentosa (Nanking)
    P. tomentosa x cerasifera (Cherry Rootstock)

Still wanting to add P. pumila var besseyi (Sand Cherry), P. pumila x salicina (Sand Cherry hybrid), P. salicifolia (Capulin Cherry), P. sibirica (Siberian apricot), P. cocomilia (Italian plum), P. subcordata (Klamath, Oregon, or Sierra plum), P. umbellata (Hog plum), P. salicina x domestica (Stoneless plums),P. virginiana (Choke Cherry), P. canadensis (Canadian Choke Cherry), P. canadensis x salicina (Choke Cherry hybrid) and other Prunus species that I could find and test for compatibility. Some of these I have previously grafted and failed, so I am trying out various interstems in order to successfully add them. It's not a trial and error, but trials until successful!

Latest update March 2019.
2019... just added Sultan Plum (it has hints of cinnamon), Pojeciza,Pearl Prune, yet another Burbank plumcot, Adele, June Redskin, Lieb, America, Apex Plumcot (original version), Mammoth Cardinal from Rachel Spaeth, the curator of Luther Burbank's creations. Last month I have added, Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana), Bing sweet cherry, another sour cherry (forgot the name but I have it on label), Chickasaw seedling plum, Autumn Jade plum, Great Yellow Plum, another seedling American plum, Dunbars plum, Beach plum seedling and Flavorich pluot. May add some more depending if my friends are able to donate on time unique cultivars and hybrids. Thanks to Rachel Spaeth for donating scionwood from Luther Burbank's collections! So it may turn into a 175-n-1 tree later in the spring.

Stay tuned for this year's updates.


Historical updates:
In 2009, when we first bought the house, it was a lousy Purple Ornamental Plum tree that was planted by the developer. I was thinking of digging it out and replacing it with something else, but I had many other activities, so it remained untouched.

In winter of 2010-2011, I had time to graft it with 8 plum cultivars that I liked. So I grafted the green-leafed plums in the lower portion and the red leafed plum such as Hollywood and Vesuvius in the upper portion of the tree. It looked good and it bore its first fruits that season.

In 2012, it had 17 different kinds of plums, patent expired pluots, non-patent plumcots and other hybrids on it.

In 2013, I just let it grow bigger and enjoyed the fruits as each cultivar ripened at different dates. I only have early season to mid-season cultivars.

In winter of 2014-15 season, starting from 2nd week of January, began my project, and ended on the 4th week, the tree was upgraded into a 50 fruit cultivars-n-1 tree. I grafted 38 new cultivars and have randomized the color patterns on the entire canopy. The grafting process took over two weeks of a few hours of many sessions. Only 2 grafts did not take, so it became a 53-n-1 tree coming into 2015 season.

2015 Summer came, the first harvests were from Hollywood plums, followed by Burgundy, then Vesuvius and so on...The 2015 crop was great tasting! It was quite a hard decision to allow some fruit production while letting the new grafts grow, and it was a delicate balancing act.

2015-16 winter season came. Most of the grafts took and are vigorous, so there are 53 in all and 50 of them had flower buds! It then produced about 50 different kinds of fruits. I acquired 32 new cultivars from the CRFG scionwood exchanges the tree was upgraded into 85-n-1, the process of grafting was very slowly because I have to find a break, well into the evenings, while I prune the tree to shape. It takes some time to plan and research which cultivars are spreading or upright and decide where to graft them. and rebalance the tree by regrafting. Interstems for peaches and cherries were also grafted. Thanks to dear friends for donating some of the interstems.

I have added interstems in 2016, I have added more Prunus species diversity in 2017 grafting season. Added on the tree are Almond (P. dulcis), Peach (P. persica), Nectaplum (P. nursipersica x salicinas), Montmorency (P. cerasus), Japanese Apricot (P. mume), P. tomentosa x cerasifera, P. fruticosa x serrulata, Nanking C-1 (P. tomentosa), 7 Plum x Apricot hybrids (patent expired), 14 Asian Plums (P. salicinas), 4 European plums (P. domestica), 8 Sweet cherries (P. avium) and 4 Apricots (P. armeniaca). I'm still waiting for shipments of other scionwood, so this isn't over yet. This brings the total of different kinds of cultivars to 130 for now. I actually did more than 200 grafts on this tree, but some of the grafts are redundant copies of the same cultivar, just simply because I want more of them. Not all of the 45 new ones that I have added would take, but I am sure after some of the new grafts dies out, what remains would be a lot more than my target of 101-n-1. Some of the cultivars would be cut off after this year's trial and I only want to maintain 101 of them. Next year, 2018, I should conclude my work for the 101-n-1 stone fruit tree as I will be reducing the current 130-n-1 to a 101-n-1 tree.

I'm building a series of 101-n-1 fruit trees. The 101-n-1 citrus tree has been achieved, and the 101-n-1 stone fruit tree has been achieved and now surpassed in terms of number of species and cultivars. Still the citruses can't be beaten for the number of different genera grafted on it.

Harvested about 80 different kinds of fruits from the grafted cultivars because they're blooming.

In 2016 season, many interstems that were grafted were now grafted over with various other species including a lot of sweet cherries, apricots, sour cherries, wild cherries and other hybrids. The tree currently has at least 21 different kinds of prunus species and their hybrids. The tree is not photoshopped as shown by the pictures.

2017-2018... I changed my mind about trimming it down to 101-n-1 fruit tree and so I added more cultivars and it is now 150-n-1 tree assuming that they all took. Some of the grafts failed, so I regrafted the failed cultivars to other cultivars on the tree using scionwood from the 2018 CRFG exchange.

Thanks to some members of GrowingFruit, I have now added P. americana and P. maritima. It looks like the P. angustifolia didn't take, so that will be added on the tree using a compatible interstem next year.

2018-2019. Added Sultan Plum (it has hints of cinnamon), Pojeciza,Pearl Prune, yet another Burbank plumcot, Adele, June Redskin, Lieb, America, Apex Plumcot (original version), Mammoth Cardinal from Rachel Spaeth, the curator of Luther Burbank's creations. Last month I have added, Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana), Bing sweet cherry, another sour cherry (forgot the name but I have it on label), Chickasaw seedling plum, Autumn Jade plum, Great Yellow Plum, another seedling American plum, Dunbars plum, Beach plum seedling and Flavorich pluot. May add some more depending if my friends are able to donate on time unique cultivars and hybrids. Thanks to Rachel Spaeth for donating scionwood from Luther Burbank's collections! So it may turn into a 175-n-1 tree later in the spring.

Also excited to see blooms on Robusto and McKibbern (Chickasaw type of plums), Flava Beach Plum, American plums, Nankings as they were grafted last year! Hope to see their fruits and get to taste them too! Plus several other 2-year old grafts that are blooming the first time! Looking forward to many exciting new fruits this year.

eyeckr

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2019, 01:38:44 PM »
Great work Joe. I am like you often gardening and grafting at night. Good luck achieving your 175 varieties. Such amazing variety. Only 15 more to go!

JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2019, 01:54:20 PM »
Great work Joe. I am like you often gardening and grafting at night. Good luck achieving your 175 varieties. Such amazing variety. Only 15 more to go!

There are only 150 cultivars of stone fruits available from the exchange, and the additional ones were really hard work to get from various hobbyists. And it might become 200 next year if I am able to raid the UC Germplasm!

spaugh

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2019, 04:04:11 PM »
We should call you JoeUnreal, that tree is unreal sir!  You going for a world record?  Do you have name tags on each graft?
Brad Spaugh

JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2019, 04:08:05 PM »
We should call you JoeUnreal, that tree is unreal sir!  You going for a world record?  Do you have name tags on each graft?

Most branches that I am not familiar with or are new have name tags. But for the cultivars that I know from sight of leaves or fruits, I removed the tags.

SeaWalnut

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2019, 04:57:13 PM »
Thats an entire orchard on a single tree.You could make somme booze from the fruits,put a picture with the tree on the bottle,somme long description on the back label,and sell the booze at an astronomic price for colectors.

Tropicalnut

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2019, 05:06:33 PM »
Amazing! Congratulations.
I have a hard time just trying to graft mango to mango :( What's your secret???

JoeReal

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2019, 05:29:36 PM »
Amazing! Congratulations.
I have a hard time just trying to graft mango to mango :( What's your secret???

The secret is that there's no secret!

It may have a lot to do with the timing. Different species have different best times to graft depending where your plant is. I can talk based on my experience in our area.


Francis_Eric

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Re: My 160-n-1 tree this season
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2022, 09:46:37 AM »
Joe real Not a lot of room , but do you ever consider Selling seeds from that tree ?

I would like to plant any seeds to see any natural crosses
If I had a lot of land I'd still want to, but go a route with grafting as well.

I have a place where I can plant these seeds out
(I could sign anything to give credit where it's due , and trade back cuttings )


You did say you may want certain plums Even if you decide not to send seed
 I may have Prunus viriniania (and another that looks similar, but have not identified)
As well as some of our native plums (juicy melting gel inside thicker skin)


 (I quote )

Quote
Still wanting to add P. pumila var besseyi (Sand Cherry), P. pumila x salicina (Sand Cherry hybrid), P. salicifolia (Capulin Cherry), P. sibirica (Siberian apricot), P. cocomilia (Italian plum), P. subcordata (Klamath, Oregon, or Sierra plum), P. umbellata (Hog plum), P. salicina x domestica (Stoneless plums),P. virginiana (Choke Cherry), P. canadensis (Canadian Choke Cherry), P. canadensis x salicina (Choke Cherry hybrid) and other Prunus species that I could find and test for compatibility. Some of these I have previously grafted and failed, so I am trying out various interstems in order to successfully add them. It's not a trial and error, but trials until successful!