Satsumas do well just about everywhere. I have had one everywhere I have lived. N Idaho, S.California and now N. Arizona and a few places in between. My Satsuma is the first to bloom before any other fruit trees. It is also a big producer. As for a late frost it can damage even the best and heartiest crop on any kind of fruit tree.

That's an interesting range of climates. I had no idea it was that tough. So I guess I can expect to see it be among the first to peak out each year. Actually I noticed yesterday afternoon that the Satsuma and my Redhaven peach had both opened exactly one bloom.

Here in the Mojave Desert of California, my satsuma plum is the last one to produce. It is somewhat tolerant of light to moderate frosts.

It is a very heavy producer and it needs very hot temperatures in order for the fruit to get sweet. Fruit usually ripens early July, however, last year the fruits ripened late May. It is also resistant to aphids.

We're also in zone 6 (due to 3600 ft elevation)...risky zone for fruit in our experience. Don't have satsuma, but have half dozen japanese plums including two shiro, couple of european plums, pluot, santa rosa, burbank, bubblegum plum, apricots, peaches, cherries, apples pears... fifty some total trees. Our Japanese plums and apricots are always first to break bud.

Last year blooms were prolific, bees busy and fruit set strong, but thousands of tiny plums and peaches were "nature thinned" by low temps to a mere handful. The later blooming prune plums, pluots and cherries bore bumper crops....but literally only one perfect Shiro plum made it!

Hope springs eternal, but Tuesday weather here is not looking good....prediction is 20 at that night. Curiously, our mixed orchard began to break into bloom yesterday, on exact same date as last year. Shiro is certainly bursting with readiness this year, again leading the charge!

I have to disagree with the weather man-sorry. First off aphids and thrips do like the Satsuma a lot, a least everyone I have ever had that would be 5 dif. trees in different areas of the pacific coast. Also my trees in N.Idaho and N. San Diego CA produced the sweetest plums ever and I would not call any of those places very hot. Now here in AZ its an oven @3200 ft
Campv

Double post
Campv

This post was edited by campv on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 11:39

I have to disagree about the aphids as well. They have enjoyed feasting the past 2 years. They have left me with some ragged leaves but not any serious damage.

Just to update the Satsuma has not set any fruit while the Shiro has. I sprayed both trees with Triazicide mixed with Immunox. The plums are pretty small but hope I haven't sprayed too late. The wind, rain, and cold in my area has made getting outside with a sprayer sooner not ideal.

You'll be as happy with Satsuma as any Japanese plum. It starts to bear fairly early in its life (Shiro has it beat but Satsuma beats most others) and is reliable year after year for me. The bloom is not particularly early for a Jap. plum.

Scott