To the question about characteristics of Pluots, Plumcots and Apriums: Pluots have mostly plum characteristics. Apriums have mostly Apricot characteristics. Plumcots tend to have characteristics of both. Fruitnut mentions Flavorella above - very flavorful but hard to pollenize and grow. There is an old Zaiger plumcot called "Plum Parfait" that looks like an apricot with some red marbling. It is no longer sold by DWN, but I think it's still available. I haven't tasted it. Supposed to be self-fruitful. There is a UDSA variety bred for the upper Southeast, Spring Satin, which others can fill you in on. It was over-hyped by a disreputable nursery in Florida and other nurseries (shamefully) adopted their description. It looks like a plum with a little fuzz. I have an old Luther Burbank plumcot variety, sold by wholesaler L.E. Cook. Variety name is not identified. It's a small, easy-care tree with beautiful bark and foliage and blossoms larger and showier than on most culinary plums. You will never find this plumcot in a grocery store. Fruits are apricot-sized or smaller, pastel yellow with a red blush when ripe. It softens while still tart. When perfectly ripe, it is very soft with a pleasant, mildly sweet flavor which reminds me of rose water. It is nothing like the bolder-flavored Pluots. It has a very short harvest window, and over-ripe fruits quickly disintegrate into mush. It often bears some fruit on the main branches as well as on newer growth. It does not bear young, but seems to be self-pollenizing and is about as reliable and prolific as the typical Japanese plum. The best use I can think of for the excess fruit that comes on all at once is mixing it with stronger-flavored fruits in fruit leather.

I was going to suggest calling now, then taking the goods back later, not about to spend half the value in gas to make the special trip, apart from the time. ... and see that was what you did. I thought at Snidely's suggestion was that some folks who don't think well of themselves may lack the push, or self-confidence, to stare down a store person and tell them of their inadequate produce. That if such applied to some of the people here, that it'd be a good idea to get a bit more backbone, to stand up for one's self when getting a bad deal, rather than just taking it and saying nothing (but feeling grumpy inside) ... in that case, maybe grumpy should be shared? If it doesn't apply to you ... do as Dad used to suggest: let it roll off, like water from a duck's back ... a sign of feeling comfortable in one's own skin, perhaps? ole joyful

' Remember when you were a child and you'd see your *teacher* somewhere other than in school?' Yeah! Now that I think of it, I sometimes didn't/don't recognize people for a moment if they're not in their "uniform" or in the clothes I'm used to seeing on them. Miss Ponytail probably always saw me before in baggy tee shirt & baggy shorts & rubber garden shoes!

I bought a beautiful dark red mini at Walmart after Valentine's last year, marked down to about $2. It had about six little plants crammed into the pot. I separated out the plants and potted them up in their own small pots, about 4" size. They grew and bloomed very well last summer. I just potted one up into about a 3 gal. pot. They don't need great big pots while they're small. From a 4" pot I'd pot up into a gallon pot. Then when the plant roots fill the gal. pot you could plant in the ground or in a bigger pot. They do very well in pots. I think your thought about snipping a bud on a tiny plant with poor roots is good. It might help the plant direct its energies more to growing roots.