Thanks for the information. I'll have to "look up" plum curculio -- have no idea of what that is. Also I guess I should get another plum tree for pollination. I am running out of space -- would a 22" pot be satisfactory for a "dwarf plum tree" (if there is such a thing). Any recommendations of sources of a good quality plum tree. Oddly, I have had more luck with Home Depot than Anderson's Nursery ... and they offer far better customer support. I hope this can be corrected pretty soon ... I'm no "spring chicken"!!

It's not clear whether the "Hollywood" that Raintree sells is "Spencer Hollywood", which is supposed to be a small tree originating near the coast in the Northwest. How big are you planning to let your tree get? If that's the one I wanted (maybe for the front yard) I would get it from a supplier that identified it as "Spencer Hollywood"). To make your choices even harder, One Green World sells a red-leafed plum they identify as a European plum, originating near the coast at the Nichols Garden Nursery, which I assume is the one in Albany, Oregon. When people mention a "multi" tree here, they're not referring to a tree with peaches, plums, etc. on the same tree. They're referring to a tree with several varieties of either Japanese or European plums. They can be quite traditional-looking most of the year. Japanese plums have much more rampant growth than European plums and may bear earlier. If I were in Seattle in a neighborhood with plums, I would check with my neighbors concerning what kinds of plum trees they have and which ones they like. The either plant one recommended by neighbors or one which bears at a different time and share with neighbors. Japanese and European plums usually do not bloom at the same time and are not typically suitable for cross-pollination. I don't think you can trust information which says that either European or Japanese plums are carefree to grow. Also, you may wish to check Raintree's variety list closer to the bareroot season.

Hi Den: There may be a more beautiful city in spring time but I have not seen it yet. Even nicer now that I don't actually live there any more, just a casual visitor. Some years the plum and cherry blossoms are so numerous that they look like a blanket of pink snow when they fall. One has to see it to really appreciate it. We had a surprise snowfall on Saturday afternoon. It was gone by the next morning as the temperatue went up quickly and we had a small amount of rainfall overnight. Very strange, I can not remember snow this late (brief as it was) for 30 plus years. Unlike Victoria, we are waiting for spring to REALLY break. We have lots of primulas and heliobores blooming, as well as a few early bulbs. We are still waiting for the majority of our bulbs and other early spring bloomers to really burst out, should be very soon now. Spring is our favourite season, I am glad winter is about done. Cheers, MG

What might work, which I have done, if you can afford by pruning out some branches from a good pollen source bees like, [if you have?] then put into a pop bottle with water and hang into the neglected tree. Perhaps cover bottle with a towel so the sun doesn't heat too much. Bees come and sometimes accidentally land on the unwanted flowers,..thus pollinating. Perhaps you could mix your branches in the bottle with Tangerine and the other plum, ...bees come and hopefully cross the two plums. Pollinate by hand when bees are around, [best temperature]. Brush is fine, I mostly do it by cutting branches from each other and just brush them over, [faster] best time is about the first 2/3 of flowering time.