I'm not sure if that last comment was directed at me for starting the post but from what I understand Pluots can and will pollinate each other. I want at least one pure Japanese plum tree and I know I can't afford to buy too many fruit trees right now so I was entertaining the idea of a Pluot being paired with Shiro. fruitnut, do you care to elaborate a little more on exactly why it is such a challenge in Middle TN? Is it because of early bloom and the tendency for late frost? Also, I notice that Dave Wilson Nursery lists the Shiro as "self-fruitful" while everything else I've read suggests that isn't the case.

We're in the same weather pattern here in SE Michigan as in Wisconsin. With the much below normal March temperatures, things are actually behind where they probably should be for late March. Bulb plants, for example, are just beginning to pop up. I did have a couple of crocus bloom last weekend in a very sheltered sunny spot, but no doubt have bit the dust due to this cold snap. We narrowly avoided the heavy snow that fell just north of the suburbs of Detroit -- Flint and Lapeer got 8 inches, we got mostly rain with a light skim of ice here in the northern 'burbs. Yesterday, high was only 26, right now, it's only about 22 out there, with some sun but puffy cumulus starting to creep in, and will probaby have convective snow showers later this afternoon. Lows have been close to record territory -- low teens, the records are in the upper single digits for this late in March. Not very spring like, but I'd rather it stay cold longer than bring things along prematurely. Next week, we might get back into the low to mid 40's, still 5 to 10 degrees below normal. Fruit trees are still fully dormant from what I can tell. The only things that hapve shown any signs of life are aspens, which have their catkins, and pussy willows and other flowering willows just beginning to pop a bit. I was sorting through some receipts the other night, and came across one from March 25, 2010 -- I bought 2 cell packs of lettuce plants, 2 of cabbage, 1 broccoli, a flat of pansies, and 2 bunches of onions at Home Depot. I potted up the vegetables and put them in the greenhouse to get larger, and the pansies went into porch planters. It's much, much too cold for that this year at this time.

Glad to hear you had good luck, Tony. Scott

I've never noticed flowering overlap problems with any Japanese plums, even though they bloom at different times they all overlap in the middle. Even the super early pluots end up overlapping with the others. I just put in EB this year so I don't have direct experience with it, but I do have 20 or so different Japanese plum varieties blooming. I am trying a bunch of new California Japanese plums, they are a total crap shoot in terms of how they do in hot humid weather, about 2/3 have been failures and 1/3 have been awesome. So far the only one looking bad of my new group is Padre, it gets horrible bacterial spot, about the worst I have ever seen. EB is very vigorous and has only minor spot. Scott