bernieeck: I've grown FS many years and your experience is the norm. Mine blooms very well but the flowers are not attractive to bees. I have had it set well but only by closely interweaving varieties. If you could intergraft the two varieties such that the spurs were closely interwoven, the set would improve. Unfortunately FS was one of the earliest pluot and it's quality plus the familiarity sellers have with the variety have it still being widely sold with no warning labels about fruit setting problems. This is my biggest pet peeve with nurseries, they only mention the good characteristics and none of the bad. There are better all around pluot that set much better. Geo Pride, Flavor Grenade, Flavor King, and Flavor Finale to name a few. In fact if you get Flavor Grenade be prepared to thin off at least 90% or your tree will be crushed under fruit. Perhaps you have noticed that FS is very vigorous. Any ungrafted branches will grow like crazy. Even if the grafts take you will need to prune regularly to balance out the limbs.

Very good information, fruitnut. Interesting to compare notes. Waiting to see what my fruit set will be for all my pluots - still all in bloom. But, looking like Flavor Finale will set well this year. Still a wee bit early to tell with Flavor King. Cot-n-Candy still a disappointment - 2 or two blossoms this year and I can't find any fruit from those two flowers. My Sweet Treat pluerries had lots of blossoms, but the Burgundy plum I planted was way, way behind, so sadly, no fruit set this year, I was SO sad. Really wanted to try the fruit this season, bummer. But, really glad. But, my Autumn Glo apricot looks to have about 20 fruits this year (planted last bare root season), and even my Flavor Delight, planted pretty late last year looks to have a few fruits. Same with the Goldkist. Across the board for me, apricots and especially apriums are slow to produce and not the best setters. Same with the Bellagold peacotum as well as the Desert Delight nectarine, all for various different reasons. Cherries look good, though. I should get about 80% set from blossoms on both Minnie Royal and Royal Lee. The other cherries are now just starting to bloom, so we'll see how they do, it will be their first season, so not holding my breath. Peaches and nectarines are off the chart, and taking me hours to thin. Patty S.

Thanks Mr. Clint, I was like a child on Xmas eve. night, just waiting for the time to pluck the fruit. I really wanted to wait until July 5th, thinking that it would be a little softer to the touch but as I was adjusting the netting on the tree, it became disconnected from the stem and fell through the netting onto the ground. That was my cue! It was really sweet but it was not at its peek. I wanted extreme sweetness but the rich fruity taste was still incredible. I also have a 4-n-1 pluot tree with FS/FK/FQ and Dapple Dandy.i lost every fruit blossom on that tree due to the weather and all. However, I spray and examine all my trees on a regular basis as need--but I can't wait until I get that perfect dream harvest! Did you harvest yours yet? Please share your pics!

The pop up adds on Houzz are really starting to tick me off. THis is the 4th time I have tried to complete this post... I am new to pluot growing. Last winter I planted a Flavor Granade on Citation stock in a large container (36X24) and it appears to be doing well. About 150 ft away I planted a 4 in 1 pluot (Fl. King, Fl, Supreme, Fl Queen and DD) in a raised bed. They too all appear to be doing well. Closer to the FG (20-60 ft) I have two varieties of peach and one of nectarine that are older. Are these assorted stone fruit close enough for suitable pollination of the FG? I am now out of space so if not my only alternative is to graft one of the varieties I have to the FG for pollination purposes. I would appreciate your thoughts on this. If grafting is the way to go which variety do you recommend? Also, if grafting is the way to go which method do you recommend for pluots? FYI I know this is a trial anyway. In am in coastal LA in 8B-9. While home garden plums are fairly common in the area no one knows about pluots. In fact, they have only shown up in the fresh fruit markets over the last 2-3 years and often are FYI I know this is a trial anyway. In am in coastal La. in 8B-9. While home garden plums are fairly common in the area no one knows about pluots. In fact, they have only shown up in some fresh fruit markets over the last 2-3 years and often are mis-identified as plums.