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Castleton Plum on Marianna GF 8-1 (Spring 2021)

An early-season prune-plum for fresh eating or drying. Also known as NY 66.609.4.
This tree is spreading and vigorous, with a nice open habit that makes for an easy harvest. It is precocious and very productive; aggressive pruning is recommended to maintain tree vigor. Castleton is somewhat resistant to leaf spot and black knot, but it is susceptible to brown rot. This tree is partially self-fertile, but it will need to be partnered with another mid-season blooming European plum for full productivity. Potential pollenizers include Stanley, Jayfre, Italian, and Polly.
Ripening early, about three weeks before Stanley, this plum has a dramatic violet-blue skin and smooth, yellow-green flesh. The flavor is a good balance of sugar (16 °Brix) and acid, and the plum hangs well on the tree after ripening. Castleton cracks less than Stanley and it will store for about a month. This is an excellent plum for fresh eating or processing.
Castleton originated from a 1966 cross of Valor and Iroquois. It was released by Cornell in 1993.
The Fruit
Fruit Type
Category: Plum
Subcategory:
European, Cold-Hardy
Fruit Uses & Storage
Uses: fresh eating, jam, baking, canning, freezing, jelly, sauce
Storage duration: one to three months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)
Fruit Appearance
Skin color: blue
Flesh color: yellow
Fruit Origins
Parentage: Valor x Iroquois
Origin: Geneva, NY
Introduced in: 1993
Introduced by: John Watson; NYSAES; Cornell University
The Environment
Calendar & Geography
USDA zones: 4 - 8
Chill hours: 0
Ripening date: Aug 11 (approximate, in New York State) - 21 days after Stanley
Tree Height & Spacing
Rootstock: Marianna GF 8-1 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Standard (100% Size)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 35'
Good for wildlife planting? N
Diseases & Pests
Bacterial Spot: Resistant
Brown Rot, Blossom Blight, Fruit Rot: Susceptible
Black Knot: Resistant
Pollination
Pollination Factors
Bloom group:
Is it self-fertile? Partial
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class:
Standard (100% Size)
Pollination Partners
This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Castleton Plum on Marianna GF 8-1. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.
See all pollination matches for Castleton Plum on Marianna GF 8-1
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