2024 - No fruit again and looking rough. Decided to give up and cut it (and the attached South Dakota) down. Still have the Grenville/Alderman tree and the two Mont Royal and Northern Blue on american plum stock, plus a several american plums for variety and pollination. They are doing OK but it's obvious we aren't in a prime plum location.

2023 - More pruning to keep size down. Lots of blossoms in all plums this year including Waneta, full 5/19. All too usual mid 20's freeze 5/25. Didn't expect much and didn't pay much attention but 9/4 it dropped several fruit (a few of them over-ripe). Decent flavor, skin tart, flesh sweet. Continued ripening and dropping over a week, picked a half peck 9/12. (South Dakota also had fruit but not ripe yet). Made a very strong sauce! Good mixed with applesauce. More in tree not yet ripe but picked due to frost warnings (didn't happen), but they ripened in storage.

2022 - Pruned back in spring. Vigorous growth. No fruit. South Dakota also a vigorous grower. Old damage on trunk appears to have healed.

2021 - Hot, dry spring. 5/18-21 all plums, including Waneta (in early group) (and South Dakota in latter group), in full bloom. 5/27 four nights freezes 24-30 deg. No fruit.   Good summer growth.

2019 - Full bloom. No fruit.

2018 - Full bloom - no fruit. Very vigorous growth, summer prune longest shoots back, even up. Many spurs, stop mulching (plenty enough vigor!). Looks good. South Dakota graft good, too.

2017 - Vigorous growth. Tipped all early May to same height, plus remove many upright spurs to reduce fruit load (well... could have). Few days later than others to bloom. Blossoms missing petals, not full. No fruit. Summer pruned, plus some in Sept. Moderate blight, lot of of aphid damage tips. regrew well though.

2016 - Grew well, 2 strong shoots, 2 smaller. Prune long ones back some, spread for good angle. Lots shothole/red leaves but good growth. summer pruned some (likely could have done more).

2015 - Scion from Fedco - Grafted onto strong nearby sucker of Pembina (which we cut down early spring) which would be american plum. Strong, vigorous, healthy growth.

Online Notes: Midsummer. Large, somewhat pointed, 1-1/2–2" reddish-maroon fruit. Sweet tender translucent orange flesh is very juicy but not dripping. Medium-thick skin, tart and easy to peel. Delicious overall taste. Hansen said of Waneta: "My belief is that in this variety I have combined the best points of the native and the Japanese plum. It is probably the largest [fruit] of over 10,000 seedlings." Early blooming healthy open spreading tree bears reliably in our orchard.

Copyright © Susan Robishaw