Ume Advice Needed. It never sleeps.....

[longd_au]

Hi

I need some advise on my Ume. It was bought as a cutting around 7 yrs ago and planted in the ground.
Since then, I lifted it into a pot last spring and it has continued to power on after being heavily pruned.

The problem is, it never goes dormant. Grows right through winter. Is this a problem? I read that by burning up carbo, it will weaken the plant and eventually cause problems.

Photo attached.

ume1.jpg

ume2.jpg

What do you think? Is dormancy essential and what can I do?

[KIRKY]

Are you sure its a Ume? Has it ever flowered? I have about a dozen of these from various places none have that leaf mine are more rounded, none have that long pointy end. All mine loose their leaves in Autumn/ Winter. Would be interested in what other people think.
Cheers
Kirky

[yumcha1]

This ume is currently flowering, but usually without leaves on. This summer was so hot that most of its leaves were burnt off in January. I thought it wouldn't make it, but in autumn it put on a new flush of growth which has remained during flowering. I've posted pictures of the plant with leaves for comparison. The leaves on this tree seemed to be more tear dropped in shape and a bit broader, and as Kirky has noted, less pointy.

[KIRKY]

It has been an interesting season. Mine usually flower in May they are only just starting to flower now. The leave appear closer to mine even the texture in original post looks rough. Mine are smoother more like yumcha1.
Cheers
Kirky

[longd_au]

Thanks for your replies.
When it was in the ground, it did flower last year for the first time but the flowers were white.
The leaves are less pointy when mature. Those in the picture are still juvenile. It does look like an apricot to me.
To be honest, I am not sure...it has never fruited. All the flowers dropped after flowering last year. Flowers were in spring, not winter.

Cuttings strike very easily and all year round. Leaves also don't drop for the cuttings.

If it is not an ume, what is it?

[longd_au]

Hi

I am trying understand this problem starting with the ID. Is this really Ume or something else?
I never goes dormant in the last 7 - 8 years I've had it in the ground and for the first time, it had white flowers last spring.

I've attached some more photos from the same plant, some cuttings and another plant that is still in the ground but was purchased at the same time. It is also 7- 8 yrs old and has never flowered and never goes dormant.

ume6.jpg

ume5.jpg

ume3.jpg

Really hope someone can help me here....or I just let it play out.

[KIRKY]

Do you have any pictures of the flowers? Also does it loose any leaves over winter as in semi deciduous? And lastly what position is it in, north, south etc...
Cheers
Kirky

[longd_au]

Hi Kirky

I don't have photos of the flowers. I should have taken some. It flowered just before a very hot day and most of that branch was burnt.
I would say it slows down in growth over winter but it does not drop any leaves. I wouldn't call it semi deciduous.
Prior to digging it out, it was behind a fence that face north so the part above the fence gets sun all day long while the bit under the fence is in full shade.

I read it can take up to 10 years for ume to flower. When I bought it, I was after the apricots to make plum wine but changed my mind when I decided to pave the area it was growing. The other cutting is still in the ground. That one has never flowered because I keep pruning every year.

The cuttings were bought and sent from QLD.

[yumcha1]

Perhaps its a prunus ume Nankou or Bungo? I came across this discussion from an online fruit nursery that talks about a variety of ume that doesn't go dormant and produces white flowers, and sets fruit after about 8 years? There are pictures posted too with leaves resembling the pictures you have posted:

https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/prunus-mume/

The ume I have is very much an ornamental and sets no fruit, though having fruit to make umeshu and umeboshi would be great!

Best

[longd_au]

Thanks YumCh1

Thanks for the information. This is the closest I got to identifying this plant.
It really does not go dormant over winter and I bought it for the fruit. It is supposed to be used in making plum wine or salted prunes.
It buds back on old wood and any major cuts results in large numbers of young shoots.

Will attempt to bonsai this one and leave the other in the ground to bear fruit.

[KIRKY]

Interesting sounds like a different evergreen variety. I have white and pink both are deciduous, however the flowers are different to yumcha1 posted forum article. Sorry couldn’t help. Please post when it flowers.
Cheers
Kirky

[Daluke]

Apricots don’t live forever.

They have a lifespan of 100 or so years.

Yours looks like a mume. I live in Melbourne and have 5. Three have lost their leaves and two haven’t.

The two that have their leaves look like yours - I’m told they came from qld. Have you tried propagating or grafting another type of flower onto any offspring?

[longd_au]

Hi Daluke

Thanks for confirming that some don't go dormant.
I know they strike from cuttings very very easily. I can almost say I can do it any time of the year. The only requirement seems to be humidity so I place mine in a glass house or have a bag with holes over the pot.

Regarding grafting, I am not skilled in grafting but will consider trying this year.
Happy for them to live a 100 yrs....I'd be long gone by then.

At this stage, I would be happy just to see flowers. The white flowers I saw was prior to digging it from the ground. Will see if I will get some flowers this year.

They seem simple to grow. Very drought tolerant and the leaf reduce in size quite a lot given drought condition.

Mine came from QLD as cuttings as well...could be from the same grower. I was after the sour fruit. So far, nothing.

[melbrackstone]

I have some trees from the same seller, I suspect. It also doesn't lose its leaves, and the leaves look very similar. From memory he's selling them as Japanese Apricot that he's sourced from Taiwan...

[Daluke]

I have some trees from the same seller, I suspect. It also doesn't lose its leaves, and the leaves look very similar. From memory he's selling them as Japanese Apricot that he's sourced from Taiwan...

So do you think it’s mume?