greengage 'Reine-Claude Violette'
gage (syn. Prunus domestica (Reine-Claude Group) 'Reine-Claude Violette)
Reliable, heavy cropping gage with an excellent old-fashioned flavour and more reliable crops. Single, cup-shaped white flowers appear in late spring, followed by yellow-green fruit with a superb, juicy flavour, which are ready for picking in mid August.
A good, vigorous grower that does set some fruit without a pollinator, as it is partially self-fertile, though like all greengages it can be pollinated by plums or damsons of the same or adjacent pollinating groups.
Greengages will generally start to produce fruit when they are 3 - 4 years old, so you may need to wait a year or two before you enjoy the harvest.
Pollination information: Although partially self-fertile, this gage will have a higher yield when planted with another nearby in pollination group 3, such as 'Oullins Gage'.
A good, vigorous grower that does set some fruit without a pollinator, as it is partially self-fertile, though like all greengages it can be pollinated by plums or damsons of the same or adjacent pollinating groups.
Greengages will generally start to produce fruit when they are 3 - 4 years old, so you may need to wait a year or two before you enjoy the harvest.
Pollination information: Although partially self-fertile, this gage will have a higher yield when planted with another nearby in pollination group 3, such as 'Oullins Gage'.
How to care for gage (Reine-Claude Group) Reine-Claude Violette:
When planting your gage, prepare a hole up to three times the diameter of its root system. Fork over the base of the pit in readiness, incorporating plenty of organic matter into the backfill and planting hole. Avoiding frozen and waterlogged soil, trees should be planted out as they arrive. If you've ordered a bare root tree, soak the roots in a bucket of water for half an hour prior to planting, or if this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily, covering their roots with soil, or potted up.
Protect from cold, drying winds. Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring to support growth and fruiting. Lightly prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker, to retain an open ‘goblet’ shape and remove any damaged, diseased or broken branches.
Protect from cold, drying winds. Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring to support growth and fruiting. Lightly prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker, to retain an open ‘goblet’ shape and remove any damaged, diseased or broken branches.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
5m
Eventual spread:
5m
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
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This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
