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Value-for-money

Prunus domestica Quetsche d'Alsace - Common plum

Prunus domestica Quetsche d'Alsace
European plum, Common plum, Garden plum

3,4/5
3 reviews
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2 reviews

Plant livré en parfaite santé, avec quelques fleurs. Bien emballé et protégé, et livré rapidement. Un peu de patience pour déguster de bons fruits.

Jean-Marc, 21/04/2023

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

Self-fertile variety, specific to the Alsace and Lorraine regions. Very productive and robust. Elongated fruits, ripe in early September. Purple-red skin, covered with bloom. Green-yellow flesh, firm, not very juicy, slightly acidic. Excellent for drying. Very good storage after harvest.
Flavour
Sour
Height at maturity
6 m
Spread at maturity
3 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Self-fertilising
Best planting time January, November to December
Recommended planting time January to February, October to December
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Flowering time April
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Harvest time September
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Description

The 'Quetsche d'Alsace' Plum is a self-fertile variety specific to the Alsace and Lorraine regions. Very productive and very robust, this variety produces elongated fruits, ripening in early September. The skin is thin, reddish-purple, covered with a whitish wax called bloom. The flesh is greenish-yellow, firm, not very juicy, and slightly acidic, with the characteristic aroma of quetsches. While they can be consumed fresh, they will be even better when dried. They keep very well after harvesting.

The word 'Quetsche' means Damson Plum in Alsatian. Quetsche plums come from Syria, which has supplied many varieties since the Middle Ages. The 'Quetsche d'Alsace' variety has been cultivated for a long time.

This fruit tree naturally reaches a height of up to 6m (20ft) at maturity. The slender and bushy silhouette conferred by its upright-bushy habit is appreciated in the garden. It is not very demanding regarding soil type, apart from the absence of limestone.
Its leaves are oval, almost oblong, crenate-dentate, and slightly downy.
Flowering occurs in April, which allows it to escape spring frosts. It is not very spread out. The tree is then covered entirely with white flowers that appear on the previous year's branches. They are self-fertile.
The fruits, the quetsches, famous in eastern France, ripen in early September.

The plums are eaten raw at the base of the tree, in fruit salads, in desserts and pastries, and as accompaniments to meats and dishes. They are transformed into jams, fruits in syrup, compotes... They can also be used to make eau-de-vie. You can also dry them in the sun during the summer, pitted and hung in a garland on a thread or in the oven.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 6 m
Spread at maturity 3 m
Growth rate normal

Fruit

Fruit colour red
Fruit diameter 3 cm
Flavour Sour
Use Table, Jam, Patisserie, Alcohol
Harvest time September

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time April
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 2 cm
Flowering description The white flowers appear before the leaves on branches of the previous year. A downy peduncle carries them and has a hairy or velvety calyx. The early flowering starts in March and is therefore exposed to frost, but it is so abundant that frost rarely affects the harvests.

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Prunus

Species

domestica

Cultivar

Quetsche d'Alsace

Family

Rosaceae

Other common names

European plum, Common plum, Garden plum

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference783421

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Planting and care

Easy to grow, the Plum 'Quetsche d'Alsace' thrives in any light, rich, neutral or acidic soil, moist but not excessively humid, and without limestone. Ensure proper drainage of the planting hole with a thin layer of gravel. Dig a hole two to three weeks before planting, twice as wide and deep as the pot. On the day of planting, place the tree with its pot in a basin of water, allowing the soil to be moistened by capillary action. Add compost to the bottom of the hole. Plant the tree in the hole and fill it with soil and compost. Do not bury the graft union. Firmly tamp down the soil around the base. The root ball should be completely covered. Water thoroughly.

In winter, you can add a small handful of wood ash, rich in potash, to improve fruiting.

Planting period

Best planting time January, November to December
Recommended planting time January to February, October to December

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Free-standing, Orchard
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), rich and well-drained

Care

Pruning instructions Only prune as necessary as plum trees become sensitive to wounds. Apply a healing balm to protect them. Training pruning of the plum tree: it is used to shape the tree's framework. In the first year, in winter but outside the freezing period, prune the tree to obtain 4 to 5 branches oriented outward. Fruiting pruning: remove dead wood and fragile branches after the harvest of the plums and outside the freezing period. Remove any fruits left on the tree and burn them. Remove any shoots (shoots at the base of the tree).
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time September to December
Soil moisture Wet
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
3,4/5
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