There are several plum-apricot hybrid varieties with pluots being the most common. Pluots are first generation crossbreeds of 70% plum and 30% apricot. These hybrid trees are the result of pollinating the flowers of plums with the flowers of apricots. Both are stone fruits and grown widely in California. They are hand pollinated, not genetically modified. The Pluot tree in the picture above is my adopted tree in the Community Orchard. Pluots require at least 600 chill hours a year. A pluot is a nutritional powerhouse, high in Vitamin A and C, potassium, and fiber. Pluots look like a fuzzy plum and are sweeter than either a plum or an apricot.
Container grown trees are best planted in the fall; bare root trees should be planted in winter. Plant in hole twice as wide and twice the depth as the rootball. Take care that the graft union at the bottom of the trunk is above the soil line. Pluots need full sun in rich, organic, well-drained soil. Apply a fresh layer of mulch each year. Fruits grow on wood spurs, stubby side branches, that appear on one year old wood and are productive for three or four years. In the spring, the tree is covered with pinkish white blossoms and the fruit skin varies from golden to magenta, dappled to streaked.
Prune annually after the harvest in the summer to create an open center for light and air circulation. Prune above outward facing buds, where the new branch will grow outward in the direction the bud is pointing. Remove any windfalls in the fall and harvest all remaining fruit before winter to protect the tree from diseases. When fruit grows to the size of a dime, thin them out to allow for healthier, bigger fruit. Harvest the pluots when they are plump, semi-soft, and fragrant with deep even color. Pluots sometimes produce a low harvest one year and a heavy harvest the next. For a healthy sweet snack throughout the year, kids can concentrate the flavors and nutrients by drying the pluots in a single layer on a screen or put up jars of yummy jam in the heavy harvest year. Kids love to eat pluots right off the tree, a sweet treat, skin and all.
Cooking Magic for Kids 