MATURITY

Ripens -40, about June 15^th in Kingsburg, near Santa Rosa.

SKIN COLOR

Dark purple to black with a little freckling toward the apex.

FLESH COLOR

Dark red toward the skin, lighter toward the stone.

SHAPE

Globose to oblate with a flattened apex.

SIZE

Medium, typically 2 1/2" (64 mm) with good crop in the breeding grounds.

TEXTURE

Firm, crisp, solid, quite juicy.

FLAVOR

Very nice flavor, typically 16-19 brix, some skin tartness.

AROMA

Moderate.

SKIN CRACKING

No problems observed.

CROPPING

Medium cropping, only one light crop observed in 5 years.

BLOOMING PERIOD

Early to medium, 3 days after Ambra, 5 days after Yummy®gem (10P881).  Bloom Code:  4

CONFIRMED POLLINATORS

 work both ways

WILL POLLINATE THESE OTHER VARIETIES

work both ways

BLOSSOM DENSITY

Heavy bloom.

FLOWER TYPE

Medium white flower, strong orange yellow anthers, long pistils.

POLLEN PRODUCTION

Strong, bee enticing.

PLANTING SUGGESTIONS

Solid Orchard:  Spike or interplant a mix of the above pollinators - suggested 50%.

Combination Planting:  Blackred IV (24C93) could be planted in conjunction with Blackred XI (0C768), Plumsweet XI (21P11550, or Blackred V (22C534), perhaps on a 4 rows of each configuration.

Other Combination Plantings:  Blackred IV (24C93) could be planted in conjunction with several of the commercial varieties listed above in the two pollinator lists.  Typical plantings on an alternating 4 row spacing will require the addition of extra pollinators for the unconfirmed directions.  It would be cheap insurance to spike the center two rows with additional pollinators, perhaps 25% to 50%.

TREE DESCRIPTION

Upright and spreading, good vigor.

COLD STORAGE DATA

OVERALL

Very good quality in the commercial blocks with medium cropping expectations.  It is certainly commercial in every way with moderate flavor, and does have our recommendation for planting.

NOTES:

Spiking a pollinator means to graft a central limb or a side scaffold of the commercial variety with one of the confirmed pollinators.  For difficult setting varieties, the recommended method would be to spike each tree once with a confirmed pollinator throughout the commercial orchard.  The pollinators should be alternated.  For easy to set varieties, spiking about one tree in five has shown to be effective.  Some growers prefer to interplant the pollinator in the same row between two trees of the preferred variety and grow them in a flagpole or very upright V-style, often pulling and tying a limb toward the center of each adjoining tree.

Combination plantings are made of 2 or 3 varieties that benefit the pollination at least one way, and preferably each way.  Alternating 4 rows of each is most common, alternating 2 rows of each gives better pollination, but does not harvest as efficiently.  Also, it is usually beneficial to insert pollinators along the center 2 rows of a 4 row planting.