Asian plum surprise

My neighbors across the street planted a green gage plum and a Satsuma (Japanize) plum in their front yard. They got plums eventually on the Green Gage and figured out that their Satsuma needed a pollinator. Then, suddenly, this year they still hadn't bought a pollinator but the Satsuma began to have a significant crop of plums! None of us know of another Japanese plum in the neighborhood, but there are the plums, which they say are sweet and delicious. I guess the pollen must have blown in from somewhere, but none of us can guess where.

I planning to put in fruit trees too.. And I was told that another tree within a few miles can pollenate. So even if it's not that close, it's still capable of pollenating..

You seem to be right. We pretty much know all the fruit trees in our neighborhood which is separated from other neighborhoods by pine forests and soccer fields, etc. that would not have fruit trees. We are amazed.

Pajaritomt,
Thanks, that is interesting. I was not sure if Asian plums would do well in my zone, but they might after all.
Have you ever tasted her green gage? If so are they sweet? I' m planting two more plum trees next spring and have't definately decided on which ones yet. DM

DigMontana,
She brings me a sack of green gages every year and if you let them ripen they are incredibly sweet. I just put them on the kitchen cabinet and eat them as they ripen. I like them so much I got my own green gage plum tree, but it is not yet old enough to bear. The birds, apparently, aren't so good at finding the green gage plums because they are the same color as the leaves. The is having a lot more trouble with the Satsuma. The birds can see them easily and their stems are week so the birds steal them and knock them off. But she says they are also very sweet and delicious.
Check with your county agent on varieties, but I suspect you will be able to grow Japanese plums in your area. But there are things to worry about like which variety blooms late enough for your location, ripens soon enough, etc. County agents keep up with that sort of stuff.

How old is her tree? Just wondering how big it eventually could get. DM

I really don't know how old it is, but I am guessing it is about 9 years old. They purchased it as a large tree of a certain age. The green gage is about the same age. Both were planted in a huge deep bed of almost pure compost, transplanting aprox. 5 year old trees does slow them down. Anyhow, the green gage has been bearing for about 3 years, a bit more each year. This is the first year of bearing for the satsuma.
On my own, I will add that trees planted as 1 or 2 year old trees grow larger and bear earlier than trees are transplanted as more mature specimens.

Thanks Paj