Cultivation

Cuttage of bullace, damson, and mirabelle

Prunus domestica L. subsp. insititia (L.) C. K. Schneid.

Propagating mirabelle, damson, and bullace plum via cuttings allows for the production of clonal saplings identical to the mother plant, preserving all varietal traits, unlike seed propagation.

In the reference 4 varieties crop Damson, where this is mentioned in the description.

Softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings are used for propagation, with the latter harvested during late autumn or early winter. When cutting the material, it is essential to include several nodal buds, as these zones are where active root system development occurs. To improve callus formation and survival rates, light longitudinal scratches are made at the base of the cutting.

Despite the possibility of rooting, the process for these stone fruit crops is often inconsistent. In agronomic practice, to obtain own-rooted saplings of this plant group, preference is frequently given to using root suckers, to which many forms of bullace are prone, or to grafting onto clonal rootstocks such as St. Julien A, which ensure more predictable growth.

General information about the subject — on the page Cuttings propagation.

Sources8

Varieties of Damson mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.