UMEBOSHI. About 5 years ago, we planted 10 Chuo Ume (plum) root suckers that we dug out from our old place. In Ahualoa the mother trees dumped fruit all the time. Here in Laupahoehoe they just get constantly hammered by the Chinese rose beetle.
I gave a plum tree to my friend Michael 5 years ago too, to plant in Honokaa and it’s flourishing. He even dropped off some umeboshi he made… Jealous!!!!
Our plum trees look really sad. Leaves all lacey and eaten up and the trees grow very slowly because of the damn rose beetles. Once in a while our trees produce a fruit or two. I’ve seen a couple fully grown ones before so it’s possible to get good fruits at 600′.
So I still have a few plum trees in pots… for 5 years now. So I decided to plant one today in a spot with an open canopy with protection on all sides. Take that rose beetles!!! I hope they don’t find it…
Originally posted on 2021-01-17, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.