Plum Victoria

Description

These fertile seeds have been collected from one of the best eating plums in the world, the Victoria. However, trees grown from them will almost certainly vary from the parent and will give a variety of different colours and flavours of fruits. This very popular English plum, especially good for culinary use, produces heavy crops of attractive red fruit with a sweet yellow flesh. It cooks to a distinctive pink-orange, making superb jam and is a good-flavoured filling for pies and crumbles. For eating fresh, leave the plums on the tree until they are fully ripe and soft, in mid-to-late August and even into September, when the skins will start to become a darker red rather than the more usual orange flushed colour. The name "Victoria" comes from Queen Victoria (1819–1901) the variety being first discovered in a garden in Alderton, Sussex in 1844.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and cold-stored for several months. They should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered about 2 cm deep with sand or grit, with no artificial heat needed. The seed tray is best left in a cool spot and kept moist, seeds generally germinating slowly in cool conditions in the spring, whenever they are sown, although odd ones may come up at any time. Large seeds like these may take up to two years to appear so keep the pot safely, alternatively, the stones may be planted in a safe spot in the garden.

Key Facts