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franktank232

Flavor King..free to propage...right?

franktank232
11 years ago

Isn't the patent or whatever expired now on Flavor King pluot? I swear I recall it was June/July... Maybe i'm wrong... Whatever the case...anyone grow them this year and how were they? Good/bad? I've yet to see any in the stores around here (too late now?)

Comments (11)

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    11 years ago

    Off last year in June, Frank. You may propagate yourself.

    Patty S.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Flavor King Pluot Patent

  • steve_in_los_osos
    11 years ago

    The following pluots are off-patent as of 2011:

    Flavor Supreme (PlumXPlum Cot) PP6,763 April 25 1989, filed Dec 18 1987
    Flavor Delight (ApricotXPlum Cot) PP7,090 Jan 2 1990, filed Jan 23 1989
    Flavor Queen (PlumXPlum Cot) PP7,420 Jan 15 1991, filed Oct 27 1989
    Red Velvet Plum-Cot PP7,011 Plum-apricot hybrid tree September 5, 1989, filed July 18, 1988
    Flavor King PP8,026 November 10, 1992, filed June 10, 1991 (expired on June 10, 2011)

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    11 years ago

    Found this doc floating about cyber-space from one of the CRFG chapters. Pretty helpful.

    Patty S

    Here is a link that might be useful: CRFG: Plant Patent Durations

  • franktank232
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    OK...thanks. I'm way behind the times. 3 kids under 5=brain dysfunction ...

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    11 years ago

    HAH! Been there, done that, not wearin' that tee shirt! Mine are now 31, 27 and 26. All girls. I am now facing weddings that will probably be all in a row. Good thing I have my orchard in, already!! Good luck, stay sane, get some sleep (when you can).

    Patty S.

  • Noogy
    11 years ago

    Patty,
    It's funny you say so, but I proposed to my wife the same day her sister was proposed for. And two days later, the other sister was proposed to. Poor mother in law. She didn't really like me until we proposed a casual (hippy was their word) barefoot wedding on the shores of lake Michigan.

  • theaceofspades
    11 years ago

    Flavor King is my hardest plum tree to crop. I do everything just to get a small bowl full pecked and bruised. Some years occasionally there are fruits of incomparable flavor and sweetness. I am planting out the FK seeds in hopes of getting a more reliable King pluot. Even the seeds are mostly bad and few germinate. Time will tell.

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    My FK had been rotting previous years; this year I used MFF and it was doing well but the tree is low and the deer knocked off most of the fruits. The few I got were good. I was surprised how similar the flavor was to Flavor Supreme. It has also cracked some years, and the birds love to peck them. Overall I agree with Ace that its not the easiest plum to grow for us non-west coasters. I am going to give it one more year and then probably move on.

    The plum with a similar harvest time that was doing very well for me is Ruby Queen. But this year I overcropped it (was keeping extras around in case of curc/ofm damage and never thinned enough) and they taste horrible, no flavor no sugar no nothin'. So, I'm not so sure about that guy anymore. Flavor Grenade is looking similar to FK, it crops well but rots splitting etc diminish the harvest. I don't have time or space to mess with these kinds of fruits, a good plum like Satsuma is worlds apart in terms of ease of growing and the consistency and quality of the final harvest.

    Scott

  • franktank232
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Good to know Scott...probably wasted $100 from Raintree with these 8 different pluots (FK, FS, F Grenade, Emerald something, Splash and a few other ones i can't even remember)... This would have been a good year to crop them with how hot and dry it was... oh well.

    I buddded FK onto a few peach seedlings..we'll see if it can handle -20F.

  • theaceofspades
    11 years ago

    This Flavor King pluot measured 21 brix! The best pluot/plum I have ever eaten, like a fine meal makes me feel good. The best I gotten in previous seasons was 16 brix and 16 is where FK is full complexed flavored. Very tough tree to crop, not recommended for inexperienced. A similar flavored plum tree is Purple Heart, it is much easier to grow.

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    Yum!

    I agree Purple Heart is much easier. Flavor Supreme is also an easy pluot if you don't mind very few fruits on your tree - besides that its 100% reliable. They stay green outside well after they have darkened inside so the birds do less damage compared to other red-fleshed plums. I get about one plum every two feet. One good thing about this sparse load is each fruit is a huge gem of intense flavor.

    I wanted to revise my remark above about the Ruby Queen not being good this year, I do think it was due to overcropping. One part of the tree was not overcropped and the plums there were very good. So I expect that as long as it is not overcropped it should be good.

    Scott

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