Satsuma Japanese Plum
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Satsuma Japanese plum pollination guide: Pool B Group 3 bloom, required donor and blood-red fruit management.
Satsuma Needs a Compatible Pool B Partner
Partners: Santa Rosa, Methley (standard). Satsuma (Japanese) needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 2–4 to set a reliable crop.
- Pollination Pool / Ploidy
- Pool B · Diploid
- Required Companions
- 1 Compatible Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Early-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Mid Season
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Plum bloom groups run from 1 to 5. A useful partner flowers in the same or adjacent group and belongs to the same pollination pool. European plums, gages and damsons are Pool A; Japanese plums and prairie hybrids are Pool B. A tree from one pool cannot pollinate the other.
For Satsuma, select a compatible plum in the same pollination pool flowering from Group 2 to 4; bloom overlap alone does not bridge Pool A and Pool B.
Compatible Pollination Partners (4)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bubblegum Plum (Toka) | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Jam | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Jam | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Jam | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (10)
These cultivars cannot serve as pollinizers for Satsuma because of a different plum pollination pool, a documented incompatibility or another exclusion in the source data.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. American Plum is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Beauty (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Burbank (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Elephant Heart (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Friar (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Laroda (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Ozark Premier (Hybrid) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Shiro (Japanese) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Superior (Hybrid) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
plum incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Valiant (Hybrid) is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
Grower Commentary: Satsuma's Group 3 Overlap
Satsuma is a blood-red-fleshed Japanese plum in Pool B. It needs another compatible Pool B cultivar for dependable set and flowers in Group 3, a little later than many early Japanese plums. Santa Rosa and Methley are named partners in the source record, but the latter's Group 2 bloom must still overlap on the actual site. European plums are excluded regardless of proximity.
The shift from Group 2 to Group 3 can be useful where very early flowers meet repeated cold nights, yet it does not remove spring frost risk. Keep records of first and full bloom for both rows, then compare fruitlet set after cold spells. A partner that finishes before Satsuma opens cannot deliver enough pollen, even if its genetics and pool are suitable on paper.
A fresh-market or processing outlet for red flesh depends on fruit picked at the intended maturity, so preserve light and hand access in the canopy. After a strong set, thin clusters that would stay small or overload brittle limbs. A semi-dwarf bush suits many blocks, while a high-density trained system needs support and disciplined load control. Choose rootstock for drainage, vigour and nursery-confirmed compatibility, not solely for a target tree count.
Key Orchard Considerations for Satsuma
Satsuma needs a donor; Santa Rosa or Methley can work when their bloom overlaps its Group 3 flowers.
Record local bloom dates because a Group 2 donor can finish before Satsuma reaches full bloom.
Maintain light, picking access and a load that branches can carry without fruit size loss.
Take Satsuma from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Satsuma against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.