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Click to EnlargeBlack Ruby
2008 Musser Fruit Research Farm

Season Blake Season
Range July 13th - August 3rd
Additional Years 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014
Sequence 0
Row
Tree
Flesh Yellow
Chill Hours
Bloom Date
Ripe Date July 15th

Set
Size
Shape
Pubes
Red
Attribute
Firm
Free
Status
Brix
6
2.06
7.8
10
8
7.8
3.4
8
1
18.2

Notes

Good sweet taste; plum

Description

Plum. Released from the USDA-ARS breeding program of W.R. Okie at Byron, GA. Black Ruby was an open-pollinated seedling of BY4-95 planted in 1975. BY4-95 is thought to be a seedling of Queen Ann x Santa Rosa, seed for which was obtained from California in 1963 and planted at Byron by V.E. Prince. J.M. Thompson selected Black Ruby in 1978, testing it as BY7404-1. Black Ruby has performed well in Georgia and Alabama and is recommended for trial in areas with similar climates. Black Ruby is a large, high-quality plum, ripening in early July, that is well-adapted to the humid climate of the southeastern United States. Black Ruby blooms with Methley and Santa Rosa. Flowers are white, 2 centimeters in diameter, and are borne in clusters of 2-3. The orange-red anthers shed moderate quantities of pollen. Flowers are self-incompatible, so Black Ruby should be planted adjacent to other plums blooming at the same time to facilitate insect pollination. Suggested pollenizers are Rubysweet, AU Rubrum, and Methley. In most years, thinning has been required to reduce fruit set. Fruit of Black Ruby ripen about 1 week after Santa Rosa and Morris, in late June or early July at Byron. Skin color is a reddish-black, masked by a heavy bloom. The yellow flesh is firm and of very good quality. With proper thinning, 2 inch (5 centimeter) diameter fruit are common. Fruit is round to oblate. The pit is freestone and of medium size. Trees of Black Ruby on peach rootstock are moderately vigorous with upright growth. Tree health is much better than Santa Rosa or Ozark Premier but less than that of Robusto or Byrongold. Black Ruby is moderately resistant to bacterial spot disease and to bacterial canker disease. It is tolerant of plum leaf scald.

Key

  • Evaluations are based on a 1-8 scale (6=OK,7=Commercially acceptable, 8=Excellent)
  • Size is in inches
  • Shape: round is assumed, T=tip, P=point, S=suture, OB=oblate, OV=ovate
  • Pubescence: 10=nectarine
  • Blush: presented as percentage of ground color cover with red or similar
  • Freeness: 3=early cling, 8=completely free
  • Status: 0=discard, 1=keep
  • Notes: SOS=soft on suture, SOT=soft on tip, RIF=red in flesh, GAS=green around stem
  • RAP=red around pit, GGC=green ground color, sz=size, wh=white, yt=young tree, CCT=concave tip
  • Bloom date is when approx. 90% of blooms are open (full bloom)

The description of each variety of peach or nectarine fruit under each group is in different formats as this information is collected from varied sources and hence is not consistent

 

     
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