When do Shengzhou plums generally ripen?

Shengzhou plums bloom around mid-March to early April each year, and the fruit ripens around mid-July to early August. Shengzhou plum flesh is purplish-red, crisp and tender, with sweet and delicious juice, and it is rich in nutritional value, making it a top-grade plum.

Precautions for harvesting ripe Shengzhou plums

1. For fresh eating, pick by hand, removing the fruit together with the stalk, keep as much of the bloom as possible, and then place them gently in a container.

2. Harvest in batches to improve quality.

3. For dried fruit use, wait until fully ripe, then knock them down in one go with a bamboo pole. Abroad, some use a fruit harvester to shake the trunk, bringing the fruit down to be collected.

4. After harvesting, the fruit softens quickly. If harvesting when soft-ripe, it is best to harvest in the early morning when the temperature is low, then sell directly. If harvesting in the afternoon, it is best to spread them in the open at night first to lower the fruit temperature, and sell the next day. If harvesting when firm-ripe, they are less suitable for long-distance transport.