How to get plums on my plum tree?
March 7, 2015 7:24 AM Subscribe
Our plum tree fails to develop plums properly. Beautiful white blossoms will appear in about a months time soon to be followed by small plums, but they do not develop turn yellow and fall off. The tree seems healthy and is growing otherwise. What can we do?
Blossoms (Start of April) another picture (Start of May) Small plums
The tree was bought in 2011, it was in a large pot at first, it gave a yellow plum in the Summer of 2011, in the Spring of 2012 it was planted in our back garden, following advice, but failed to produce fruit. In 2013, it also failed to produce fruit, in 2014 another small plum tree (also white blossomed) was planned nearby that blossomed at the same time, I even transferred pollen from one tree to the other by cotton bud, but both failed to produce fruit. The problem would seem to be one of pollination, the garden centre we bought the tree from is useless and cannot identify the cultivar and say they never have problems with fruit. How can we identify the cultivar? what other cultivar of plum do we need to plant near by to guarantee fertilization. We live in Portugal. Thanks, my wife will chop the tree down with an axe if it doesn't give plums this year!!!!
Blossoms (Start of April) another picture (Start of May) Small plums
The tree was bought in 2011, it was in a large pot at first, it gave a yellow plum in the Summer of 2011, in the Spring of 2012 it was planted in our back garden, following advice, but failed to produce fruit. In 2013, it also failed to produce fruit, in 2014 another small plum tree (also white blossomed) was planned nearby that blossomed at the same time, I even transferred pollen from one tree to the other by cotton bud, but both failed to produce fruit. The problem would seem to be one of pollination, the garden centre we bought the tree from is useless and cannot identify the cultivar and say they never have problems with fruit. How can we identify the cultivar? what other cultivar of plum do we need to plant near by to guarantee fertilization. We live in Portugal. Thanks, my wife will chop the tree down with an axe if it doesn't give plums this year!!!!
Get the facts...not the ax!
- Plum trees typically need 3-6 years to fruit after a transplant.
- Plums do need a pollinator as you know and cool papa bell points out. Just be sure they both flower about the same time (early season, late season, etc).
posted by artdrectr at 8:51 AM on March 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
- Plum trees typically need 3-6 years to fruit after a transplant.
- Plums do need a pollinator as you know and cool papa bell points out. Just be sure they both flower about the same time (early season, late season, etc).
posted by artdrectr at 8:51 AM on March 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's possible you have an ornamental, specifically bred to not give fruit or give tiny, not-viable fruit. We have loads of them here where I live.
posted by Toddles at 9:01 AM on March 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 9:01 AM on March 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I don't think the tree is an ornamental. the small tree that we planted last year is not exactly the same cultivar as it has leaves a different shape and it does flower at the same time as the big tree.
artdrectr you mention that the transplant could mess up the fruiting.. is that because the tree concentrates on growing roots etc? how would that appear, would it be possible that the tree starts creating fruit and then abandons it?
Talking to somebody today about this they recommended that I pick half the small plums when they appear and throw them away, that it would encourage the others to grow properly.
It would seem that identifying exactly what cultivar i have is crucial.. does anyone know of a good online source that will allow identification or of a good online gardening forum that has members capable of identifying the variety?
posted by foleypt at 10:43 AM on March 7, 2015
artdrectr you mention that the transplant could mess up the fruiting.. is that because the tree concentrates on growing roots etc? how would that appear, would it be possible that the tree starts creating fruit and then abandons it?
Talking to somebody today about this they recommended that I pick half the small plums when they appear and throw them away, that it would encourage the others to grow properly.
It would seem that identifying exactly what cultivar i have is crucial.. does anyone know of a good online source that will allow identification or of a good online gardening forum that has members capable of identifying the variety?
posted by foleypt at 10:43 AM on March 7, 2015
Just want to throw an anecdote out here for your consideration - my parents had a plum tree in their yard for like 15-20 years, and they did everything they could to get it to have fruit, and it just, didn't. I think the first year they had it, it grew a few small plums but then after that, absolutely nothing despite following all advice. Eventually they just pulled it out. So, sometimes I guess they can be a dud. I am no gardener though so take that anecdote with a grain of salt.
I hope yours turns out better. Good luck!
posted by FireFountain at 12:01 PM on March 7, 2015
I hope yours turns out better. Good luck!
posted by FireFountain at 12:01 PM on March 7, 2015
It couldn't hurt to give it a good mulch with some nice well rotted manure. Or if you're feeling non-organic give it some sulphate of potash. The potash helps with the ripening of fruits and the plant could grow fine, but not have enough potassium in the soil so the fruits couldn't ripen. I think there might be a bigger problem though and without know the situation and condition of the soil it would be really hard to ID the problem.
posted by koolkat at 12:59 PM on March 7, 2015
posted by koolkat at 12:59 PM on March 7, 2015
It would seem that identifying exactly what cultivar i have is crucial.. does anyone know of a good online source that will allow identification or of a good online gardening forum that has members capable of identifying the variety?
I think it's basically impossible to identify a plum cultivar without at least seeing the fruit, sorry. Their leaves, branches, blossoms etc are too similar.
Maybe one of your trees is a European plum and the other is a Japanese plum; they're different species and won't cross-pollinate even if they flower at the same time. What cultivar is the new one you planted?
Or it could just be time. I have a greengage tree that I planted in 2010 (or maybe 2009) and this is the first year it gave fruit, despite it blossoming in previous years and being right next to a compatible pollinator.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 1:50 AM on March 8, 2015
I think it's basically impossible to identify a plum cultivar without at least seeing the fruit, sorry. Their leaves, branches, blossoms etc are too similar.
Maybe one of your trees is a European plum and the other is a Japanese plum; they're different species and won't cross-pollinate even if they flower at the same time. What cultivar is the new one you planted?
Or it could just be time. I have a greengage tree that I planted in 2010 (or maybe 2009) and this is the first year it gave fruit, despite it blossoming in previous years and being right next to a compatible pollinator.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 1:50 AM on March 8, 2015
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posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:46 AM on March 7, 2015