On 23/11/2017 00:28, brian mitchell wrote:

Hi,

I'm having much trouble over some years successfully growing plum
trees. I did have two Victoria Plums which cropped quite abundantly
for two years then mysteriously died. I replaced them with a Czar and
a yellow damson, neither of which have fruited well --abysmally, in
fact.

The opinion was given on GQT that climate change is a possible reason
why plums aren't doing well in the south of the country, the thought
being that the trees aren't going properly dormant in the milder
winters and therefore not setting fruit. I'm in South West Wales, more
or less on a level with Cardigan. There are bullace (wild plum) all
around in the hedgerows, so I doubt it could be a pollination problem.

My questions a is anyone else here located in the southern part of
the country and, if so, do you recognise this problem? Also, are you
having success with a particular plum variety?

I'd really like to be able to grow plums and will try again, so I'm
interested in ideas about varieties and any general tips, dos and
don'ts I may have transgressed.

Thanks,

Brian Mitchell


I see where you are now!

Czar is pollination group D ie one of the later flowering plums and the
sloes and Bullace are all likely to be earlier, I am in west Cornwall
and probably have similar climate to you, I get good crops on plums most
years but weather at the time of flowering proved to be an issue and I
ended up building a wall for them to grow against, I think protecting
the flowers from bad weather would help the most as many plums are
partly self fertile anyway

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk