Alistair Macdonald wrote:
Last year and the year before my mature (about 20 years old) Victoria plum
tree produced barely half-a-dozen fruits. This year I have harvested over
300 delicious plums. What, if anything have I done right, or do the
elements take the credit?


If this tree was on a standard rootstock, that might account for the
delay in the earlier years of growth, but 20 years should have
produced fruit sooner.

It may be a pollination issue. Have you or your neighbors recently
planted any fruiting or decorative plum trees? Did you previously
ever get blossoms that failed to turn into fruit? This variety is
self-fertile, but I have seen problems with these kinds of fruits
that are overcome with another identical variety, or a different
variety nearby. Have you noticed a dearth of pollinating insects
in past years?

Over fertilizing in previous years could have directed the tree to
producing more growth rather than fruiting.

Could be several other things, but hopefully the current pattern
will continue.

Sherwin