I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large reddish
yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or two fruit on it, but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign of any
bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the tree manually,
perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small fruit plum or my italian
prune trees against it's blooms. Does anyone have any knowledge about this they
could assist me with?

In article , "Bob F"
wrote:

I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large reddish
yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or two fruit on it,
but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign of any
bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the tree manually,
perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small fruit plum or my italian
prune trees against it's blooms. Does anyone have any knowledge about this
they
could assist me with?

http://tinyurl.com/6klhbr4

I think the word you want is pollination.

Have fun !

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

"The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow." - Anon

http://www.earthknowledge.net/map/

Bill who putters wrote:
In article , "Bob F"
wrote:

I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large
reddish yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or
two fruit on it, but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign
of any bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the
tree manually, perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small
fruit plum or my italian prune trees against it's blooms. Does
anyone have any knowledge about this they
could assist me with?

http://tinyurl.com/6klhbr4

I think the word you want is pollination.

Have fun !

Oops!

In article , "Bob F"
wrote:

I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large reddish
yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or two fruit on it,
but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign of any
bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the tree manually,
perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small fruit plum or my italian
prune trees against it's blooms. Does anyone have any knowledge about this
they
could assist me with?

Large harvests are often followed by small harvests.



Bush's 3rd term: Obama plus another war

Bush's 4th term: we can't afford it



America is not broke. The country is awash in wealth and cash.
It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the
greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks
and the portfolios of the uber-rich.
http://theuptake.org/2011/03/05/mich...wisconsin-is-b
roke/
--
- Billy

Dept. of Defense budget: $663.8 billion
Dept. of Health and Human Services budget: $78.4 billion


Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 16 April 1953

Billy wrote:
In article , "Bob F"
wrote:

I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large
reddish yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or
two fruit on it, but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign
of any bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the
tree manually, perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small
fruit plum or my italian prune trees against it's blooms. Does
anyone have any knowledge about this they
could assist me with?

Large harvests are often followed by small harvests.

I've had ONE large harvest on this tree in 20 years. Normally, not more than a
dozen plums. It is one of the first blooming trees in my area. I strongly
suspect the problem might be lack of bees due to cool weather.

Bob F wrote:
Billy wrote:
In article , "Bob F"
wrote:

I have a plum tree that is in full bloom. It's fruit is vary large
reddish yellow plums 3" long when ripe. Usually, it gets a dozen or
two fruit on it, but
one year I harvested 80 pounds of plums from it.

Here in Seattle, the spring has been cold and damp. There is no sign
of any bees. I am wondering if there is some way of fertilizing the
tree manually, perhaps be tapping a branch from my neighbor's small
fruit plum or my italian prune trees against it's blooms. Does
anyone have any knowledge about this they
could assist me with?

Large harvests are often followed by small harvests.

I've had ONE large harvest on this tree in 20 years. Normally, not
more than a dozen plums. It is one of the first blooming trees in my
area. I strongly suspect the problem might be lack of bees due to
cool weather.

Or lack of a suitable pollinator blooming at the same time. Until you know
the cultivar of the tree and can check its pollinators you are guessing.

David

Is this plum self-fertile? If yes, then you can gently dust the flowers
with a big household duster (feather or long microfiber filament types).
No need to sacrifice a branch.

Una