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Try again: plum tree
Howdy
A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. About 4 plums last year. NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Cheers John |
Try again: plum tree
"Another John" wrote A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. About 4 plums last year. NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Try... http://www.articlesbase.com/videos/5min/166434895 -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
Try again: plum tree
"Another John" wrote in message ... Howdy A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. About 4 plums last year. NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Is there any particular reason why you want to prune it? IIRC in the early years you can do minor stuff to shape the tree, but major pruning of plums is not a regular thing (unlike, for instace, apples). Plums are a bit fickle until they get established and a cold start to the year can also cause problems with setting fruit. Was there plenty of blossom? Cheers Dave R -- No plan survives contact with the enemy. Helmuth von Moltke the Elder |
Try again: plum tree
"David WE Roberts" wrote ... "Another John" A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. About 4 plums last year. NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Is there any particular reason why you want to prune it? IIRC in the early years you can do minor stuff to shape the tree, but major pruning of plums is not a regular thing (unlike, for instace, apples). Plums are a bit fickle until they get established and a cold start to the year can also cause problems with setting fruit. Was there plenty of blossom? On thinking about it we had a late and hard frost around here and that would have had a serious effect on all early flowering fruit. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
Try again: plum tree
On 12 July, 12:14, Another John wrote:
Howdy A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. *About 4 plums last year. *NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Cheers John Same problem with my plums, damsons, apricots and apples. Pears, walnuts OK. Massive crop of peaches and cherries, All due to a cold spell we had in the Spring I think. The other thing is bienniallism. A lot of plums & damsons, you get a heavy crop on alternate years and very little the other years. Dunno why. |
Try again: plum tree
Thanks to all for the answers: seems like the hard winter has been the
problem. (We're in the North East of England here.) We didn't get much blossom (didn't expect much, as it's still a young tree) but we had expected a _few_ plums. I know now that I need to prune it quick while it's still summer, but only to the extent of shaping it. And thanks to the great videos at http://www.articlesbase.com/videos/5min/166434895 (thanks Steve The FruitGrower) I know how to prune it. --- By the way: there's a plum tree next door-but-one to us - grows out of a crack in the ground between the house and the street; it's probably 15 years old now, and has had nothing whatever but _neglect_: it grows ever heavier crops, year after year after year: tons of beautiful plums. All the neighbours help themselves, the owners never being around, or caring, to harvest them. My wife was hoping to emulate this specimen with our own. Also by the way: Yes, I know that Google is my Friend, but it's newsgroups like this where one can get directly to the best advice, and usually from people speaking from experience. Cheers all John |
Try again: plum tree
In article ,
Another John wrote: Thanks to all for the answers: seems like the hard winter has been the problem. (We're in the North East of England here.) We didn't get much blossom (didn't expect much, as it's still a young tree) but we had expected a _few_ plums. No, that's misleading. It's the TIMING of the temperature changes that is the issue. I have a potentially huge crop, but there were no frosts after it broke bud, and it was warm and dry while it was flowering. They can also crop in alternative years, if they feel like it. I know now that I need to prune it quick while it's still summer, but only to the extent of shaping it. Yes. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Try again: plum tree
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message ... "Another John" wrote A few days ago I posted a question about what to do about our 3-year old plum tree. No replies that I've seen, so maybe there's no comment to be made ... but on the off-chance... Plum tree is 3 years old. About 4 plums last year. NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions. Question: should I be pruning it furiously right now, while the bushy growth is rampant? [I can't remember what variety it is, but I'd guess that it's a Victoria, since we're not fruit growers as such, and we'd just have gone for the bog-standard favourite.] Try... http://www.articlesbase.com/videos/5min/166434895 Unfortunately I found the video less than helpful - 90% grumbling about someone else not pruning the way he would and repeating 'prune in spring'. Plus continuous 'I've already told you how to do this'. The last few seconds were O.K. but still not much information specific to plums. I have chanced across http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_...ch_2b_plum.asp which has some interesting things to say about location of the tree etc. It also says: "If the tree is being planted in soil which has previously been fertilised for other crops, do not add more fertiliser - too fertile a soil will result in too much tree growth at the expense of too little fruit growth." This could tie in with the OP saying "NO plums this year -- but a huge amount of bushy growth in all directions." So another possibility is that the ground is too fertile. In which case it is probably best to let the tree grow out for a year or two until it has used up some of the extra food and can settle down to producing fruit. Read through all the pages on plums atr this site - it does have a comprehensive guide on what to do and what not to do. HTH Dave R -- No plan survives contact with the enemy. Helmuth von Moltke the Elder |
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