moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what method?

thanks 4 your help

The message m
from Tiger303 contains these words:

moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden
although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and
i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what
method?

Leave it for this year and see if it needs any.

Don't prune it unless absolutely necessary, and if you do ever need to ,
get expert advice.

Plum trees can sulk and refuse to crop if they are pruned.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

thanks jaques,

i'm assuming i'll know it won't need feeding as the tree will be full of plums come summer?

a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

cheers

thanks jaques,

i'm assuming i'll know it won't need feeding as the tree will be full of plums come summer?

a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

cheers

Hi Tiger,
If your tree looks well looked after, you may not need to feed it this year.
If you feel you want to feed it, wait until you see early fruit set (tiny
green fruits replacing flowers), then water in some tomato fertiliser. Make
sure it gets plenty of water while fruits are swelling. If you want fewer
large fruit, thin out excess fruits after June drop (trees natural response
to setting too many fruits), otherwise you'll have masses of smaller fruits.
Be prepared to support heavily laden branches.
Never prune your plum tree in winter, due to the risk of silver leaf
disease. Prune during summer in good, dry weather, and make sure your
secateurs are clean.
Spider

Tiger303 wrote in message
s.com...
moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden
although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and
i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what
method?

thanks 4 your help
--
Tiger303
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Hi Tiger,
If your tree looks well looked after, you may not need to feed it this year.
If you feel you want to feed it, wait until you see early fruit set (tiny
green fruits replacing flowers), then water in some tomato fertiliser. Make
sure it gets plenty of water while fruits are swelling. If you want fewer
large fruit, thin out excess fruits after June drop (trees natural response
to setting too many fruits), otherwise you'll have masses of smaller fruits.
Be prepared to support heavily laden branches.
Never prune your plum tree in winter, due to the risk of silver leaf
disease. Prune during summer in good, dry weather, and make sure your
secateurs are clean.
Spider

Tiger303 wrote in message
s.com...
moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden
although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and
i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what
method?

thanks 4 your help
--
Tiger303
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Hi Tiger,
If your tree looks well looked after, you may not need to feed it this year.
If you feel you want to feed it, wait until you see early fruit set (tiny
green fruits replacing flowers), then water in some tomato fertiliser. Make
sure it gets plenty of water while fruits are swelling. If you want fewer
large fruit, thin out excess fruits after June drop (trees natural response
to setting too many fruits), otherwise you'll have masses of smaller fruits.
Be prepared to support heavily laden branches.
Never prune your plum tree in winter, due to the risk of silver leaf
disease. Prune during summer in good, dry weather, and make sure your
secateurs are clean.
Spider

Tiger303 wrote in message
s.com...
moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden
although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and
i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what
method?

thanks 4 your help
--
Tiger303
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Hi Tiger,
If your tree looks well looked after, you may not need to feed it this year.
If you feel you want to feed it, wait until you see early fruit set (tiny
green fruits replacing flowers), then water in some tomato fertiliser. Make
sure it gets plenty of water while fruits are swelling. If you want fewer
large fruit, thin out excess fruits after June drop (trees natural response
to setting too many fruits), otherwise you'll have masses of smaller fruits.
Be prepared to support heavily laden branches.
Never prune your plum tree in winter, due to the risk of silver leaf
disease. Prune during summer in good, dry weather, and make sure your
secateurs are clean.
Spider

Tiger303 wrote in message
s.com...
moved to a new house in Oct & I have a beautiful plum tree in garden
although i have idea what variety. I can see buds starting to form and
i'm wondering when is the best time to feed it, with what and what
method?

thanks 4 your help
--
Tiger303
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

The message m
from Tiger303 contains these words:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
*
Leave it for this year and see if it needs any.

thanks jaques,

i'm assuming i'll know it won't need feeding as the tree will be full
of plums come summer?

About right. You'll improve its yield (probably) by killing the grass
under it, say, to what would be its shadow with the sun dead above it.

I have read somewhere that you can cover this space with green manure to
good effect, but i can't remember what time of year you should do it.

My *GUESS* would be, after it has cropped, BICBW.

a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree
always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of
plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower
early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

More likely to be a slightly 'iffy' memory and the flowers (or very
young set fruit) were zapped by frost.

My mother had a Victoria plum in a very sheltered position, and nearly
every year it was laden so that the ends of its branches rested on the
ground. We sometimes had to prop-up the most crowded ones.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message m
from Tiger303 contains these words:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
*
Leave it for this year and see if it needs any.

thanks jaques,

i'm assuming i'll know it won't need feeding as the tree will be full
of plums come summer?

About right. You'll improve its yield (probably) by killing the grass
under it, say, to what would be its shadow with the sun dead above it.

I have read somewhere that you can cover this space with green manure to
good effect, but i can't remember what time of year you should do it.

My *GUESS* would be, after it has cropped, BICBW.

a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree
always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of
plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower
early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

More likely to be a slightly 'iffy' memory and the flowers (or very
young set fruit) were zapped by frost.

My mother had a Victoria plum in a very sheltered position, and nearly
every year it was laden so that the ends of its branches rested on the
ground. We sometimes had to prop-up the most crowded ones.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message m
from Tiger303 contains these words:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
*
Leave it for this year and see if it needs any.

thanks jaques,

i'm assuming i'll know it won't need feeding as the tree will be full
of plums come summer?

About right. You'll improve its yield (probably) by killing the grass
under it, say, to what would be its shadow with the sun dead above it.

I have read somewhere that you can cover this space with green manure to
good effect, but i can't remember what time of year you should do it.

My *GUESS* would be, after it has cropped, BICBW.

a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree
always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of
plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower
early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

More likely to be a slightly 'iffy' memory and the flowers (or very
young set fruit) were zapped by frost.

My mother had a Victoria plum in a very sheltered position, and nearly
every year it was laden so that the ends of its branches rested on the
ground. We sometimes had to prop-up the most crowded ones.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
: a friend who had a plum tree in his garden as a child said his tree
: always followed a two year cycle. one year it had a bumper crop of
: plums, the next only a few, and then a bumper crop, and so on........

: reading i heard this may b due to pollination of flowers as they flower
: early when the bees aren't out properly to pollinate.

: More likely to be a slightly 'iffy' memory and the flowers (or very
: young set fruit) were zapped by frost.

: My mother had a Victoria plum in a very sheltered position, and nearly
: every year it was laden so that the ends of its branches rested on the
: ground. We sometimes had to prop-up the most crowded ones.


My Victoria certainly shows Bi-enniel cropping behaviour. It has a bumper
year followed by a lean year. I've tried thinning but it's a real chore.

Jim

I've just moved house and in the garden is an old plum tree which was
neglected for six years then given a hard prune and so didn't crop
much at at all last summer.

Should I prune it at all this year? and when is it likely to stop
sulking and produce a crop again?

(Probably the first of many questions from a novice gardener who has
bought a lovely garden)

Anna
--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plasterwork, plaster conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling and pargeting
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 07976 649862

The message
from (Anna Kettle) contains these words:

I've just moved house and in the garden is an old plum tree which was
neglected for six years then given a hard prune and so didn't crop
much at at all last summer.

Should I prune it at all this year? and when is it likely to stop
sulking and produce a crop again?

The less you can prune it the better. You may be lucky and see a crop
this year, but I shouldn't be surprised if you don't see one for a few
years.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The less you can prune it the better.

Good. Sounds like my sort of gardening!

Anna
--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plasterwork, plaster conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling and pargeting
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 07976 649862