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Things on Plums

februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
in Fruit & veg
Was taking a look round the garden this morning and noticed these eggs. I can't find anything on a Google image search that looks anything like them. They look a lot like slug/snail eggs but I wouldn't have thought they'd have laid eggs there. 


Also, there's some distortion and discolouration on one of them. I presume there's something undesirable growing on the inside of it?

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    The clear resin is made by prunus trees as a result of damage, similar to us forming a scab over a scratch.  In this case it's likely an insect like Plum Moth has laid an egg inside, as you suspect.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    That looks like plum moth we get it every year. We lose quite a few plums but still have more than enough for what we can use. Think you can use grease bands to stop them but not certain
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Damn, I was really hoping that wasn't the case. I bought two plum trees and a greengage last year (now all three years old) and there isn't a whole lot of fruit on them, especially now I've thinned them out. Fortunately, there's only me and OH and he doesn't like plums. I can live with a few less plums, it's the greengages I really want.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    My Victoria plum in my former garden used to get that clear resin on fruit which wasn't attacked by anything and was perfectly good to eat.  I'd leave them on the tree and see what happens, unless you can definitely see insect damage on them.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    @Liriodendron Definitely. I shall be cutting each one before eating though!
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    @Liriodendron I do leave them on the tree and just wait, if they have got a grub inside they ripen and fall off the tree very early leaving untouched plums still to ripen. I'll be honest I had no idea the 1st year we had the trees and I got a few high protein additions as I scrumped them straight from the tree🤢
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Indeed, they may have just been 'tasted' by something like a shield bug which has pierced the skin of the fruit (hence the resin) so there will be no grub inside.  Make sure you dispose of all fallen fruit and clear up the leaves when they have all fallen and burn or throw them in your council garden waste bin, but don't leave them on the ground or compost them as many of the problem insects and diseases overwinter in the leaf litter and rotting fruit.  Adding a mulch of well-rotted manure or FBB & garden compost after cleaning up in autumn will also help reduce pests as well as feeding the tree.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Wilderbeast said:
    @Liriodendron I do leave them on the tree and just wait, if they have got a grub inside they ripen and fall off the tree very early leaving untouched plums still to ripen. I'll be honest I had no idea the 1st year we had the trees and I got a few high protein additions as I scrumped them straight from the tree🤢
    Aaand that's why I'm going to cut them first :D
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