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How old is this dwarf plum tree?

justinexyz 549justinexyz 549 Posts: 28
in Fruit & veg
I bought this dwarf Opal plum tree from Dobbies last year in March. Lots of leaves but no fruit. This year, I was thinking about giving it a prune but instructions online have different diagrams depending on the age but say even a 3 year old tree will have very little fruit on. There are 27 on it that I could see and it’s looking a bit messy but I have no idea what I’m doing!


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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    That photo is all very well, but what about a photo of how it is now?  We can't advise without seeing it ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Couldn't say how old but it looks smaller than my dwarf plum trees (pixy root stock) were when I got them. Mine were two years old and and were probably twice that size. They most definitely wouldn't have fit in a trolley.

    I wasn't expecting any fruit on mine last year as they were only three by then, but I got some anyway. As far as I was aware, if you have fruit one year you'd have less or none the year after. This year there's so many I'm going to have to give them away and learn to make jam. 

    I haven't pruned mine as yet, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to get the tree surgeon I've used in the past to take a look at them in the summer and take off whatever he feels is necessary. I'll get some tips from him and then take care of it myself from then on.
  • justinexyz 549justinexyz 549 Posts: 28
    edited May 2021
    Sorry they didn’t all seem to load. As you can see it’s a bit lopsided 





  • justinexyz 549justinexyz 549 Posts: 28
    Yes I’m wondering how I will eat 27 plums!! Pruning guides seem so complicated 
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    @justinexyz 549 The June drop will thin the plums out so you probably won't have to eat 27 of them! 

    my Czar plum has bunches like this all over it.


  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Plum crumble,plum jam, breakfast compot I'm coming round,!
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    You need to thin the plums so that there are two per cluster.
  • justinexyz 549justinexyz 549 Posts: 28
    fidgetbones said:
    You need to thin the plums so that there are two per cluster.
    Thanks, will do that 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    fidgetbones said:
    You need to thin the plums so that there are two per cluster.
    But don’t do it until after the June Drop, or you may end up with no plums at all 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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