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Help with Plum tree please

Matthew59Matthew59 Posts: 17
in Problem solving
Hi. I bought a Victoria plum tree last year and put it in a pot. It gets plenty of sun and looked very healthy until recently. However, many of the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Any help would be appreciated as I am new to tree growing! Thanks 

Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    That pot is too small for such a big tree.  Unless you grow a patio variety, they are really better off in the ground.  We bought what we were sold as a patio Plum a few years ago, and it turned out to be anything but.  We planted it in the ground.

    The pot isn't giving it enough water/nutrients and space for the roots to grow.  That is almost certainly what is causing the problem.  Do you have a space where you could plant it in the ground?
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I agree. Nothing more to add.we bought a patio Victoria, trying to give it enough water was a nightmare,give it a whole can full,then carefully lift it out of the pot check,bone dry. Now in the ground
  • Matthew59Matthew59 Posts: 17
    Thanks both. Unfortunately I don’t have anywhere to put it in the ground. Would a bigger pot help?
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    A bigger pot would help temporarily, but as the tree grows, you will still end up with the same situation.  I don't know if you were sold the tree as a patio variety, but it doesn't look like that to me, so it will never be happy in a pot (unless it's really big).

    If you can't afford to buy a patio variety (or don't want to), then buy the biggest pot you can, try to include some soil or well-rotten manure in the growing medium, as standard compost from garden centres won't have enough substance.  From Spring to Autumn give the tree a weekly liquid feed.  You could also read up on how to prune a Plum tree, so that you can keep it as small as possible, whilst increasing the fruit yield.
  • Matthew59Matthew59 Posts: 17
    Many thanks. That is really helpful information :-)
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