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Greengage tree flowering; but no fruits

EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
in Fruit & veg
I have a greengage tree, a few years old. Past 2 years it flowered beautifully but no success with fruits. This photo was taken when the tree was in flower last year.
But then, all it bore was a measly 3 fruits; which I never got to taste as I think squirrels got to them before me. This year again the tree has flowered profusely, but I don't see any fruit forming in the dried up flowers. Anyone know how I can get the fruit to set? TIA.

Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

Posts

  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Do you know what variety it is? Some need a pollination partner and some are self fertile.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    edited April 2023
    It is Denniston's Superb which is a self-fertile variety. I have P.Victoria in my garden and there are other varieties of plum nearby, which flower around the same time.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Unhelpfully, I can't really offer any tips. I have an Old Green Gage myself which must be coming up for 6 years old now and in the three years since I planted it (along with Victoria and Czar plums), I've had fruit every year. It gets a dose of chicken manure pellets in the spring and a prune in the summer but that's as far as I go. Is there any blossom still on the tree? If there is you could always have a go at hand pollination. I was considering it myself as I've barely seen any pollinators but the weather was just too rubbish. I do appear to have quite a bit of fruit developing but I think that's most likely down to one really windy day we had.
  • pinutpinut Posts: 194
    Go through the process of elimination.

    - Does the tree get full sun for at least 5 hours a day during spring and summer?
    - Is the tree getting enough water during fruit set and fruit development?
    - Have you or your neighbours been using chemicals in the garden which might inhibit the tree in some way? Chemicals include herbicides, fence paint, waste pipe chemicals that have leaked from the drainage system etc.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    Thanks @pinut for your advice.
    The tree is overshadowed by conifers and the fence nearby. That could be the reason. I'll be looking whether the fruit has set on the topmost branches which are above fence height and get adequate sunlight. Right now, it is a mass of dried flowers which are dropping off from the lower branches. I couldn't spot the green nubs inside the remaining flowers which are still in the tree; so I concluded that fruit hasn't set this season.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    @Eustace feel for you as we are the same. We have old green gage and yellow gage (reine claude d'oulins) which have been in the orchard over 10 years. They also have different plum varities nearby. Each Spring they are covered in flowers but usually we have frosts for many days in April and the fruit doesn't set. This year (fingers crossed) the frosts were before the flowers but we have had cold nights. We rarely get a handful of fruits from the 2 trees. They are in good sun, have adequate water and we don't use any chemicals and neither do the neighbours. Haven't looked to see yet whether any small fruits are developing.
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