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Plum

pclark42pclark42 Posts: 186
in Fruit & veg
I am new to fruit trees, last year my then 2-year-old Victoria plum gave off a handful of really tasty plums, this year it's 3rd year it is a bit disastrous, firstly I think it was under-watered and the leaves started to turn yellow and drop, I gave it lots of water, but maybe too late, secondly is this the results of maggots, please point me in the right direction of what I should be doing, also there are some new shoots developing from branches, they are curved and odd looking, should I be pruning at all ?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think the damage to that fruit is likely to be from birds helping themselves. 

    Re pruning… can you post a photo of the tree so we can see the whole shape of the tree please 😊 

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





  • pclark42pclark42 Posts: 186
    When I went to take these pictures I had a shock, 3 wasps climbed out of one of the plums, and you can see one emerging, the vertical shoots off the main branches are my concern, are these normal? what do you do with plum trees to help them along.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2023
    Speaking personally I would leave them … they’re going to  carry the fruit next year.  Some folk might advise cutting them back to four buds. I would probably leave that until next May/June

    Also next year I would take out any crossing branches and ensure the centre isn’t getting congested. 

    I suspect the wasps are taking advantage of the damage done by birds. 🙄 

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





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Agree with @Dovefromabove We have had the best harvest of plums this year. But lurking in the background are the wasps (they are good neighbours really). They come in when the birds have attacked the fruit.
    Your tree is still young so will develop and produce more fruit and maybe the birds will hopefully leave some undamaged so that the wasps stay away.
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    The bigger it grows the more fruit you’ll get . Eventually there will be enough for you , the birds and anything else . It may take a few years but .
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Your tree looks rather poorly to be carrying a crop of plums of any kind. It looks as if it suffering badly from lack of water. 
  • pclark42pclark42 Posts: 186
    Joyce. In June I was away for 2 weeks and the weather was hot and very dry, I think it was then that the damage was caused, since then it has been looked after, but the damage was done.

  • pinutpinut Posts: 194
    As others have said, don't worry too much about it. The tree has done its job (ie produced fruit) and will recover.

    Compare it to my Victoria plum last year.




    It was planted in a bucket and in the initial stages of being trained.  Like yours, mine also produced fruit but only turned sickly looking once the fruit were set and nearing ripeness.

    After harvesting all of the fruit, I defoliated the tree, noting that it had been very healthy just prior and trusting in the fact that plum trees are very vigorous.

    Earlier this year I slip potted it into a bigger container (approx 30L) just to give me a little leeway on the watering.



    You can see that it has fully recovered.
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