My Mirabelles have finished flowering already, I'm in County Durham. This is just the first full year they've been in. I think you've buried your graft. Have a look at the base of the tree if you can't see a join then dig down gently with a trowel until you find the join.
If you have buried it then uncover it, if any roots are coming from the scion then remove them with a very sharp knife or secateurs. The graft/join should be well above the soil since even an inch above may not be enough to stop the scion rooting in especially since you've mulched. I've got an apple tree that I think has probably rooted from the scion even though it's above the soil. There's roots coming from the join which could be from either the rootstock or the scion and it still hasn't flowered which tells me I need to get the secateurs out.
I cleared the roots from around the graft on my apple yesterday. I'm not sure if they were from the scion or the rootstock looking at this photo they look like they came from the rootstock but I'm glad I cut them away, it won't hurt the tree in the long run. Hopefully next year it will flower. There's flowers the Court Pendu Plat I grafted onto it but I'm not going to read much into that yet. The variety was originally Ambassy. I don't know much about that other than it's an early and that's probably it only virtue.
If your tree had blossom but no fruit and never had fruitlets then it's a pollination issue, assuming everything else is fine. I've got two that have been shoved in a hedge for just a year and a bit, they've had bigger fruit than my moly coddled plums this year. I did hand pollinate though. With so few bees and pollinators around you can't rely on them to do the job, and no amount of nectar rich plants in your garden is going to help if there's no bees there in the first place because they've been killed off by ant killer and other pesticides people scatter round like salt on chips. I know most harm is being done by farmers but if we don't do our bit the bees are stuffed and your crops along with them.
I have just harvested from my cherry plum which took years to begin fruiting. It flowers very early in the year, usually before my Victoria plum trees.
Perhaps it is a pollination issue although we do have bees in the garden, quite a lot as it is a very wildlife friendly area.....chemicals almost entirely banned!
I think I shall try moving it and possibly siting it close to two old apple trees which still produce fruit.
Many thanks for all you suggestions, thoughts etc.
I have a mirabelle now 3 years old. I had 5 plums this year. Better than the 4 last year.
i live not far from Agen, France. plum country of course and am going to step up the potash feed this year as advised on this forum. I was advised feed in the Autumn and again in the early spring.
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My Mirabelles have finished flowering already, I'm in County Durham. This is just the first full year they've been in. I think you've buried your graft. Have a look at the base of the tree if you can't see a join then dig down gently with a trowel until you find the join.
If you have buried it then uncover it, if any roots are coming from the scion then remove them with a very sharp knife or secateurs. The graft/join should be well above the soil since even an inch above may not be enough to stop the scion rooting in especially since you've mulched. I've got an apple tree that I think has probably rooted from the scion even though it's above the soil. There's roots coming from the join which could be from either the rootstock or the scion and it still hasn't flowered which tells me I need to get the secateurs out.
Many thanks for this helpful image. I shall have a look and what's what with my Mirabelle. If necessary then the secateurs it will be
I cleared the roots from around the graft on my apple yesterday. I'm not sure if they were from the scion or the rootstock looking at this photo they look like they came from the rootstock but I'm glad I cut them away, it won't hurt the tree in the long run. Hopefully next year it will flower. There's flowers the Court Pendu Plat I grafted onto it but I'm not going to read much into that yet. The variety was originally Ambassy. I don't know much about that other than it's an early and that's probably it only virtue.
Another year and still no fruit
No roots around the grafting point either.
I may think about moving it. Though it is in good soil it may be competing with other things - gooseberries & strawberries.
It has leaves, had blossom, no frost - all very puzzling as the plum tree a few feet away is yet again laden.
I guess that's gardening for you
If your tree had blossom but no fruit and never had fruitlets then it's a pollination issue, assuming everything else is fine. I've got two that have been shoved in a hedge for just a year and a bit, they've had bigger fruit than my moly coddled plums this year. I did hand pollinate though. With so few bees and pollinators around you can't rely on them to do the job, and no amount of nectar rich plants in your garden is going to help if there's no bees there in the first place because they've been killed off by ant killer and other pesticides people scatter round like salt on chips. I know most harm is being done by farmers but if we don't do our bit the bees are stuffed and your crops along with them.
Useful info here www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/mirabelle-trees particularly that they are only partially self fertile.
I have just harvested from my cherry plum which took years to begin fruiting. It flowers very early in the year, usually before my Victoria plum trees.
Perhaps it is a pollination issue although we do have bees in the garden, quite a lot as it is a very wildlife friendly area.....chemicals almost entirely banned!
I think I shall try moving it and possibly siting it close to two old apple trees which still produce fruit.
Many thanks for all you suggestions, thoughts etc.
I have a mirabelle now 3 years old. I had 5 plums this year. Better than the 4 last year.
i live not far from Agen, France. plum country of course and am going to step up the potash feed this year as advised on this forum. I was advised feed in the Autumn and again in the early spring.
I shall try a two pronged approach:
Move the tree in the autumn to be closer to my apple trees.
Feed with potash autumn and spring.
Then wait and see if next year brings lovely fruity results - quite a lot of gardening is waiting and hoping!
Why are you moving your cherry plum close to your apple tree? What will that do?