Where have my plums gone?

[lsm1066]

Two years ago, I had a bumper harvest of plums (one early, ready to pick around late June and a Victoria that comes in later). Last year's harvest was nothing to write home about and this year I have absolutely nothing on them at all, despite loads of blossom. Any ideas?
Lynne

[Derry]

birds and/or squirrels?

we've got looooooooooooooooads of plums this year =D

[ina]

The blossom doesn't give you an indication as to the amount of fruit you get at all; it depends more on pollination... What was the weather like when pollination should have taken place? What kind of insects did you have around at that time? Don't forget about all the problems beekeepers are having - we'll have to get used to less fruit (and other plant foods) if the general bee problems aren't solved soon...

[oldfella]

Last year here in SW France we had very little fruit or nuts, but this year my trees are full of fruit, so I think that it is something that happens every few seasons.

[Milims]

Trees have cycles. On year a bumper crop and then a couple of years to recover. THe you're back to the big crops

[Anne A]

It could be snails?
we had a victoria plum at our last place and the snails ate all the emerging fruit the first year until we got savey and vasalined the trunk to stop them climbing, and then sat patiently with a torch for a week picking off the ones that lived in the branches.

[Millymollymandy]

What Ina said. My plum trees were loaded with blossom, I've never seen anything like it, but the time whilst they are in blossom seems to be very short compared to other fruit trees. There was some rain during their blossoming period (= fewer insects about to pollinate) so I haven't got very many plums on one of the trees, and a reasonable amount on one of the others (but nothing compared to the amount of blossom). The greengage which flowers a bit later seems to be OK with quite a lot of fruit on it.

Then, if they have been pollinated and start forming little plums, there's the June drop, and wind. Lots of potential greengages on the ground!

[lsm1066]

Thanks folks. All makes sense. Hopefully the other half's beehives will be up and running for next year and that will help make a difference. In the meantime, I'll just have to rely on the apples and pears, which seem to be fine.

Anyone for Bramleys? I've had about half a ton off of one tree in each of the last two years!
Lynne

[ina]

Anyone for Bramleys?

I'd love some - but I'm a bit too far away!

[Jandra]

Another reason for not having fruit despite having plenty of blossom could be frost. If you have a single night of frost, you can lose most or all of your crop. That's what happened here last year: no-one on the allotment site had any crop to speak of. I didn't have a single plum. Fortunately we had milder weather this year when the plums were in bloom. But I lost a significant part of the blossoms to ... birds! Nevertheless, got some fruit on the tree, so I'm not complaining.

Jandra

[Millymollymandy]

See, I never understand this when people say that. We always have frost when the majority of fruit trees are in blossom and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the flowers. It's rain that stops the insects coming out which stops our fruit forming. There wouldn't be any peaches ever (here) if frost killed blossom flowers as they are in flower in March, sometimes even late February! Actually we'd never have any plums or pears either if frost was the culprit.

[Jandra]

MMM,

How high are those fruit trees over there? A bit of frost doesn't matter, but as cold air sinks and many modern varieties stay/are pruned lower than 2 meters (which also is a requirement at our allotment site) a night of real frost can kill the blossoms off. I can imagine that high fruit trees suffer a lot less.

Commercial growers over here mist their fruit trees in bloom at night when frost is predicted, to prevent the blossoms from freezing, so it isn't in the imagination.

Peaches.... lucky you.

Jandra

[MuddyWitch]

Ism1066,

I'd love some Brambley apples...& I might be able to swap you some plums! My tree seems to have quite a lot of mini plumlets, so weather permitting...

MW

[Millymollymandy]

MMM,

How high are those fruit trees over there? A bit of frost doesn't matter, but as cold air sinks and many modern varieties stay/are pruned lower than 2 meters (which also is a requirement at our allotment site) a night of real frost can kill the blossoms off. I can imagine that high fruit trees suffer a lot less.

Commercial growers over here mist their fruit trees in bloom at night when frost is predicted, to prevent the blossoms from freezing, so it isn't in the imagination.

Peaches.... lucky you.

Jandra

They are all sizes Jandra. Mirabelle plums flower here in February/March when the weather is really harsh, and although I never got fruit the actual flowers are not affected by heavy frost and minus temperatures. We never got any fruit off these trees though even when the weather was sunny and I saw insects on them. So they are firewood now! Though I still have a few small wild ones dotted around in the woodland, just for the early blossom, and peaches come up true from the stones (I think one of the few trees that don't need grafting) therefore self seed, so they are all sizes as well. Then there's the blackthorn (sloe) that flowers very early in the hedgerows too (though I don't have any on my land so don't know if they have fruit every year).

Oh well it's a mystery.

[lsm1066]

Ism1066,

I'd love some Brambley apples...& I might be able to swap you some plums! My tree seems to have quite a lot of mini plumlets, so weather permitting...

MW

It's a deal MW!