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All the other tress are, at the very least, sprouting, the apples and damsons even have blossom. but the victoria plum I bought from homebase before christmas shows no sign if life whatsoever! How much longer should I give it 'til I take it back for a refund!

I've just checked ours, and we're on about the same latitude as you ...

Your plum tree is defunct. It is no more, it has gone to the great garden in the sky, snuffed it ...

It should be blossoming by now.

Thanks, thought as much! Blood and sand!

Don't be so quick to condemn. Different species, I know, but my magnolia did nothing but imitate a twig all last year. Yesterday I went to pull it up and it's covered in leaf buds.

Zoe

Something strange seems to be happening with plums this year. Our previously decently cropping plum tree hasn't done a thing this year and so far no damsons. I've heard the same from other people round here. Does anyone know of a general problem with plums this year?

Late frosts perhaps? Our plum tree doesn't seem to be doing much either.

MrsD'ville mkII wrote:Something strange seems to be happening with plums this year. Our previously decently cropping plum tree hasn't done a thing this year and so far no damsons. I've heard the same from other people round here. Does anyone know of a general problem with plums this year?

Yes the problem is that (well here anyway) the mild winter caused the stone fruit to blossom much too early (peaches at the end of February here!!) during a time when it was wet and there were very few insects about to pollinate.

I have 1 purple plum, 4 damsons and not very many greengages on an enormous tree. Very, very few peaches this year as well, and about 4 pears between 3 trees.

In fact the only 'tree' fruit which is going to be any good (touch wood!) are apples.

Our apples are looking good too, better than last year. We use our plums mainly for jamming, but the strawberries are more than making up for the plums so we won't go without, though damson jam is my absolute favourite and we usually manage a decent scavenge of blackberries for blackberry jam.

I'm keeping a close eye on my single medlar and hoping it finds a few friends!

It was dead, not just resting! Is an ex tree, no more, it was in short, firewood!

We took it back and got a refund then bought a replacement at the nursery which is doing fine.

Gnerally, we've had loads of strabs this year, a few raspberries but then it's their first year, there's lots of apples to come but no pears. The quince and damson have no fruit either but they're still young trees.

My four damsons are mostly all ripe already which is very early for them.

My medlar has hardly any fruit this year either, just like the other fruit trees!

I have a Victoria plum tree that I planted a couple of years ago which I thought was doing OK. I pruned it in May and it has since turned up its toes. I think we had a dry windy spell just after it was pruned and I should have supplied it with plenty of water. You live and learn.