Established orchard plum tree sick or dying?

Hello

This plum tree in the orchard is said to be dead but is producing loads of lovely plums. It is a bit lop-sided and positioned right at the bottom of the garden, overshadowed by big trees in the field behind and touching branches with the cooking apple tree.

A lot of the fruits are diseased or shrivelled up, but many are absolutely fine. Do you think it is dead or could some TLC get it back to its former glory?

What should we do with the tree once all the fruits have finished please?

 

It could be that it's going to dormancy and shedding it's leaves. I'd clear all the fruit that's rotten and if it survives the winter next may give it a trim by cutting any dead branches and any that's in the middle to get some light in there. It's best to do it then because no desease will get in.

 

Thank you @Logan We cleared all the dead fruit today but snipped off a few very dead branch ends to see what they were like inside, basically inside the branch ends looked like rotten wood? But we will carry on picking the fruits then do as advised in May. Fingers crossed it gets through the winter.

Thanks for your help.
Tink

 

Your welcome

 

Ah okay thanks @shiney, there is quite a few good fruits still on the tree, I check the windfall from the apples and plum every morning and evening, once the plum finishes I’ll give it a health check trim and hope for more fruits next year.

 

The rotten plum fruits could have grubs in them, that's why they rot.

 

@shiney I've messed up missed the plum pruning time doh! With so much going on after the house move I put the pruning down as January. We are just starting the apple trees (yes late for this too as @NigelJ said to start on Boxing Day) and was re-reading the advice on what to do and now see we should have pruned the plum in autumn. Is it too late do you think or can we at least take off any dead branches that would come off naturally in high winds?

We started cutting back the big trees that hang over the back from the wooded area behind us yesterday, one of these was actually touching a fair bit of the plum tree. The plum tree is also touching the eating apple tree on the other side, so we want to separate them out a bit and then work on getting some ventilation through all three apple trees today.

If we get frost will we give diseases a way in by pruning now?

Thank you for your advice (still a newbie).
Tink.

 

Thank you @shiney the plum will be my first job, dead branches only and an alert in my phone for October!!

We only have the three apple trees, eating, cooking and pollinating crab. Will get all three pruned today, working six days next week so it’ll be February before I get back out there :(

Happy Sunday

Tink.

 

Will do, thank you.
Tink

 

@Tinkerbelle61 Boxing day was an indication not a definite day; any time once the tree is dormant until buds start to swell is fine.
Plums are best pruned in the summer, when it's dry.
In gardening dates are generally for guidance and not definite deadlines, the important thing is to do a job at about the right time when the weather is suitable and you have time to do it properly.

 

Thanks @NigelJ I’ll intend to be more on top of things but it’s good to know there is a bit of leeway on dates.

Tink.