New member

Hi folks,

I've just joined this forum. I've always enjoyed gardening but I am now lucky enough to have a lovely little garden which I'm finally getting round to sorting out. I grow a number of herbs at the moment but tend to keep these in containers to prevent them spreading.

I inherited an apple tree and a plum tree with my garden and I'm trying to find out the best way to look after them so I'll be browsing through the forum later. I seem to be managing ok with the apple tree but my plum tree only had about 3 fruits on it last year.

Current plans for the garden include getting jasmine and honeysuckle plants. I need to try and work out what to plant in the rest of the garden.

Mitch

 

Hi and welcome.

Did you know some fruit trees produce little or no fruit unless there is another compatible one nearby? Perhaps that's the problem with your plum tree if you only have one of them. If it is not self fertile and none of your neighbours have one, then cross-pollination won't happen.

Of course there are plenty of other possible causes, but I thought I'd mention that before we get down to weather and soil conditions etc.

 

Welcome to the forum Mitch

 

Hi Clueless,

I knew that fruit trees need to have a companion tree nearby but it didn't click with me that this might be the problem with my plum tree. I'm not sure if its a self fertile tree and I haven't noticed a plum tree in any of the neighbours gardens. It had loads of fruit on it the year I took over its care which is why I think I may be doing something wrong with it. I'm wary about pruning it at the wrong time of year as I've been told that pruning a plum tree before summer can cause it to develop silver leaf so I leave pruning it until the end of May and I'm not sure if this is maybe a little late? I'm in Scotland so it really doesn't warm up here until May.

Cheers,
Mitch

 

Thanks for the welcome Sam.

 

Good evening Mitch and welcome. In my opinion, last year was a bad year for plums all round. This year though, looking much better.:gnthb:

 

Hi Mitch and welcome! I am fairly new here too, just joined this week.

I was looking at buying a miniature apple tree, your post reminded me of it :P