Victoria Plum

Hi, we had a great plum crop last year (first year), nothing this year. The tree looks really healthy with no sign of disease or distress. Any ideas? I was hoping it was coming late but saw a similar tree full of plums in my next door neighbours garden at the weekend.

 

How old is the tree ?

 

I have an idea that plums can be what they call biennial bearing, that is one year they are loaded and then vitually nothing the next year.
I've never grown plums, so am not really speaking from experience, but this can happen with many types of fruit tree.

 

Not sure about biennial fruiting. Happens with my apples, but I have a greengage tree as well , and that doesn't follow that pattern. I wonder it it less to do with biennial, and more to do with microclimate each year.

I would wish for Victoria plum instead - the taste of those fruit mmm. Mind its prolly in the genes, my mother whilst in end stage pregnancy wish me, holidayed on a farm and spent most of her time munching the Victoria plums, which she loved. :eek:

 

Hi Sharon. I'm no expert gardener but have noticed that this year the amount of plums on our tree is less than half of last year. There were so many last year that I was raking them up and throwing them away by the bucket load. I think it may be that this year there were not so many insects around at the crucial time or maybe the tree just needs a rest.

Anyhow, I have picked all our plums now - before the magpies ate them all - and have spent the last three days being a domestic goddess and making jams and chutneys with them.

I am now sick of the sight of them

 

My sister-in-law and her husband had a huge garden with quite a few plum trees in it and it always seemed as if one year was loaded with fruit but the following year hardly any.
Going by what others have wrote and my sister-in-law's garden it seems you can have good years followed by bad ones!
Helen.xxx.

 

Last year when it fruited it had been in the garden just over a year, there have been no fruits of any size at all so the birds havent got anything, heres hoping for next year, its a nice tree though so bonus if we get fruit.
Thanks everyone.

 

Hi Sharon we brought a little plum tree last week and are hoping for some fruit maybe next year as well.

It already had fruit on it before we brought it but hubbie (Bob) just had to test it to see if the tree was good enough for him.

Only problem was he ate all the fruit off it before he decided it was the right tree for him the greedy pig! :eek:
Helen.xxx.