My beautiful fruitless plum tree looks like it’s dying, have any helpful tips. - Ask Extension
My plum tree has always been lush and thick and healthy, it’s always been gorgous until 3 years ago. The pink blossoms were very few and blew of...
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My beautiful fruitless plum tree looks like it’s dying, have any helpful tips. #468052
Asked July 06, 2018, 11:34 AM EDT
My plum tree has always been lush and thick and healthy, it’s always been gorgous until 3 years ago. The pink blossoms were very few and blew off within days of bloom. The tree is at least 25 years old. The branches are brittle. Some leaves grew this year and last year but nothing like it use to do. the tree looks sick. Has not produced plums for over 3 years. Please help
San Bernardino County California
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. There are many things that can ‘go wrong’ with plum trees, and it would help to know what variety of plum you have (if you know). Plums not flowering is often caused by no pruning. Have you done that? Do you give your tree supplemental watering? Have you checked the leaves and trunk forvinsects? I cannot tell from your photos whether there might be either. UCAL has a great article on the many problems that beset plum trees, that you can read here: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.plum.html
Since the list is so large, I suggest you contact your county Extension office and decide how to proceed. Here is their webpage: http://cesanbernardino.ucanr.edu
Good luck!