Knowledgebase
Plums problem #752696
Asked May 28, 2021, 11:29 AM EDT
Windham County Vermont
Expert Response
There are three factors for pollination of this plum. Superior is not self-pollinating so it needs a different variety of plum in bloom at the same time for successful pollination by bees. Is it possible the pollination partner trees have been removed? They may have been well out of sight up to a mile or two away.
The second factor is the activity of pollinators may have been reduced. It is unlikely that they're numbers have dropped so drastically that pollination does not occur, though that is a growing concerns in some parts of the world. More likely is that poor weather kept them from being active during bloom. (This has happened to my plum trees each of the last two years. Unusually warm weather early in spring brings on early bloom only to be followed by several grey, wet days or even snow when no pollinators are flying.)
The third factor is the weather itself and potential freezing of the buds. I don't have the specific skill or knowledge to know if a fruit bud was killed by clod weather, but nature sure has been trying on my plums the last two years. Bloom was three weeks earlier(!!!) in 2020 and 2021 than it was in 2019. Growers in New York have experienced the same problem with plums; we are not alone.
Thank you. I suspected a pollination problem since I replaced the former other plum tree when it died, and the new one has not had many blooms. But, the tree has thousands of small (5-10mm) plums on it. Doesn't that mean it was pollinated? If not, then I need to replace tree No. 2 again.
Thanks for your help.
Lucian
That's what I needed to know. Thank you. My 2nd plum tree just isn't doing the job. I'll have to replace it.
Lucian
Well, I wrote too soon! After 4 years, my second (pollinator) plum decided to bloom and bear fruit this year. And pollinated the old one, which is now full of developing plums. So it was pollination after all, and the problem is solved. Thank you for your advice.
Lucian Leape
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Date: Friday, May 28, 2021 at 11:30 AM
To: Lucian Leape <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Thank you for your Ask Extension question (#0022627)
Dear Lucian,
Thank you for using Ask Extension. A request for support has been created and a representative will follow-up with you as soon as possible. You can view this question's progress online.
YOUR QUESTION #0022627:
Plums problem
We have a 30 year old plum tree that produces a large number of Superior plums. The last few years we got none. It blossoms magnificently and then develops hundreds of tiny (8-10 mm) plums, which then drop off. Can you tell me what is wrong and what to do?
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It was 5 different plums grafted onto one! 3 of them seem to have survived.
Lucian
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 8:01 AM
To: Lucian Leape <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Plums problem (#0022627)
