plum blossom

[cheops]

Hi all. My two plum trees are close to flowering and I'm hoping they will hold back for a while yet. There are just no insects and bees about yet. I live in the Croydon area. If they do blossom soon should I spend some time with a delicate artist's paint brush and do the work the bees would do naturally? Does this work and would it be worthwhile? Both trees are self pollinating.

[Two_Sheds]

I live in the Croydon area.

Pop that into your profile, it's ever so helpful

We have (sorry, had - the council have just hacked them all down ) dozens of wild plums along our old railway track. They blossom very early too, and are always laden with fruit. Alas no more

The Japanese quince already has lots of flowers open, and that also has lots of fruit

[Bigmallly]

My plum tree had lots of bloom last year but not a single fruit. If memory serves me right, I think we had a late frost which I believe may have killed them. I think a little more protection may be in order this year.

[Shadylane]

Same here. Nearly all the blossoms got frosted, unfortunately our tree(which we inherited) is far too big to fleece. Hope we don't get any late frosts this year.
Two-Sheds that's pretty cruddy. I don't understand this at all, I mean for what reason would they do this other than just to be arrisholes?
ETA: cheops, if they're definitely both self pollinating surely there's no need for you to pollinate(?)

[Nicos]

I've just noticed my small peach tree has a couple of blossoms which have opened today.
We've had frosts every night for a week now- so the fleece is out ready to throw over every night now. ( unusually,last year our last frost was during the first week in June...that's 11 weeks away!!!!)

[Two_Sheds]

Two-Sheds that's pretty cruddy. I don't understand this at all

I have been complaining about fly tipping in the bushes on the old railway line (now a footpath, cycle lane and park) all year.

Rather than clear up the rubbish, the council just came out and cut all the trees down

The rubbish is still there

[FB.]

ETA: cheops, if they're definitely both self pollinating surely there's no need for you to pollinate(?)

Self pollinating, self-fertile or part-self fertile can pollinate themselves, but only if bees (or other insects) take the pollen from the anther (pollen creating part of a flower) and transfer it to the stigma (pollen receiving part of the flower).
I suppose that a small amount of pollen might be scattered within the flowers on a windy day.

Sometimes a small number of (seedless) fruits can be produced without pollenation. It's known as parthenocarpy.

[Shadylane]

I have been complaining about fly tipping in the bushes on the old railway line (now a footpath, cycle lane and park) all year.

Rather than clear up the rubbish, the council just came out and cut all the trees down

The rubbish is still there

hm, typical

Self pollinating, self-fertile or part-self fertile can pollinate themselves, but only if bees (or other insects) take the pollen from the anther (pollen creating part of a flower) and transfer it to the stigma (pollen receiving part of the flower).
I suppose that a small amount of pollen might be scattered within the flowers on a windy day.

Sometimes a small number of (seedless) fruits can be produced without pollenation. It's known as parthenocarpy.

Right, so self pollinating as in - don't need other pollenaters but still need bees. Looks like you might need to get your paintbrish out then, cheops.

[cheops]

Thx everyone. When they blossom both trees are small enough to cover with fleece[s] so I am not TOO worried about frost. However the paintbrush idea - no one has said if this works and works well. I don't mind the effort IF it works - I see it as a kind of double insurance in case there are a lack of insects - [since I initially posted the thread I actually saw a solitary honey bee in the garden.

[Headfry]

Plums are often biannual cropping. Victoria plums are well known for this. fingers all
crossed for no late frosts - I always worry this time of year.

[FB.]

Thx everyone. When they blossom both trees are small enough to cover with fleece[s] so I am not TOO worried about frost. However the paintbrush idea - no one has said if this works and works well. I don't mind the effort IF it works - I see it as a kind of double insurance in case there are a lack of insects - [since I initially posted the thread I actually saw a solitary honey bee in the garden.

Paintbrush works, but you must be gentle or the flower will be damaged.
A feather is arguably better.

[cheops]

thx FB, Will grab a feather off the next dastardly pigeon I see in the garden and try that. And thx to ewveryone else.

[Raymond]

Hello, I am new to this forum.

I to had problems with a poor harvest of plums last year doe to frost destroying much of the blossom. I thought that this year would make up for it but there is very little blossom on my plum fan (Early Transparent Gage. Does anyone else have a similar problem?

Regards

Raymond

[FB.]

Raymond

Plums are well known for their biennial habit; heavy cropping in one year and light cropping the next.

Chances are that it will blossom heavily again next year. Flower bud formation will be increased if you avoid too much feeding (especially nitrogen).
Additionally, if it grows strongly, prune the new growth (only the new growth) quite hard in July, which will also influence greater blossom formation next year.

To restore it to annual bearing.....
Next February, just as the blossom buds begin to swell, if they are numerous, pinch-out about half of the blossom buds. This will reduce the crop for 2012 to a more normal level, but also save some of the trees strength for another satisfactory crop in 2013.

Everyone loves a bumper crop, but it is better to encourage the tree to crop less but regularly. It also reduces the chances of broken branches under the weight of fruit (which is very common with plums).

[ugley_matt]

whats the correct technique for "painting" blossom? Just dust each flower and move down the branch?