Where have my plum buds gone?

[teabagqueen]

I planted a Victoria Plum tree (dwarf stock) last Autumn and up until two weeks ago had plenty of healthy looking buds all along the main trunk (it has not yet developed any branches).

When I went out to the garden last week I saw that every single bud has disappeared! I just can't work out what has happened. There are no bugs etc on the trunk. I have another older tree just 4 metres away and that one is fine - lots of buds, lots of blossom.

I don't know what to do next: Should I dig it up and see whether there's still any life below ground? Should I just leave it a while and see what happens? Should I contact the company I got it from now and request a refund?

[Bigmallly]

Frost?.......Mine are fleeced...........PS, sorry, welcome to the vine.

[veggiechicken]

Bullfinches take a lot of the buds from my trees
Are there leaves on the tree - or any signs of life?
And finally, welcome!!

[Kleftiwallah]

Birds is my best bet also, are there any buds on the ground beneath your tree? Cheers, Tony.

[Capsid]

Pigeons have eaten mine and broken the branches when they sit on them.

[Nicos]

Oh dear- sounds like birds to me too!

We had the same problem with a young cherry tree where we used to live and had to net it when in bud, and again when the fruit ripened.

I think it was bullfinches which got the blossom and then a pesky jay used to climb up the trunk and up under the netting to get at the fruit!

Strange how whatever it was didn't/hasn't yet gone for your other tree though


...just a thought- if it's very young, have you been watering it enough????

[teabagqueen]

Thank you so much for your welcomes and the quick responses. I have just braved the rain to check for buds below the tree but there aren't any. I will assume that it's either birds or frost. I guess I will just have to wait to see if the tree starts to show other signs of life soon!

[phil the shed]

i agree with Veggie chicken if the tree lives it could be finches if they get caught out with the weathern the buds are a good filler for them

[binley100]

My mature plum tree (marjories seedling) is short on blossom this year whereas last year it was fully loaded ..seems to go like that some times . Haven't seen any bullfinches ever in the garden .....Has it got any leaves ? Try the scratch test on the trunk see if there's some green under the bark ........