Plum Tree Question

[Garden_Chris]

Hi guys,

I went outside yesterday to see if my plum tree had fruiting spurs on it as it didn't produce any fruit last year despite being (I believe, three years old). I was wondering if:

1. Your plum trees look in a similar state right now
2. These small short branches are actually fruiting spurs
3. If they aren't fruting spurs, what do fruiting spurs look like on a plum tree? (Can you provide an image so I know what to look out for in the future? - thanks)

Hopefully these pictures will be able to determine whether or not I should expect any fruit this year, that is if spring decides to start...

[boundtothesoil]

I was wondering if:

Your plum trees look in a similar state right now

Yes, my plum trees look similar with respect to bud development at this stage of the season. In my opinion your tree looks fine for a three year old - nice looking union between grafted scion and rootstock, good potential main branch structure and lots of short laterals with fruiting potential. The books say plums start to fruit at 4-5 years old, depending on variety and the root stock they are on, and that they fruit on 2-4 year old wood. I imagine that many of the short lateral shoots on your tree were produced last year, so there is a chance that they will produce blossom this year, but maybe not.

Plums generally flower earlier than apples and pears (last year my Warwickshire Drooper plum tree was at the 100 % open flower stage on 30 March). This year the cold weather will, thankfully, delay the opening of buds and flowers. You have to hope that your tree doesn't produce any flowers until the cold weather is over, as they are susceptible to frost damage. Further, there will be very few pollinating insects flying under the current conditions.

The 'spear' shaped buds on your tree look pretty normal and healthy from the photos. Once it warms up for a few days and they develop further, look for swelling ones with a more oval ended shape as these will produce flowers buds, rather than just leaves.

For a nice set of photos of the different stages of bud development in plums, from spear shaped to rounded (plus other fruit) see plate 4 in the following link from Cornell University:

http://fls.cals.cornell.edu/OCRPDF/58a.pdf

It takes a little time to load, but it's worth the wait!

[Garden_Chris]

The books say plums start to fruit at 4-5 years old, depending on variety and the root stock they are on, and that they fruit on 2-4 year old wood. I imagine that many of the short lateral shoots on your tree were produced last year, so there is a chance that they will produce blossom this year, but maybe not.

Thanks for the response and the link - some brilliant reading.

I purchased the tree from a Garden Center and I believed it to be two/three years old. It could have been three, but this will be the second spring I'll have owned it for. So it has the potential to be in it's forth spring ranging to its sixth spring.

The variety is 'Blue Tit' and it's on the rootstock 'Pixy'.

I believe the vast majority of the short laterals were formed last year.

Given your previous experience, would it be fair to estimate it would be in the region of two to four weeks, as of now and depending upon the weather, for the blossom to reveal itself?

[boundtothesoil]

would be in the region of two to four weeks, as of now and depending upon the weather, for the blossom to reveal itself?

I've never grown Blue Tit, but I'm sure others here have. I would imagine that things will get moving over the next two weeks, although this is an exceptionally prolonged cold spell of weather for this time of year. It's the possible effects of this on bees that slightly worries me.

It would be interesting to know, historically, just how late blossom time can be for plums in very cold springs. I don't know of a postable link to any such records.

[littleexperience]

your little tree does look healthy but i did notice the trunk of you tree looks like it has algae or moss growing on it as its greener than usual has it been in the shade all winter! but otherwise the branches and side shoots look fine. one tip i would advise would be to give it a good mulch lift of the gravel then put a few inches of manure on top of the pot then put your gravel on top of it your little tree will thank you for it.i have four plum trees and one damson tree all 5 years old. all of mine are further behind than yours by about 10 days but im in scotland the 12th of april last year i had all my trees in flower what a difference a year makes.i would be very surprised if you didnt get any flowers this year looking at the amount of side shoots and fruiting buds but not necessarily plums sometimes the flowers just drop of if the tree is still young like mine did for the first few years.your tree should start to flower by the last week of april looking at the photos lets hope the bees are around at the same time.one last point the side shoots you see in another year or two you will get four of five fruit buds forming on each one but dont grow the side shoots to long 10cm is long enough

[sugar]

You should have flowers on this plum tree: look out for flower buds that are a bit thicker and rounder then the leaf buds.

[starloc]

I bought a bluetit on pixy rootstock, 3 years old from Blackmoor , bought it 3 years ago,itflowered last year for the first time, just a few flowers, this year loads of buds just starting to open

A friend had the same, it seems to take a long time to flower