help needed plum and apple tree

[crosbie2000]

hi folks
I recently moved to a house with 2 victoria plum trees and an apple tree.
the trees look in poor order and have clearly been neglected for some time.
I thing there is a problem and don't know how to get rid of it. I attach a few pics to show the leaves and hope some kind person could advise me if, and how i can cure these sick specimens. Really would be a shame to lose them
I got about a dozen apples this year but only a few plums.
thanks in advance

Gardening beginner
Iain

[Aberdeenplotter]

Crosbie, we have some awesome fruit tree experts one of whom will no doubt be along shortly and give you the info you need. I'm a veggie person. Welcome to the vine btw

[fishpond]

hi folks
I recently moved to a house with 2 victoria plum trees and an apple tree.
the trees look in poor order and have clearly been neglected for some time.
I thing there is a problem and don't know how to get rid of it. I attach a few pics to show the leaves and hope some kind person could advise me if, and how i can cure these sick specimens. Really would be a shame to lose them
I got about a dozen apples this year but only a few plums.
thanks in advance

Gardening beginner
Iain

Hi Iain
Do you have photo's of the whole trees including photo's of around the base of the trees --- at least out to the dripline?

[Jungle Jane]

The leaves look like spring/summer insect damage,not diseased or anything sinister. When insects feed on leaves they go yellow/brown like that,in the early spring keep a lookout for aphids underneath the leaves. There are one or two whitefly about near my apple tree at the moment. In the spring I sprayed my Victoria plum with a garlic,hand soap & water spray & it helped the aphids stay away (they don't like the smell of garlic) You could give the trees some sulphur of potash in January or February,as a feed to help with flowering & growth. Plum trees like summer pruning,they can get silver leaf disease & are particular about pruning times.

[crosbie2000]

thanks fishpond

Hi Iain
Do you have photo's of the whole trees including photo's of around the base of the trees --- at least out to the dripline?

thanks for that
I'd be ashamed to post pics of the whole tree !!
we just moved in and the trees had been moved a year or 2 before and badly pruned (with a chainsaw I think)
there are many weeds and suckers around the bases of the trees and I'm obviously going to tidy all that up.
thanks
Iain

[crosbie2000]

thanks Jungle Jane

The leaves look like spring/summer insect damage,not diseased or anything sinister. When insects feed on leaves they go yellow/brown like that,in the early spring keep a lookout for aphids underneath the leaves. There are one or two whitefly about near my apple tree at the moment. In the spring I sprayed my Victoria plum with a garlic,hand soap & water spray & it helped the aphids stay away (they don't like the smell of garlic) You could give the trees some sulphur of potash in January or February,as a feed to help with flowering & growth. Plum trees like summer pruning,they can get silver leaf disease & are particular about pruning times.

thanks fpr that
Should I use the oily bands round the trunks to stob the wee buggers climbing up and laying eggs or will the garlic hand soap spray Idea keep them under control
these are in really poor condition and I don;t want to lose them so any advice for me as a novice tree pruner would be great
thanks again

IAin

[Jungle Jane]

I've never used the grease bands but some people do,they can help with some moths,did you have any caterpillars in any of the fruits? My plum doesnt look very happy at the moment,losing most of the leaves,but thats normal. Theyl be new leaves in march & check under the new leaves for bugs (catch them early) I always find ants farm the aphids on my plum tree (look out for ants on the tree,then deal with the ants nest first). Plums grow on year old or older wood,so if its been pruned quite hard it probably had a few fruit bearing stems removed,but if it's been moved it's good all the trees energy hasn't gone into producing many fruits. You can put the whole tree picture on here don't be ashamed of any mess,we all have weeds.

[Guest]

Please don't be ashamed. It is surprising what people can pick up on in a picture and it could help you no end. I did last year and discovered one tree was cream crackered, which was a good thing in the end as I now how a new fruity world to learn about. Oh and that grease bands are a no no for me as they trap moisture and cause other issues

[crosbie2000]

thanks

Please don't be ashamed. It is surprising what people can pick up on in a picture and it could help you no end. I did last year and discovered one tree was cream crackered, which was a good thing in the end as I now how a new fruity world to learn about. Oh and that grease bands are a no no for me as they trap moisture and cause other issues

thanks folks
appreciate the help
regarding pruning and moving the trees.
they were in a bit of a state when I inherited them 2 years ago. I bough the place for the huge amout of ground we have and built an extension which meant the trees had to be moved.
the august we moved in we had kilos and kilos of fruit from both the apple and plum trees.
I know they don't "like" to be moved but it had to be done.
Ive now thw building work all complete and am turning to the outside space next. I wasn't expecting the trees to fruit after the pruning and moving but after being ignored while I did the building work over the last 2 years I really want to revive them.

cheers and thanks
Iain

[Kirk]

I would suspect that the moving of them has upset them somewhat, as they have survived then I would expect them to pick up again.

The general idea is that you remove vertical growth, they are not helping usually. HAd this on one apple that was heavily pruned and until the vertical growth went it went nuts on growing up but produced no fruit. Pruned out the vertical, restored it to a more "umbrella" shape and next year fruit appeared again.

The other is to stand back and look at what you have and decide what needs to go in order to achieve a productive or better shape.