Too many plums?

[bario1]

This year my plum tree has set way more fruit than last year - do I need to thin it out to stop it exhausting itself? Or will it drop fruit of it's own accord?

[Jungle Jane]

Yes I would thin them,smaller ones might be loose ready to drop on their own,some will need cutting off,thinning them makes the remaining fruit bigger so it's worth it.

[Jungle Jane]

If it has a lot of fruit one year & not the next,it could be a biennial bearer,to stop that happening take off the fruit buds/flowers earlier on,so next year if there's not many plums,wait till the next spring to remove the buds early,I hope that made sense

[bario1]

Thanks Jane - seems like it has a year 'on' and a year 'off'. Will thinning the fruit stabilise it for next year? And what proportion of the fruit shall i take off? It's going to be heartbreaking!

[Jungle Jane]

The fruits quite advanced in growth,thinning it now might be too late for next years growth but we can hope it helps a bit. I think you need to remove them a lot earlier but for now I'd thin them so they're not touching each other,it does feel like a waste but what's left on the tree will grow large

[Lardman]

They really have set well - what variety is it?

I'd be thinning most of those out to leave just about 6 in the space you've shown. If the entire tree is like that think of the drain on it Also look at supporting the branches I lost a very old and productive damson a few years back as it couldn't support the fruit weight and tore itself apart.

[bario1]

The whole tree's like that, it's not a big tree though. I think it's a Victoria, but I can't be sure, because it was on the plot when I got it. They are tasty plums, I had some last year, but like I say, nowhere near this many!

[GBax]

Thin it or you risk branches breaking

[Nubber]

awh im soo jealous, I have had my plum Victoria in the ground now coming upto 4/5 years, never had a single fruit form.