Planted out plum tree (fertiliser?)

[nickdub]

I've grown several plum root-stocks and can definitely say this isn't any of the ones I'm familiar with. (they look a bit like damsons for anyone unfamiliar with them)

I've got 3 pear trees where I've let suckers from the root-sock grow up a bit (in the thought of grafting on another variety at some time), and I'm 95% sure that this tree is a quince. It's not absolutely identical to the ones I have, but its extremely similar.

[ESBkevin]

Those leaves look not dissimilar to Damson or even sloe which are also part of the plum family. Both of which can blossom yet not fruit on certain years (particularly sloe). it could be you just have a runt plum.
I would remove the grass as suggested to stop competition for the nutrients, then fertilise and mulch. It's worth persisting with since it takes several years to get a decent sized tree.

[nickdub]

I don't think it can be a damson or similar. The habit of growth is too straggly (new plum shoots grow pretty straight), the leaves are too far apart and the bark is all wrong - young damson and plum wood goes towards a claret red colour in most cases.

It may not be a quince, but it certainly looks like one to me.

I can see 3 reasonable ways of proceeding from here :-

1) yank it out and plant another tree hoping to get some fruit eventually (what I'd do)
2) leave it as is in the knowledge that what your likely to get is mostly ornamental value only (least effort and you never know ...)
3) try to get cuttings of a known pear variety from a friend or neighbour, and see if you can bud it (or graft next year) - which is not a bad option, but a bit tricky, also I find pears can be problematic to crop anyway.

[Groovemaster]

Thanks everyone for all the input!

So basically its looking more like I have planted a generic small tree! If its not going to grow massive im happy letting it do its thing since it took years to get to the size it is. Im not one to rip trees/bushes up unless theres an issue.

So plan of action is to remove the grass and top off the soil with a standard potting compost.

[nickdub]

Good luck with it, and Happy Gardening :-)

PS If you do get some fruit on the tree at a future date, I'd be interested to hear about what it is, if you are able to post again.

[Groovemaster]

I don't mind if it turns out to be ornimental to be honest. I've been googling quince and can't find anything that looks slightly like it haha this will drive me crackers if I don't fine out what the hell it is =\

***MAY BE A DAMSON AFTER ALL!** (SEE IMAGE)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...,_Bulgaria.jpg

[Nicos]

Are those large thorns I can see on one of the earlier photos?
My mirabelle has thorns like those...some are up to 10cm long!
...just a thought that it might be a mirabelle

[Groovemaster]

Yes it has thorns! Could maybe be a Prunus spinosa?!

[TrixC]

To me this looks very like a sloe, the leaves, the bark and the growth habit. I don’t think the foliage looks anything like a quince, and quinces also have very distinctive pink blossom, whereas OP says this was white.

[nickdub]

There's more than one sort of quince, and yes some do have white blossom :-) Also the foliage looks extremely similar to several quince suckers I have growing now - I checked it carefully before posting my comment. Until/unless it fruits it will be impossible to be sure, short of genetic testing.

[Groovemaster]

Does this finally clarify what it is!!?

[nickdub]

Does this finally clarify what it is!!?

Yep, definitely a plum of some type - looks v large for this time of year, so its either going to be ultra-early or get huge (or maybe both) :-)

Thanks for the up-date, always interesting to find out what happened to stuff.

[Groovemaster]

Never gained any more size but changed colour

[nickdub]

There are quite a number of small early red plums - Early Rivers used to be common at one time for example, but from memory it was more of a dark purpley colour.

[Groovemaster]

Finally fell off today.

Anyone for a final id?? Thanks