Kitchen Garden Forum

I got some die back on my plum last year & lost one mega branch, about 1/3rd of the plant. Today noted another adjacent branch is also dying. That is also about 1/3 of the tree. Now I know I'm not going to save the tree so thinking of cutting my losses and hacking it out.

Question is can I put another plum in that spot? (Assuming I can get it out, it's about 8 foot tall)!

Westi

Hello Westi
Best to try and find what the problems is. One possibility is a Silver Leaf infection. As its name suggests the first sign of this is a silvery appearance to the normally bright green leaves. As the infection progresses the branches particularly on younger trees will die. I have an old healthy plum which has some silver leaf but it jogs along quite happily and the branches are still sound.
Regards
John

Thanks John

I don't think it is Silver leaf as I prune carefully at the right time. The leaves just go brown and die in what seems like a week, and when you go to chop that branch back the wood is actually dead. I lost a mega branch last year, initially I thought just the single branch, then as far as I could cut the wood it was dead. I cut all the smaller branches but have a mega branch , probably about 12 inches round and 4 / 5 foot long that is completely dead down to where it joins the main trunk.

This is happening to another major branch now also, well beginning signs are the same, this branch started the season in growth and had fruit - all gone now. I'm calling it die back as thats what my neighbour calls it. I get a similar thing on my pear but that is just wee branches & I know that is scab as the fruit are spotted.

I'd like to replace it as just think it will completely die next year as only one large branch left after this one, but don't want to re-infect any new tree or have it pass to Plum Beauty next to it, even though that plum is in the dog house for attracting the birds who nicked or pecked most of the fruit!

Westi