Kitchen Garden Forum

My plum trees are loaded this year but I have many that don't seem to be forming properly. Distorted shape, a pale yellow colour and hollow inside with no stones forming.
I imagine the tree is deficient of something but have no idea what. Can't find anything in Dr Hessayan's Fruit bible either.

Any ideas please?

Beryl.

Dear Beryl, you have beat me, i'm not sure what to say.

Just one thought, you didn't have a frost just as they had set did you?

No OH. Not that I can remember , we have been fairly frost free this spring. The blossom has been just amazing and as I said the tree is loaded and I won't be short of plums. It just seems odd. The same thing has happened on a couple of other trees on our site and also a sloe which is growing wild is effected to, so we do think it must be something the soil is deficient of.

Back to the drawing board I think.
Thanks
Beryl.

Hi Beryl

The answer is in the question!

Your trees are "loaded", you say. Apple trees just naturally shed immature fruit in the "June drop". I am sure your plums are doing the same. The tree doesn't want to fall under the weight of fruit. You say you have plenty left - watch the good fruits and if they continue developing you should have nothing to worry about.

It's natural that your plum should be dropping some fruit. You won't see this every year because not every year will you get a good fruit set. If more fruits are starting to form than the tree is able to sustain to maturity, it'll shed some: as alan correctly points out, this is the June Drop. This spring was particularly providential for pollination so fruit trees everywhere are laden. You'll find it's not just trees local to you that are shedding: they're doing it everywhere.

Thanks guys for your comments. The June drop I do understand, its the fruits that are malformed and contain no stones that concerned me.
Maybe it is another way of the tree saying ' I have too many' and they will drop as well.

Beryl.

It is possible that the distorted plums have been damaged by plum sawfly.

I looked this one up Realfood. Can't see any signs of holes, magots or any gooey liquid. The fruitlets are perfectly clean and hollow inside. I will keep a watchful eye though just in case.
Thanks.
Beryl.

P L U M
SAWFLY
(Hoplocampa flava)

DESCRIPTION
The pupae of Plum Sawfly over-winter in the soil, and they awaken as the weather improves in Spring.

The Plum Sawfly lays its eggs on the flowers. The young maggots which develop tunnel their way into the developing fruit. The only signs at this stage are the tiny holes left by the maggots.

As the maggots feed on the fruit, often a gooey black liquid exudes from the holes.

Morning Beryl

Sorry I was teaching you to suck eggs

I should have concentrated on the "no stone".

Does THIS look like your problem?

Hi Alan,
Well done! I had heard of the condition but cannot remember reading anything about the cause. Very well explained by the RHS.
JB.

Well i hadn't even heard of Pocket Plum before, so thank-you for the link Alan.

Hi Alan,

I think you have hit the nail on the head so to speak. The fruits are not showing any signs of brown staining yet but it could only be a matter of time. It was suggested to me to add a dressing of lime around the tree but now I don't this would be any good.
It is old trees that are affected so maybe we might have to think about removing them.

Many thanks for solving the problem and the info which I will print out and pass on.

Beryl.