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Plum does not bear fruit for various reasons. The gardener needs to find out and eliminate them. The tree is sensitive to frost. If it does not bloom in any of the neighbors, the weather conditions are to blame. But if it does not bloom in only one area, then the reasons are individual.
When the plum season begins
Plum blossom starts from April to May, depending on the region. In April, flowering begins in the southern regions, in the middle lane - in May. The early varieties begin to bloom earlier, the later ones are a little late.
Landscape designers use shrubs to decorate alleys and paths, create spectacular hedges from low varieties. The plant is suitable for creating a Japanese-style landscape.
Juicy green plum leaves delight the eye all summer long. If the variety is fruitful, in August the plum looks like a Christmas tree hung with garlands.
How the plum blooms
The plum blossom is of unrivaled beauty. Luxurious flower buds of 5 petals ranging from white to pale pink create a dreamlike atmosphere. Flowers appear before leaves, are arranged singly or in bouquets of 2-3 petals. Flowering lasts 9-11 days, ends with the appearance of the first leaves.
Sometimes a plum after winter may not start flowering, the buds that have tied up die due to spring frosts and fall off before they bloom. The plum does not bloom if all the buds have died, so there is no need to wait for the harvest.
A barren bloom on a plum means that there were flowers, but the fruits did not set. The reasons for poor flowering or large amounts of barren flowers will be discussed below.
Pollinators for plum
Pollination occurs when pollen from the stamens of some flowers enters the pistil of others. Plums are pollinated by special pollinating varieties. Bees and other insects, wind carry pollen. Each variety has its own pollinator. To find out which one is needed, you need to know exactly which variety grows in the garden.
If the plum is already growing, but the variety is unknown, then you can try to plant a number of universal varieties that may fit. These varieties include, for example, Red early ripening.
Will the plum bear fruit if it is alone
A single plum will bear fruit if it is self-fertile. A non-self-fertile plum needs steam for fruiting.
The most popular varieties of self-fertile plums:
- Niagara;
- Anna Shpet;
- Herman;
- Stanley;
- Monarch.
If the plum does not bear fruit every year, the most common reason is that a non-self-pollinating variety grows in the garden. Most of the 2000 known species are sterile varieties. If the plum does not bear fruit, you should plant a pollinator tree or graft branches from it.
The yellow plum does not bear fruit if pollination has not occurred. To attract bees and insects, it is sprayed with a solution of honey or sugar.
At what distance are plums pollinated
The distance between the plums for pollination should be 10–20 meters; over long distances, pollination may not take place. It is not worth planting closer than 10 meters, the trees do not like to touch the crowns.
Pollination of plums by hand
In cold or rainy weather, bees and insects do not fly, pollination may not take place. To remedy the situation, artificial plum pollination is used. Collect pollen from the flowers of one tree, apply it with a cotton swab or a small brush to the flowers of another tree. The process is long and laborious, but it pays off. Manual pollination of garden plums will allow to get fruits in August.
In what year does the plum bear fruit after planting?
Plum bears fruit for 4-5 years after planting, if all care conditions are met. Early-growing varieties can yield a harvest for 2-3 years, late species - for 6-7 years.
How many years does the plum bear fruit?
Plum fruiting period is on average 10-15 years. There will be good yields if different varieties grow nearby. Plum does not yield if the tree is old.
Problems arising during the fruiting period of plums
Pests can cause significant damage to fruits, more details are written below.
There are no fruits on the plum, all plums have fallen to the ground - a very common situation. A carrion occurs when the tree is unable to provide the ripening fruits with the necessary nutrition and keep them on the branch until ripening.
The reasons for the fall:
- waterlogging;
- drought;
- weak roots;
- incorrect pruning;
- acidic soil.
There is no fruit on the yellow plum for the same reasons as on other varieties.
Why the plum does not bloom
The main reasons why the plum does not bloom:
- late variety, bloom, but with a delay;
- flower buds froze and died;
- the plant is overfed with fertilizers;
- the tree lacks fertilizer;
- lack of moisture in the soil;
- excess moisture, such as a swampy area;
- the tree is planted in the shade;
- the tree is planted in a draft;
- there was a drought in the previous summer;
- pests;
- the tree is withered.
The yellow plum does not bloom for the same reasons as other varieties.
What to do if a plum blossoms but does not bear fruit
Abundant flowering is not a guarantee of a good harvest. Plum blossoms, but does not bear fruit because of the barren flowers. Such a flower will bloom in the spring, but will not bear fruit. Barren flowers can occur if the flower buds are slightly frozen. Inside the petal of frozen flowers is black, there are no pistils or stamens. Experienced gardeners remove barren flowers so they don't interfere with healthy flowers.
It is possible to force the plum to bear fruit every year, provided that the variety is self-pollinating or pollinating varieties grow next to it. If there are no pollinators, artificial pollination should be done.
You can make the plum bear fruit by increasing the number of bees. In the USA, for example, there is a nomadic apiary service for gardeners. During the flowering period, beekeepers bring hives to the garden, after flowering they take them away. The bees are actively pollinating plums, and in August, gardeners get a rich harvest. Beekeepers receive half of their annual income not from the sale of honey, but from the rent of hives by gardeners. Bees help gardeners to avoid the situation when the plum is in bloom but there is no fruit.
In 2011, the Research Institute of Beekeeping of the Russian Agricultural Academy conducted experiments to study the effect of pollination by bees on the flowers of fruit trees.
This table shows that the yield increased for non-self-fertile trees. Plum has one of the best results, its yield increased 11 times.
What to do if the plum is frozen
The buds, branches, trunk, roots can freeze near a plum. If the plum is frozen, different methods of revitalization are not very effective, prevention throughout the year gives the best result. Freezing flower buds can be warmed by fumigating with smoke. Frost-damaged branches can no longer be saved; after the buds appear in early spring, they must be cut to a healthy place. Cracks on the trunk of a tree appear from sunburn and sudden temperature changes, they are covered with garden pitch.To prevent sunburn, the tree trunk is whitewashed with a solution of lime.
If the climate is mild, but the plum has dried up after winter, it is possible that it grew in a low-lying area, where cold air constantly stagnates in winter.
Freezing of the roots leads to the death of the entire tree. We need to break the branch. If the color inside is orange, then it is no longer possible to reanimate the plum after winter.
What to do if the plum has not blossomed in spring
The following actions will help to revive the plum after winter:
- fumigation with smoke;
- cracking;
- whitewashing with lime;
- pruning dry branches.
Plum after winter does not bloom if there was no proper care throughout the season.
The main reasons for the lack of fruiting in plums
The plum does not bear fruit for the following reasons:
- flower buds froze a little and died;
- barren flower;
- not self-pollinating variety, there is no pollinator nearby;
- rainy or cold spring, insects do not fly;
- lack or excess of fertilizers;
- yellow plum does not bear fruit if it grows next to sea buckthorn;
- lack or excess of moisture.
Plum does not bear fruit well due to lack of calcium in the soil, top dressing will give a good result. The next reason is lack of iron. In this case, you can drive a rusty nail into the tree trunk, the iron salts will slowly enter the tree.
You can drive the pegs into the ground and tie branches to them, or attach the branches to the tree trunk with twine. If you hang a weight in the form of a water bottle on the drain, you can adjust the tension by using the water in the bottle. Forming the crown from an upright position into a spreading shape will help the plum begin to bear fruit.
Diseases and pests
To make the plum blossom and bear fruit, it is necessary to carry out competent prevention of pest damage. For example, if a plum has not opened its buds, then the cause may be a flower beetle, it destroys the buds of flowers.
The following actions can help against pests:
- digging the earth around the tree;
- loosening the soil in the root zone;
- trapping belts;
- traps in the form of cans of beer or kvass, hung on branches;
- regular insecticide treatment (Fufanon, Karbofos, Karate, Mospilan, Calypso, Aktara).
For fruit rot (clasterosporium), one percent Bordeaux liquid is used. Preventive spraying during bud formation and flowering will help prevent disease. In the fall, sprayed with urea for clasterosporium disease. Affected fruits and leaves are harvested and burned.
If the plum has ceased to bear fruit, the cause may be pests that eat the ovaries and fruits, such as a sawfly. The tree blooms well, the fruits are tied, but do not have time to grow. After treatment with insecticides, the fruits are clean, timely processing will allow you to get a good harvest.
Lack of pollinators
The plum blossoms, but does not bear fruit in the absence of pollinators suitable for this variety.
To pollinate the plum, if there is no pollinator, bees will help, provided the weather is suitable during the flowering period. In the cold, in the rain, in strong winds, bees do not fly. If bad weather conditions last 2 weeks during flowering, the plum will remain non-pollinated, and there will be no fruit.
Violation of the rules for planting plums
Fruiting plums directly depends on the observance of the planting rules. Plum planting errors:
- the root is planted too deep in the ground;
- the distance between neighboring seedlings is less than 10 m, the crowns will close in the future;
- the tree is planted in a draft or in the shade.
Violation of plum care rules
If suddenly the plum has ceased to bear fruit, it is likely that it suffers from an excess of fertilizer. Excess minerals are not beneficial.
Dry summers and lack of moisture for plums can cause plums to freeze even in mild winters. Too much moisture in case of heavy watering or heavy rains will cause overgrowth of branches. The bark of such trees can get sunburn in winter and crack. In spring, gum is released from the cracks, the plum does not dissolve its leaves.
Lack of lighting
In order for the plum to bear fruit every year, it must be planted in a well-lit place.
Unfavorable climatic conditions
If the plum does not wake up, then it froze in spring or winter. Some thermophilic varieties cannot take root in the middle lane due to frost. The roots of the tree freeze already at 16 degrees below zero. To protect them, they shovel the snow and trample it at the trunk. If the plum has dried up after winter, the roots may freeze.
Flowering places are the first to suffer from frost, and the plum does not bud after winter. The main reason for the lack of flowering is the freezing of the flower buds.
Conclusion
Plum does not bear fruit for many reasons. It takes a lot of effort to get a good harvest every year. Prevention of freezing in winter and protection of the tree from pests is carried out throughout the year, proper care will give the tree a chance to bear fruit abundantly.
