I have a santa rosa plum tree that was blooming when I brought it, But has not bloomed since, and it's been 2 years. I have been fertilizing it and sprayed supposedly fruiting plant friendly insecticide to get rid of a japanese beetle attack x2 years ago. Someone please reply....thanks.
I'm looking out the window at my Italian plum that is in the exact same category...bought with flower buds on it, now hasn't bloomed this spring after a year or so in my garden. Looks healthy, I know the soil is excellent, well watered, properly planted (not too deep) all bases covered. I'm thinking these trees just have to get settled, and will eventually start fruiting and become like all the other plums you see around. Sufficient sun is also important, mine get a fair bit of afternoon shade...but I've seen plums overgrown by other trees/hedges that still managed some blossom, so I'm still thinking we need nothing but patience!
I had the same problem. When I first bought the tree... (actually it was a Fathers Day present in 2004) I planted it right away. I actually saved the tag which I don't normally do. It flowerd the following year but no fruit. Being a young tree I didn't expect any. While looking through one of my gardening books in 2005 I found the tag. Definately being the Santa Rosa tag it stated that a pollinator was nessesary. After a couple of weeks I found the right tree and planted it within 15 feet of the original one. The following year (2006) no flowers ...but somehow one "prune". I think the insects had gotten to the flowers before they could bloom. I did a little research on spraying. I found that I should spray very early spring just as it starts to bud. So far this year 2007 both trees had an abundance of beautiful white flowers. We are now just past the flowering stage and I am noticing hundreds of little green plums smaller than my pinky nail and still no signs of insects. My question is... Should I respray the tree??
Hi again--i'm not clear, what are you trying to control by spraying? ( I have several much older plums and have never sprayed them, they seem pretty carefree, except for the "knot" that is pretty hard to stop around here...just prune them out when I can). Congrats on the nice blossoming...and little plums. As you probably know, it's always a week or two before you see for sure which plumlets are going to grow up and which (always most, thankfully, or there would be way too many for the branches to support) fall off.
It seems plants often change when they get out of the intensive cultivation of the nursery environment and into more ordinary conditions. There will be a hiatus and then flowering will resume. With ornamental plants a common complaint is the small camellia bought loaded with buds, that then doesn't bloom for years. The first plum tree, of course, may have been set back by the beetles.
Thanks from both of you for the response. I'm not sure what type of insect completly destroyed the trees last year. The *** beetles are due to come around soon. I used a fruit tree spray containing Captan, Malathion, and Carbaryl. It controls most insects and diseases. It reccomends a 10 - 14 day spray scheduale up until harvest for preventative maintenence. Like I said I have only sprayed the trees once (green tip stage) so far so good. The trees have never looked better.
dk--doesn't sound like anything ate the flower buds, and the early spray would have eliminated anything lurking in the buds I suppose...just have to wait another year and hopefully the fruit will start happening! Not knowing what you're up against pest wise over there, I can only say it's heartbreaking having to spray that much, many of us grow our own fruit to try and get something more healthful. (This is not a personal attack or anything...just feeling sad about this). The japanese beetles, for e.g., sure sound like something we don't want around here. Doesn't sound like your spray's manufacturer is promoting IPM very strongly either, every 10-14 days! I realize they say this to "guarantee" perfect fruit...I think I would still scout my tree for problems before spraying. Could make the plums fairly expensive, too, by the time harvest rolls around :-(
It seems defoliation by insects could prevent small specimen from having enough energy to form flower buds, even if buds present at that time not eaten.
Thank You ...I don't think I will spray till I detect trouble. The trees look great now, especially with hundreds of plumets. "If it's not broke why fix it ?" Hopefully I will be enjoying plums later this summer