My 4 Plum trees flower and then we get a frost. Is there anything I can do.They are 4 different kinds of plums and never get any fruit because of the late frost I am told. Someone said spray the tree with water in the morning?? Any suggestions
You are probably stuck with using the space for another crop, that is not so affected by the climate there. Possibly you really just need to try different kinds of plum trees. Or plant them on a different part of the property. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-841/426-841.html
Is there any truth to watering before the sunrise on a day with frost??? I do so well with all my other fruit trees. Just don't understand why the Plum trees grow and don't have fruit. I made sure to plant different verity Plum's so they would cross pollinate.
It looks like you have trees unsuitable for your climate. What varieties do you have? What is your plant hardiness zone?
I suppose the plums in your garden are the first to flower thus more at risk than the other trees to an eventual late frost. I had the same situation with an apricot tree, it seems this is the first year the flowers survived and will turn into fruits, that is good as I had already started to think about replacing it. My dilemma now is why my apple trees bear so few flowers compared to the last year. I can only compare weather's and my behavior from the last year to this year. And I remember in terms of moisture, I watered more often thinking that more water is better than less, and that may be true in my garden as there is also grass thriving that could absorb the excess. This year I mowed earlier and more often instead. Who knows, I think moisture is more important prior flower buds developing than after.
You could try cover the tree with a sheet or blanket if its possible. It is a lot more effective than spraying the tree with water in the morning.
