I have a Santa Rosa plum tree in my garden with ample sun and lots of flowers in spring. It produced an abundance of fruit for the first 5 - 6 years. For the last 2 years the crop has dropped to about 20 plums. I trimmed the tree severely last winter and figured it would encourage production. This proved unsuccessful. I have not sprayed the tree with dormant spray as suggested in one of the posts. I noticed the absence of bees when the tree was in bloom. Could this be the problem? Something else? Monica
The flower buds are set the previous growing season, spend the winter on the bare branches and open the following spring. This year's bloom went away with all the growth from last year you cut off. If the bees have diminished in recent years that could certainly affect pollination and fruit set. Insects will be the principal means of pollination. An additional factor could be the removal of a nearby tree that was crossing with your 'Santa Rosa' during the good years.
