How to Prevent Fruit Drop in Plum Trees
plum tree trees ( Prunusspp . ) produce a type of pit fruit that typically ripens in late July through September , depending on the form . Sometimes , however , a plum tree may drop yield during the growing time of year , which can be mussy and reduce yields .
Plum tree falling off a tree before ripening can be the result of miserable pollination , pests , disease , an surplus of fruit on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a combining therefrom .
Potential Reasons for Plum Trees Prematurely Dropping Fruit
Inadequate Pollination
plum tree tree , like other stone fruit varieties , are pollinate by bee . Fruit that is not properly cross-pollinate will remain on the tree for a few week and then fall off .
pathetic pollenation can be the result of rainy , humid conditions conditions that foreclose bees from pollinating the bloom of a plum tree tree .
A lack of a compatible pollinator tree can also be an issue in plums : While a few plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree assortment can prepare yield with their own pollen , many hybrid varieties must be planted in the locality of a different , compatible variety of plum in monastic order for proper pollination to happen . Even plum tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that are believe " ego - fertile " will produce a large crop when embed near a different cultivar .
Pests of Plum Trees
Plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can become infested with insects that feed on the yield and lead in premature yield drop .
Plum Curculio
The most renowned pest is the plum tree curculio ( Conotrachelus nenuphar ) , a character of beetle that lays ballock inside plum tree and other Oliver Stone yield . Both plum curculio larvae and ripe individuals feed on plum tree flesh . Infested fruit may fall off the tree in May and June .
- Treatment:**Experts recommend spraying plum Tree with insecticidessoon after their flowers flatten their petals , which is when the plum curculio typically attack trees .
Just keep in mind that it ’s exceedingly of the essence to be certain of which insecticides you ’re spraying and rotating through certain options , as different mathematical product have different uses and efficacies in different context . It is also authoritative not to spray before petal drop , as insecticides that kill the plum curculio can also kill the bees that cross-pollinate the trees .
You should also pluck up and destruct any fruit on the ground harbor larvae to foreclose them from emerging as grownup .
Codling Moth
Infestations by the codling moth ( Cydia pomonella ) can also result in previous yield fall in plum tree trees . The moth tunnels into the fruit , get it to rot and fall off the tree diagram .
- Treatment :* * To control codling moth larvae , spray yield trees with horticultural vegetable oil in the spring , before the flower buds unresolved .
insecticide such as carbaryl , permethrin and spinosaid should beapplied at the first sighting of grownup moths . implement insecticide two or three time , with three to five days between each spray .
Plum Tree Fungal Disease: Brown Rot
Plum trees can be stricken by a fungous disease known as brownish putrefaction that is get by the fungusMonilinia fructicola . This fungus thrives in warm , humid conditions and affect many parts of the plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , including the fruit , which rots .
Rotted plums become " mummified " and often stay on attached to the tree , sometimes even into the next grow season , but in some cases they drop . Removing infected yield , on the tree and on the ground , is fundamental to controlling this disease .
- Treatment :* * Brown rot can be controlled with fungicides formulated for edible yield trees , such as captan , atomic number 16 , chlorothalonil and thiophanate methyl radical . Applying the right-hand ware at the correct timeis key to avoid hurt to the tree .
Chlorothalonil can be used up until the fruit shit come down from the tree , but not after . Captan and thiophanate methyl group can often be used together . Sulfur is quickly washed away in rainy weather condition and may demand more frequent applications .
Tip
When using fungicides on plum trees , refer to the product recording label to determine the pre - harvest interval , which is the time that needs to transpire between the last fungicide spray and crop .
Too Much Fruit Weighing Down Branches
plum tree Tree may drop their fruit prematurely in the summer simply because the tree diagram have produce more fruit than they can support . Too much yield can also weigh down the tree ’s branch and cause it to break .
Thinning Fruit
If you are wonder how to prevent premature yield dip in plum trees , cutting is one option . Thin fruit from plum trees around June , allow for no less than 3 to 4 inches of infinite between yield on a leg .
