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Hi All. Wow this growing lark is hard work. My latest problem is this. I have five plum trees all different varieties. All are doing fine except my Czar plum tree. It's leaves are curled up, a little brittle and quite simply look awful. The nearest plum tree to it is a metre away and it's leaves are green and healthy. What on earth is happening to the Czar plum tree? It's in its third season of fruiting and has lots of small plums beginning to form. The plums on it last year were so succelent and sweet I would hate to lose this tree. I do seem to remember it had this problem last year too but not so severely. If anyone can help with any info or advice please do. I have attached two photos - one of the sickly Czar and the other is of the healthly plum tree beside it.
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hi cheop - i have the same problem as you every year - and i think VC has hit the nail on the head.
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If I have its a miracle! I usually hit my thumb
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I did not mention could the problem be aphids as I did not want to influence anyone's thinking. But Veggiechicken, you are I think on the ball and may well be right. I have noticed lots of ladybirds on this tree but not on the other trees. Reading the info on the link you attached - it is pretty obvious now the cause is the Plum leaf-curling aphid. The damage is done and probably why I don't see an infestation of aphids is that I now know the winged adults around now fly away. I can't treat the overwintering eggs til next spring at bud burst. The article suggests new foliage is ok and unaffected after May but the aticle doesn't say whether the tree is harmed in any way longterm or if the yeild of plums is affected. Anyone able to answer that? Also why this tree and not the others plum trees.Comment
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Looks like aphids to me, too.
It's just a normal part of spray-free growing, and is why many organic growers don't tend to use dwarf rootstocks because the aphids suck out so much of the plant's blood (sap).
If the tree has adequate vigour (medium or strong rootstock, or a dwarf in good soil), it'll get over it (or predators are likely to appear in due course).
As with any pest or disease: certain varieties are more prone than others.
I usually let nature take its course and, where resistance isn't always possible, I rely on the strength of my trees to simply outgrow what's attacking them..Comment
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Can't answer that sorry Cheops. None of my plum trees look very good - very few leaves yet.Comment
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Matt 94 - do you have more than one plum tree yet only have the one same tree affected each year? If so what is the plum variety you have the problem with? And do you think the tree is harmed long term and do you think the plum yeild is affected? Sorry for so many questions. Oh, thanks to veggie chicken we can at least tackle the problem next spring.Comment
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Wow, Veggie, I didn't realise how less advanced trees can be according to the area of the country.
I would love to know why this tree and this tree only when there are four others.Comment
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most aphids are wingless nymphs: they can't fly away from their birthplace, so just stay where they are and feed, feed, feedOriginally posted by cheops View Post
All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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Your Tree could be suffering from the plum leaf curling aphid which causes the leaves to become tightly curled, crumpled and distorted and on the underside of the leaves you will find pale yellow-green insects. The aphids suck the sap from the leaves and this causes the leaves to become distorted and during the early summer months the winged adults move on to alternative host plants but return to the tree during the autumn period to lay overwintering eggs at the base of the branches. There are no insecticides on the market which the amateur garden can use to control the aphids but, during the winter months a tar oil winter wash will reduce the overwintering eggsComment
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Originally posted by cheops View Post
Are all of the plum trees the same variety, on the same rootstock?
If they're different varieties, it might just be the aphids voting on which tastes best; the winged mother who landed on the plant may well have buzzed around and tasted a few until she decided which one she liked best.
It might also be just random chance.
Aphid attack can be due to excessive leafy growth, or can be due to a sickly plant where the sap isn't flowing properly so sugars accumulate in the leaves (making the leaf sap even sweeter for the aphids).
Sometimes aphids choose a plant because it is more sheltered from wind and rain than other plants of the same type nearby.
In my experience; although there are certain insect pests, there also seem to be certain varieties which carry natural resistance.
However, in our modern "If in doubt, spray" mindset, many have forgotten or simply not noticed which ones have resistance.
Ancient varieties were raised centuries ago without help from chemicals, and often in whatever soil was available rather than the prime sites. So they had to be very tough, otherwise the pests, diseases or poor soil would have made short work of them. Natural selection at its finest; only the strongest survived.Last edited by FB.; 12-05-2012, 10:33 PM..Comment
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Thanks for that FB -very interesting ideas why this particuliar tree and only this tree is being attacked. It was the one chosen last year too. So thanks again. The five trees are all of the same rootstock but are all different varieties all five of them.Comment
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oops sorry for the long delay cheops - anyway i have 1 plum tree (aswell as 1 apple and 1 cherry), the plum is a victoria and only started producing fruit last year, they plums where only small but there where lots of them, so no i dont think it affected the yield, it has also put alot of growth on every year, so i also dont think it affecting it long term.Originally posted by cheops View Post
also the cherry tree seems to have the same problem (leaf curl) and last year was the first year it produced cherries - and that has also put alot of growth on this year!Last edited by Matt94; 14-05-2012, 06:44 PM.Comment
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That's quite assuring information Matt94. And thks for your reply. Even so it makes the tree look so unsightly for that reason alone I'm gonna try and tackle the problem this autumn, winter and spring. Fingers crossed.Comment
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