greengage tree

[nickdub]

Well the good news is you have fruit, so that's something to work with. The one in the photo looks like its split and then brown rot infected it - pretty common with plums which have gone through a dry spell in the early part of the year.

Best to tidy up the tree now if you can, by cutting out any dead branches and then cutting out crossing ones to let in light and air.

Long term the main issue is likely to be pollination. The best thing is to make a note of when it flowers next year and try to find out other plums near by which are in flower at the same time. Once you know that its quite possible to find a way tyo get a pollen partner for your tree.

Gages are never heavy croppers but they are high quality in terms of taste. Looks like a young tree to me too - so probably has a lot of growing to do yet.

[captainhastings]

Ok thank you I will do that. Quite inspired now because a couple of fruit that were edible was stunning in taste and I recognised it from a kid and the orchards down the fens

[rosiepumpkin]

My plum tree is under a horse chestnut, completely lopsided and produces a good crop most years, albeit one with wiggly things that need checking for before eating.

It's on an allotment so no pollination issues but the bees do need to fly to find it as it's in a corner. ask your neighbours and maybe someone will get a pollination match tree or ask the local horticultural society or allotments if you can borrow a branch

[nickdub]

the wiggly things will probably be plum moth maggots - you can buy sticky pheromones traps to set in the Spring which will keep the numbers down, but not completely eliminate them.