Diseases of Plum Trees
(continued - page 7)

Harvesting and Storing Plums

Plum trees will begin to produce fruit at four or five years old. Like most fruit, leave the plums on the tree until they are ripe and ready to eat. Ripe plums will be produced over a month or so and it is best to pick a few but often over this time. Any diseased fruit should be removed immediately because they will only attract diseases and wasps.

Ripe plums keep for only a few days and are best stored in the fridge. If you want to keep plums for longer, pick them when they are slightly under-ripe, placing them in a paper-lined box in a cool dark place.

Pests and Diseases of Plums
Use the 'symptoms' column to diagnose the problem, then click on the disease for more information and details of how to deal with it.

Disease / Pest	Symptoms
Plum Sawfly	Small holes in the plums, sometimes with a gooey black liquid seeping from the holes. The young plums will fall before ripening fully.
Red Spider Mite	Leaves fall earlier than normal and are bronze in colour.
Rust	Slightly raised round spots on the underside of the leaves. The spots are rust coloured (browny-red).
Silver leaf	Silver coloured leaves turning brown, wood flesh stained brown or purple, fungus growth on the infected branches.
Bacterial Canker	Shallow depressions at the base of branches during Autumn which enlarge in spring. An amber like gum may also appear.
Aphids	Leaves curl and new shoots are distorted

END OF ARTICLE ON PLUMS

BACK TO FRUIT INDEX PAGE

Name: celine
E-mail: celine.kelly48@gmail.com
Date posted: September 01, 2010 - 01:29 pm
Message: How do i know when the fruit is ripe, how soft should it be.

Name: rachel day
E-mail: Private
Date posted: September 01, 2010 - 03:38 am
Message: i have a plum that has died from silver leaf can i plant another on the same spot?

Name: peter sanicola
E-mail: tsa711ny@aol.com
Date posted: August 31, 2010 - 11:59 am
Message: hi,i have a plum tree for about 7 yrs. the fruit come out then turn black and rot. its every yr. i dont know what to do. if you could help thanks

Name: Keith Chamberlain
E-mail: keith@ickenham.net
Date posted: August 30, 2010 - 12:56 pm
Message: I've just moved into a house that has a plum tree with rather nice plums.

The problem is that all the leaves are coated with a black powder as is the crazy paving below it.

Could you please advise what this is and how to treat it. Many thanks.

Keith

Name: betty
E-mail: littlebetty123@hotmail.co.uk
Date posted: August 30, 2010 - 08:52 am
Message: is it ok to prune plum tree that is only one year old it has had no fruit

Name: Maria grigorakakis
E-mail: Mariagrigorakakis@gmail.com
Date posted: August 26, 2010 - 08:53 am
Message: 2 question.
1. Planted small plum this is first year but leaves look ripped ,could be from nursery it was last one kind of thrown around.should I prune these now in summer or wait
2. Have a 3 foot pomegranite I bring in in winter, but has no flowers this summer? Can u help?

Name: Lewis Fuhrmann
E-mail: lnfurman@att.net
Date posted: August 23, 2010 - 07:59 pm
Message: My plum trees have what looks like a mold on the plums .The leaves are ok.
Last year it hit when the plums were
almost ripe & we got a lot .This year
it started when plums were small all
fell off.Trees were sprayed with frut spray.What treatment would help.

Name: Roger Perry
E-mail: rogerjperry@aol.com
Date posted: August 22, 2010 - 02:45 pm
Message: Hi,
Some of our plums have a clear crystalline solid come out of a hole in the side of the fruit. Is this sawfly or is it another pest? If another pest, can you tell us what and how to treat/prevent it in future please?

Name: keith payne
E-mail: keith.payne1@sky.com
Date posted: August 22, 2010 - 07:30 am
Message: hi,
i have a victoria plum tree that has ubundant fruits but some of them have creamy coulored blisters on them can you tell me what this is and how to cure it also one of my branches has snapped with the weight of fruit should i wait until the fruit is ripe then cut and seal the branch?

keith

Name: karen
E-mail: karenb@rediffmail.com
Date posted: August 21, 2010 - 02:45 pm
Message: hi! my plum tree bore fruit for the fist time this year and its been very exciting.the fruit has been wonderful! however, i noticed that pretty much all the purple colored leaves have gone to their skeleton form...looks like what you would put into a book! any idea why this happens and what should be done to ensure good healthy growth next year?

Name: Aditi
E-mail: dragmped@gmail.com
Date posted: August 21, 2010 - 12:49 pm
Message: Hi Sally
My plum tree has got branches which seems to be covered with silver coloured fungus. The plums get affected.
Also, once the plums start to just ripen, they are invaded by these fruit worms . Most of the plums thus get affected, although the tree gives a great harvest in terms of quantity.
I will be grateful for your advice.
Thanks
Aditi

Name: bill
E-mail: billy-pin@hotmail.co.uk
Date posted: August 20, 2010 - 10:40 am
Message: my plums are black inside like a black spot inside

Name: Gem100
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 19, 2010 - 11:57 am
Message: Hi Sally, the litle worm is probably a moth larvae, the moth lays its eggs in the plum flower around may time, then when the flower becomes the plum, the larvae develops inside the fruit. I would suggest getting a moth trap for early next year and leave it near your tree, also dispose of any fruit carefully so as not to have too many moths around next year, hope this is of assistance.
Gem100

Name: Sally Orrin
E-mail: sallyann@sal-orrin.co.uk
Date posted: August 17, 2010 - 11:50 am
Message: I have a beautiful little victoria plum tree, very productive but this year the ripe plums have a little worm inside - no indication of entry, what should I do for the next years crop to prevent this happening and can I use the plums this year? They seem ok except there is grainy black/brown stuff near the stones when a worm is present. Such a shame as the fruit is so lovely.

Name: Russ Cooper
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 17, 2010 - 10:43 am
Message: We have a good crop of plums which are ripening nicely but most of the ones we have picked have a black centre round the stone. Is it the sawfly ?

Name: robert young
E-mail: robert_youngy@btinternet.com
Date posted: August 15, 2010 - 03:18 pm
Message: I have had some little worm like beasty
on plums and cherrystree's I was told they were slugworms I have never heard of them is my friend right

Name: Susan
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 15, 2010 - 01:55 pm
Message: My Victoria plum tree is about 4 years old and has a fair amount of fruit on it, but it looks sad and the branches are drooping. During the hot weather in July it's leaves started to turn dark rusty brown at the tip and then go yellow and drop off. Some leaves have brown on the veins too! The fruit has not ripened very much and the plums are still very hard. I think it has spread to the next tree(yellow plums/gage) Any help and advice would be most welcome. Thank you

Name: linda allen
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 14, 2010 - 01:24 pm
Message: cane you tellme wye my plums get full ofmaggout and bees have been flying around all summer wen open full of maggout

Name: susan
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 10, 2010 - 10:34 am
Message: my plums have the same problem as
D armstrong (person below) they are beginning to ripen but go purple then ornage sticky spots on them and rot what do I do.

Name: D Armstrong
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 08, 2010 - 11:48 am
Message: Hi
My plums are rotten when ready to pick they have orange spots on them and shrink I'm having to take them off the tree and distroy them. What is this problem?

Diseases of Plum Trees (continued - page 7)

Diseases of Plum Trees
(continued - page 7)