Fruits and Nuts: Advice on Plums-, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
...for my "know-it-all, do NOTHING" neighbor.

Hi, Folks!

I am a "Stranger in Paradise" on THIS Forum---NOT on DG!.

I do not grow any fruit trees or hardly any Vegetables. However, my Spanish neighbor thinks he is God's gift on Earth when it comes to trees of any kind. He messes around with them, pruning, grafting, winter wraps on his HUGE Fig Tree, etc. but he has NO clue about spraying and fertilizing. I can bet you that he has NEVER fertilized anything! He will not take any advice on anything, because HE knows it all! Well--he does not! And he admits he won't read any books or pamphlets I am willing to offer him, yet he fusses every year that all his plums set, and then fall off the tree and become food for birds and squirrels. He also has a dwarf Peach and Pear tree.

Anyway--I digress......

I do not know the name of this Plum he has. It is a small tree, maybe 12' tall and wide. It is many, many years old--maybe 25??? The Plums are small. About 11/2" in diameter, greenish with an peach/reddish color if they ever get to ripen. From the few bites I have had (biting around the pecked holes on the fallen fruit) they are very delicious. The flesh is also a peach color.

I have told him many times (and have given up) that he needs to spray the tree about 4-5 times with Orchard Spray, starting when the bloom is opening. He never has, but decided to do it twice this year, even though much later. Maybe late than never???
I do not know if the "harvest" will be better or not. I alredy see a lot of plums on the ground.....

The tree sets an abundance of fruit. They are all crowded together on the branches. While they are still green, but growing, they start falling off the tree. I know he should thin them. Often they have a small fungusy spot at the end away from the stem. There is definitely some kind of fungus/disease/rot that affects these fruit every year. He pruned the tree nicely this Spring. It is open and well branched. It is in a small flower bed (also ignored) so tne lawn chemicals (they have Lawn service) of any kind really get to it--but they could. The bed is not all THAT big! I will sneak out and take some pictures so I can post them here to help the kind souls that will take the time to answer.

If anyone could give any advice (or Hyperlinks) to what he needs to do re fertilizing, spraying (with WHAT?) and general care, I will waste my printer ink to print it out and pass it on to him. Whether he does anything or not is anyones guess. AHHH, PRIDE!!! What price HUMILITY?????

Thank you! I really like these people and we are good neighbors! I want to help.........

Gita

Picture #1--the entire tree--well pruned.