Last year was the first year I got plums on my tree. I got probably a few hundred plums, but unfortunately, at least 2/3 had to be thrown out because they had holes in them and frass, I think it may have been from plum curculio. This year, I really want to protect my harvest. My tree started blooming last week, and some of the blooms already look old like they are about to fall off. Some blooms look fresh and new, and some haven't quite opened up yet. I think I'm probably about a week and a half or two away from my late bloomers falling off.
When is the right time to spray my tree? I didn't spray it at all last year and that was a huge mistake. I want to spray at the right time, but I feel like if I wait until all the blooms have fallen, that may be too late for the fruit that bloomed first. But, at the same time, I don't want to kill the bees! If I wait a week and a half or so to spray, will that still be soon enough to protect my early bloomers? Or is there some pest deterrent I can use in the mean-time to prevent anything from cutting into new fruit and laying eggs while I wait for all my blooms to fall?
