No Fruit on Plum Tree? Reasons Your Plum Tree Isn’t Producing

You planted your plum tree with visions of enjoying homegrown plums, only to be disappointed when it doesn’t bear any fruit There are several possible reasons a plum tree fails to produce fruit. Identifying the cause is key so you can get your tree back to being productive

Common Causes of No Fruit on a Plum Tree

Here are some of the most likely reasons a plum tree doesn’t bear fruit:

• Too young – Plum trees generally start fruiting around 3-5 years old. Be patient with young trees.

• Lack of pollination – Plums are not self-fertile. Most need cross-pollination from another variety of European or Japanese plum that blooms at the same time.

• Insufficient chill hours – Plums need a certain amount of winter chill before blooming in spring. Lack of chill prevents flowering.

• Harsh weather – Frost, high winds, heavy rain, or extreme cold can damage flowers, preventing fruit set.

• Pruning at the wrong time – This removes necessary flower buds, Never prune in fall or late winter,

• Vigor issues -Weak trees due to poor care or growing conditions won’t bear well

• Diseases or pests – Problems like brown rot, plum curculio, and others cause dropped fruit.

• Alternate bearing – Heavy crops one year are often followed by light or no yields the next.

How to Diagnose the Cause

Start your troubleshooting by examining the tree closely:

• Are there lots of leaves but no flowers? Lack of chill hours or pruning errors are likely.

• Does it flower but then drop all fruit when tiny? Suspect diseases, pests, or pollination issues.

• Does the tree look stressed with few leaves and dieback? Poor vigor inhibits fruiting.

• Are there signs of fungal infections or insects on leaves/branches? Disease or pests.

• Did tree bear heavily last year? Alternate bearing may be the culprit.

Understanding why your plum failed to fruit will guide your corrective actions.

Solutions to Get Your Plum Tree Fruiting

Once you’ve diagnosed the problem, here are organic approaches to get your tree producing plums:

For pollination issues:

• Plant another European or Japanese plum variety that blooms simultaneously nearby.

• Attract pollinators like bees by avoiding pesticides and providing food sources.

For insufficient chill hours:

• Choose low-chill varieties suitable for your climate like Burgundy, Mariposa, or Santa Rosa.

For weather damage:

• Protect trees with covers when cold or frost threatens delicate blossoms.

For vigor problems:

• Fertilize lightly with organic fertilizer to nourish the tree.

• Water deeply once a week if rainfall is inadequate.

• Prune judiciously to open up canopy for air circulation and light.

• Control weeds/grass competition around the root zone.

For diseases and pests:

• Rake up and dispose of fallen leaves/fruit which harbor inoculum.

• Apply dormant oil spray to smother overwintering insects and eggs.

• Use organic fungicides like sulfur at key timings to prevent infections.

For alternate bearing:

• Thin developing fruit to 4-6 inches apart to reduce heavy crops.

With time and proper care tailored to the cause, your unproductive plum can be restored to reliably supplying you with bountiful harvests. Be patient, as it may take a season or two to get the tree back on track.

Best Plum Varieties for Reliable Fruiting

Some plum tree varieties are naturally more amenable to bearing fruit:

• Santa Rosa – One of the most popular. Reliably productive and easier to grow.

• Methley – Sweet purplish fruit. Low chill requirement suits warmer regions.

• Shiro – Early harvest of soft, juicy plums. Self-fertile but benefits from pollinator.

• Satsuma – Reddish-purple fruit with mild flavor. Excellent pollinator.

• Elephant Heart – Large heart-shaped reddish plums. Very disease resistant.

• Italian Prune – Sweet purplish fruit ideal for drying into prunes. Cold hardy.

Select varieties suited for your climate and space constraints. European and Japanese types should be matched with suitable pollination partners.

Preventing Future Problems with Plum Trees

While some challenges are unavoidable, you can sidestep many potential pitfalls with plum trees by:

• Choosing disease-resistant cultivars when possible.

• Providing regular irrigation if rainfall is insufficient.

• Fertilizing lightly in early spring with organic fertilizer.

• Pruning judiciously in summer to open up canopy.

• Controlling insect pests and fungal problems through good sanitation and organics.

• Managing crops via thinning fruit to prevent alternate bearing cycles.

• Installing protective covers to shield blossoms and young fruit from weather extremes.

With proper variety selection for your growing conditions and attentive care, you can prevent many of the issues that cause plum trees to underperform. The reward will be enjoying an abundant harvest of juicy, tree-ripened plums.