[Colleyden]

Hi all
I have just become the occupant of my first half plot in Liverpool. The previous tennant was an old guy and I have inherited a we established plum tree at one end of my plot. The guy took I'll last year and didn't pick any if the fruit from the tree and it no has lots if ruit left on that's rotted and sort of fused the stones to the tree. Will this do any harm to the tree does anyone know ?
 will I need to pick them all off to make sure the tree bear fruit this year.

Thanks for any advice

Col

[Nobbie]

I'd remove all the old remains off the tree as they will just be a source of infection for any new fruit. You might have a problem with maggots in the fruit if all the old fruit was left to rot last year as I believe the maggots drop with the fruit and then pupate in the soil ready to attack the fruit the following year. You can get pheromone traps to see if you have an infestation worth spraying for.

[sunshineband]

Following on from what Nobbie just said, you could put  a grease band around the trunk to prevent crawling pests getting up to lay eggs in the developing fruit

Best not to prune the tree until late Summer either... trees with "stone" fruits like plums and cherries etc are liable to an infection called silverleaf which can enter through pruning wounds whet he trees is dormant

[Ivor Backache]

The way you have described the fruit, suggests brown rot. You need to destroy all the shrivelled fruit from the tree and any on the ground. You will need a fungicide to contain the problem this year. Check the fruit very often, you will know you have it when the fruit sticks together.