[Beetie]

I'm feeling sad and disappointed. My plum tree didn't fruit last year (1st year on the plot) so I was pleased that it has done so this year, however I think a lot of the fruit has maggots :-(  the fruit has lots of blobs of resins on the skin.

What do I need to do to stop this happening again next year?

[BabbyAnn]

The main culprit is most likely the plum fruit moth, but wasps can also do damage too.

Last year I was very successful with pheromone traps, and I also put glue bands round the trunks of all my fruit trees, plus some home made wasp traps (a plastic bottle with the top cut off and inserted in the bottle so that wasps and flies go down but can't get out.  Put some sweet jam in the bottom with water so they will drown, and hang the bottles in the plum tree to attract them)

[8doubles]

You tend to get the blobs of resin after aphids had been feeding on the immature plums, the holes left by the aphid are an easy entry point for brown rot spores and heavy infestations of aphid can mean most of the fruit rotting.
Pheremone traps for the male codling moth can cut down on the amount of maggoty fruit.

Soapy water will clean off the aphids.

Maggoty fruit tends to ripen earlier than the rest , i used to put plastic garden netting around the tree, give the tree a shake and the first fruit to fall were often 'shared'.
The netting trick is an easy way to harvest plums fast !

A sharp dinner fork taped to a cane can be used to remove plums with brown rot to stop it spreading.
 The neck of a plastic bottle with a few notches in the edge can also be  taped  to a cane to pick the best high plums for eating yourself before you take the rest indoors !

[Beetie]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have a look at protection for next year and any plums from this year I'll cut open to check for bugs and make jam.

My plums are all just starting to change colour and ripen. Is this about right? I've never had a plum tree before so not sure when to harvest.

[Hampshire Hog]

Hi Beetle yes they should go a nice colour purple I would say.
Perhaps some variation by variety but check when they are ripe to be sure by eating one.
Cheers HH

[8doubles]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have a look at protection for next year and any plums from this year I'll cut open to check for bugs and make jam.

My plums are all just starting to change colour and ripen. Is this about right? I've never had a plum tree before so not sure when to harvest.

When you wash the plums the maggoty plums should float (tunnels full of air) and sound ones sink but this is not 100% sure!

The gentle branch shake method of picking + net means only the ripe plums will fall.

Apart  from that you will have to learn to tell a ripe plum from a nearly ripe plum by subtle colour change and bloom on the fruit.