[polly nator]

Planted two new minarette fruit trees in January. The crab apple has buds bursting into leaf but nothing appearing on the plum. Buds not even swelling yet  - should they be? My raspberries and goosebery are doing fine too.
 How long should I wait before contacting supplier for a replacement plum?

[gobs]

Relax, most plums start a lot later.

[beki]

Bith my plum trees are in bloom - have been for a good couple of weeks now. But they're both about 9ft tall and 10ft wide!!!

So maybe the younger ones bloom later?  :?

[gobs]

Rather variety and local weather I would think, that would matter much.

[Nikkithefoot]

My plum is just beginning to show signs of life, but my apple and cherry trees have been budding for a week or two longer.

You are a good bit further north than me and whereas I assume you have had snow etc I have had not one flake. The local temp differences, variety, and overall day length will all affect when each tree begins to bud. I would wait a while yet. If unsure look at other trees or visit a local nursery and see what their trees are up too.

[polly nator]

Thanks everyone. I will try to be patient! yes we have had a lot of snow here.

[yummy]

Saw ours this morning and there were a few buds on it. No blossom yet.

[digby]

My plum seems to be taking ages too, very little sign of life yet

[iwantanallotment]

Mine just started blossoming today  

Quick Q....last year several of my plums turned into shrivelled brown mouldy-looking things - some fell off the tree and others stayed stuck firm, as if glued. Had to knock them off with the washing line prop. There were also a few blobs of a clear, hard glass-like substance on some branches.
I suspect it was some kind of pest invasion, but can anyone tell me what? And how can I prevent the same problem this year?

[Noah'strolly]

I've got one of those plum tree that is one variety on the left and another on the right, the left has blossom the right has none, so I suppose it varies between variety.

[crackedflowerpots]

our victoria plum tree was pruned rather hard last year ...  showing some signs of life but i dont hold out much hope for a bountiful crop ... hey ho always next year! :roll:

[gobs]

Mine just started blossoming today  

Quick Q....last year several of my plums turned into shrivelled brown mouldy-looking things - some fell off the tree and others stayed stuck firm, as if glued. Had to knock them off with the washing line prop. There were also a few blobs of a clear, hard glass-like substance on some branches.
I suspect it was some kind of pest invasion, but can anyone tell me what? And how can I prevent the same problem this year?

Scale insects under the bark can cause sticky honeydew, treatment is not always necessary, the other thing is one of a few fungi that cause brown rot of stone fruit, some can cause really serious damage, with the very wet season we had not a surprise.

Make sure you collect all infected fruit, brown or shrivelled and foliage and dispose of , these are source of infection for next season. Late spring thin out the tree to have an airy crown, loose all buds and shoots that look blackish or diseased. Thin out clusters of fruit, too.

Some varieties are more prone to it than others though, if not organic, can use a copper or sulphur based fungicide spray.

[iwantanallotment]

Thank you gobs, I'll follow your advice.
The tree is organic to date, never used anything on or near it, but will definitely get chemicals on it if necessary.

I had wondered if it was plum maggot and was going to buy a trap, but there were no holes or grubs in any of the diseased fruits.

[Ice]

Lots of small blossoms on my Victoria plum tree today.  Woohoo.  Oh, and my pear tree.  Both only bought late last summer.

[gobs]

It's not necessary to use them. Prevention and hygiene is enough most times, but re-infection will occur again in a pants season, especially with prone to it varieties.

This happens through cracks of fruit skin, anything can cause it really, depending thickness of skin, heavy showers, hails, insects, birds and natural splitting due to varied water content which a floody sort of season would make sure of.

Just keep an eye out for sign of browning in young fruit and get rid off.