[thetraynors182]

Hi I am new to the site.  We have a large plum tree (well I think it is a plum) in the garde.  It is full, and I mean full of fruit, and was wondering.
1. What will happen if I start to take some branches out - it is over 15 ft
2. Is there a good site,  with pictures, to find out what type of plum it is?
3. Any suggestions for the tonnes of plums that I have!!!

Thanks

Audrey

[gillie]

1. Prune it soon, while the weather is still warmish, so that the cuts will heal, or leave the pruning until the spring.  If you prune plums when they are dormant in the winter they are liable to get infected with silver leaf disease which kills the tree.

2. Go to the website of one of the chief fruit tree growers, such as Chris Bowers http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/ and see if you can spot your tree or send a sample to Brogdale Farm http://www.brogdalecollections.co.uk/brogdale-identification.html for identification.

3.  I have frozen plums in a dry sugar pack - 4oz. of sugar to 1lb of stoned plums - or make jam.

Cheers,

Gillie

[mikem]

I was reading "Which" magazine today as I am thinking of buying an additional freezer as we have so much fruit to store.  In there it said that the following fruits freeze well after stewing:- plums, apples, damsons, pears and rhubarb.