From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as long
as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be picked, kept
in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this correct?

More importantly, how do I protect the plumbs from wasps. Our
neighbour's tree (different variety) is almost ripe and is attracting a
lot of wasps. Clearly from the size of the tree, it can ot be covered
with a very fine mesh/net so is there any way of protecting?

Many thanks
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as long
as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be picked, kept
in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this correct?

Pretty much so. If they are a bit too underripe, keep them in a closed container with some ripening bananas. The ethylene gas released by the
bananas will help the plumbs

More importantly, how do I protect the plumbs from wasps. Our
neighbour's tree (different variety) is almost ripe and is attracting a
lot of wasps. Clearly from the size of the tree, it can ot be covered
with a very fine mesh/net so is there any way of protecting?

Many thanks

You can't protect plumbs from wasps and birds. We have a 10+ metre cherry-plumb tree of unknown name which fruits only once every 6 years
or so. It was covered in fruit this year. Over a couple of days we
picked around 12kg of slightly underripe fruit just before the wasps
appeared. Towards the end of the second day I decided to wear thick
gloves as I couldn't tell if there were any wasps on the fruit I was
about to grab!

I reckon there was around 100kg plums left on the tree (almost all out-of-reach). Now, a couple of weeks later, there's hardly anything
left. The wasps have moved on to the apple tree. :-(
--
Jeff
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as long
as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be picked, kept
in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)
--
ThererCOs a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons and reasons
that sound good.

Burton Hillis (William Vaughn, American columnist)

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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 24/07/2025 22:16, Jeff Layman wrote:

Pretty much so. If they are a bit too underripe, keep them in a closed container with some ripening bananas. The ethylene gas released by the bananas will help the plumbs

^
ripen.

In the words of Bluebottle, "Where did it went?"
--
Jeff
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

Polly@golly wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Polly@golly wrote:

our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

It was a spelling gripe (plum vs plumb).
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 25/07/2025 09:09, Polly@golly wrote:

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

If you didn't realise it was a frivolous remark, it is definitely
something you should worry about...
--
rCLBut what a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of an hypothesis!rCY

Mary Wollstonecraft

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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning EfOe

Very good!
--
Jenny M Benson
Wrexham, UK
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

In article <105ve36$106pl$1@dont-email.me>,
pwllgloyw@gmail.com says...

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

You really should know how to spell plum.

Your tree is a plum tree, the fruits are plums.

Plumbers deal with pipes not plums.

Lead (pronounced led) plumbing can lead (pronounced leed)
to lead (led) poisoning. You really should know that, too.


Janet
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 25/07/2025 12:42, Janet wrote:

In article <105ve36$106pl$1@dont-email.me>,
pwllgloyw@gmail.com says...

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

You really should know how to spell plum.

Your tree is a plum tree, the fruits are plums.

Plumbers deal with pipes not plums.

Lead (pronounced led) plumbing can lead (pronounced leed)
to lead (led) poisoning. You really should know that, too.

a plumb is a lead bob used in a plumbline, and is vaguely plum shaped,
but the etmology is quite different - plumb is from Latin plumbum - lead.

Plum is from prunum, via OE plume . Probably they all had lisps

Janet

--
The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all
private property.

Karl Marx


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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 25/07/2025 09:09, Polly@golly wrote:

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the first
time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told that as
long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can be
picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is this
correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

Appologies from a brainless old man who is not thinking very well these
days. Sorry
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 26/07/2025 08:57, Polly@golly wrote:

On 25/07/2025 09:09, Polly@golly wrote:

On 25/07/2025 01:11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 24/07/2025 21:06, Polly@golly wrote:

After 4 or 5 years, our Victoria plumb tree is fruiting for the
first time. I am not sure when to pick the plumbs, I've been told
that as long as they are a bit soft and are turning colour, they can
be picked, kept in a paper bag or used straight away for jam. Is
this correct?

Id throw them away. D9ont want any lead poisoning :-)

Is this just a stupid frivolus remark, or something we should really
know about?

Appologies from a brainless old man who is not thinking very well these days. Sorry

Its fine, we all knew what you meant and you have provided entertainment
for those of us easily amused!!
--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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