From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

Have plumbs on our 3 year old tree for the first time. Our neighbour has
a cherry tree on which she covers all the fruit with cloth "because they
get eaten" she says! Wondering if plumbs suffer the same problem and
should I try to protect them just from birds (net) or other insects!
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

Polly@golly <pwllgloyw@gmail.com> wrote:

Have plumbs on our 3 year old tree for the first time. Our neighbour has
a cherry tree on which she covers all the fruit with cloth "because they
get eaten" she says! Wondering if plumbs suffer the same problem and
should I try to protect them just from birds (net) or other insects!

I don't know about plumbs. However our experience is that plums don't
need much protection. You may lose a few to waspa and birds but most
will be OK. On the other hand cherries (as your neighbour says) all
get eaten unless you protect them.
--
Chris Green
-+
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 21/05/2025 22:07, Chris Green wrote:

Polly@golly <pwllgloyw@gmail.com> wrote:

Have plumbs on our 3 year old tree for the first time. Our neighbour has
a cherry tree on which she covers all the fruit with cloth "because they
get eaten" she says! Wondering if plumbs suffer the same problem and
should I try to protect them just from birds (net) or other insects!

I don't know about plumbs. However our experience is that plums don't
need much protection. You may lose a few to waspa and birds but most
will be OK. On the other hand cherries (as your neighbour says) all
get eaten unless you protect them.

We have a "cherry-plum" (probably a /prunus cerasifera/ hybrid, as the
fruits are oval and it's a purple-leaved form) which only fruits well
about one year in 6. This looks like it might be the year! The fruits
are like small plums and have a good taste if we get any, as the birds
really like them.
--
Jeff
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

On 21/05/2025 20:54, Polly@golly wrote:

Have plumbs on our 3 year old tree for the first time. Our neighbour has
a cherry tree on which she covers all the fruit with cloth "because they
get eaten" she says! Wondering if plumbs suffer the same problem and
should I try to protect them just from birds (net) or other insects!

Do you mean covered with fine mesh? If so it's probably Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) which is a vinegar fly that lays eggs on such fruit as
it is ripening. As the name suggests the maggots turn the fruit very
sour and who wants to eat tiny white maggots.
They attack all soft skinned fruit but we first found it some years ago
on cherries. It will even attack tomatoes!
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
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