Plum Tree That Don’t Produce Fruit

Question

What kind of fertilizer would help this tree to produce fruit? The tree looks healthy.

Answer 1

Plum trees take about 3-4 years to reach fruiting maturity. If your plum is this old and still not producing fruit, there are several things that could be causing this.

First, it may not be getting enough light to flower.

Second, it might have too much nitrogen or too little phosphorous. This is common for fruit trees that are planted near lawns that get regular fertilizing. lawn fertilizer is high in nitrogen and low in phosphorous. Adding bone meal can help, but it is advisable to get your soil tested at your local extension service and see exactly what and how severe the deficiencies are.

Third, you may be growing a variety that needs more chilling than your area can provide. Many stone fruits need a certain number of hours of cool weather in order to fruit well. The number of hours varies by variety and you would need to look up your variety to see how many hours of chilling it needs.

If you are seeing flowers but no fruit, this can mean that you have a pollination problem or that the blossoms are being damaged by late frosts and therefore never become fruit.