Plum Trees

Question

We have plum trees that are now three or four years old and every year they bloom fully. They set on lots of fruit and then while the fruit is still very tiny, they all just fall off. What causes this? What can we do?

Answer 1

It is possible that your tree is aborting its fruit due to an over abundance of fruiting. This is normal and the reason why thinning is often performed on fruit trees. Fruit thinning (removing excess fruit) can help produce better quality fruit. Fruit should be spaced at least 4-5 inches apart. If they are closer than this, removing smaller fruit is advised.