Our home is on what used to be a plum orchard. It was suggested that we may have root maggots. We have lived here for 21 years. What can we do to get rid of them before planting another tree in the front yard? We do have two fruitless mulberries in the back that are doing just fine.
The following article should be of some help to you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/root-eating-insects-identifying-vegetable-root-maggots-and-root-maggot-control.htm
What kind of fertilizer would help this tree to produce fruit? The tree looks healthy.
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.
Each year, my plums bloom and produce lots of early plums. Then when the plums are about a grape size, they begin to fall off. Maybe 10% will make to maturity . . .the rest fall off on the ground.
This happens due to poor pollination. These articles have some suggestions for improving attracting pollinators to your yard, which will result in more flowers pollinated and less fruit being aborted by the tree.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/insect-pollination-process.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/creating-a-pollinator-garden.htm
I'd like to plant three espaliered fruit trees along my fence. I was thinking of plum, pear, apple, and/or peach. Will these survive/thrive in the Reno/Sparks area of NV (USA), or should I consider something else? Or abandon the idea completely?
As long as you can get them enough water, they should be fine.
I have a plum tree that is producing fruit, but the leaves shriveled or curled almost immediately after the blooms fell. I noticed black spots inside the leaves, but nothing appeared to be alive. I found a Winter Wash that can be used to treat aphids, which can cause the type of curling I'm seeing, but I can't find the wash in the US (simply called, Winter Tree Wash). Any other tips on how I can treat this tree to save both the tree and its fruit?
We like using neem oil for treating pests, as well as fungal problems. It is both effective and safe to use. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm
I have plum tree (4 years old) with flowers on it but no plums. It's planted near two pear trees. We have loads of pears. We feed it, but still nothing.
Your tree may need another plum for pollination. Even the self polinating varieties do better with a second tree. Other than that, plums need extra water in winter to encourage blossoming in the spring.
Our plums have a small hole with sap seeping from them. We took the plum to our local gardning center. He said he has seen it coming out of branches, but never from fruit. Please can you help us? Thank you.
It sounds like your tree has peach borer, which can affect any stone fruit tree. Here is an article that will help you:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/peach/peach-tree-borer.htm