Fruit Trees

I plan to plant a Victoria Plum and a Greengage tree. How long would your bare root trees take to start producing fruit? I'm assuming that I couldn't expect to pick in the first year but after that?

Thanks

Bob

Fruit production usually occurs on the second year of growth and will increase each year as the tree develops. New shoots and buds will produce flowers, but not necessarily fruit until they are at least 2 years old.

Many hybrid plums, are called self-incompatible which means they require another tree of a different cultivar within 100 yards or so to pollinate and bear fruit. Some plum tress are self-fertile, which means you will only need to buy one, but many require another tree growing nearby for pollination to occur.

The trees flower in early spring and cover the tree in blossom. Normally around half of the flowers will turn into fruit but this can depend on the weather. If there is a late frost, the tree could lose all of its flowers, and the fruit set will be lower than normal – you may even not get any fruit at all if the frost is severe enough. If there has been very little rain, the fruit crop will suffer, and you will also get less fruit if it has been too wet.

Plant plum trees during the dormant season, before growth starts in late winter or early spring. Bare-root plants usually establish better than container-grown trees. Stakes or training wires may be needed depending on the type of tree form you decide to grow.

Gages in particular are best sited against a south- or west-facing wall to ensure the fruits are exposed to sufficient sunshine and warmth to develop their sweet, rich flavour and to ripen wood.

Our Organic Victoria plum trees are raised on the moderately vigorous St Julien A rootstock which makes them ideal for bush tree type growing in gardens large and small. 

Please see links below for our organic fruit trees:

Harrod Organic Victoria Plum Tree

Harrod Organic Oullins Golden Gage Plum Tree

Kind Regards

Lynn Burton
Horticultural Adviser