Fruits and Nuts: Encouraging fruiting spurs on a plum tree?, 1 by andycdn

andycdn wrote:
Thanks, bettydee, I'll follow up on those links. Looks like I've got a double whammy with the Italian... not recommended for this area and probably not good soil. It's located in my back yard, which was a new development when I planted the tree. When I excavated, there was 6" of stone dust under the 6" of topsoil, which I removed, and under that was just basic 'dirt' and construction rubble. I dug a good sized hole and filled it with compost and good soil when I planted, and some bone meal. The tree is healthy, but doesn't produce blooms.

I know of several people in Ottawa who have Italian plums that are loaded with fruit every year... go figger. Mine may not get enough sun (about 5 hours max in the afternoons).

I did not prune last fall or winter, hoping not to lop off any possible fruiting spurs. It's trained as an espalier, so pruning is part of its maintenance. The photo is from two years ago; the tree is bigger now.

Thanks again for your help.