Why the plum falls before it ripens: reasons and what to do, how to feed

Why plum fruits fall off often worries gardeners. Until recently, a tree pleased with an abundance of flowers and ovaries, but today they are all on the ground. The harvest is gone. And there might not have been a problem if there would have been competent care for the plum. Knowing and taking into account the characteristics of the plant prevented the death of the crop.

Most common causes

It is almost impossible to fix the problem that causes plums to shed. But preventing is easier than ever.

If the plum is frozen over

Sometimes a gardener plants non-zoned varieties with frost resistance above average winter temperatures. As a result, the tree freezes: fruit buds, bark and wood are damaged.

After such a winter, the plant weakens and discards excess fruits, retaining only the necessary ones. This reduces the yield. It happens that a plum is planted in a place blown by the north and northeast winds. Then, during severe winters, the plant will certainly freeze. In this case, it is recommended to replant the plant or (if the event is not possible) to install a protective screen.

Wrong watering

The tree has a fibrous root system located in the upper layers of the soil. It cannot independently extract water from nearby horizons. Therefore, they are not able to keep ripening fruits: shedding occurs.

Abundance or scarcity of fertilizers

The type and location of the plum root system allows it to receive nutrition only from the top layers of the soil. With a lack of elements, fruits are dropped:

Nitrogen deficiency is manifested through the color of the leaves (they become pale). In this case, the green ovaries fall off. It is required to feed the plant with mullein infusion or urea.
With a lack of potassium, green, but already slightly grown fruits fall off. It is recommended to feed with potash fertilizer (s alt).
Lack of phosphorus leads to shedding of large, but unripe fruits. The plant should be fed with double superphosphate.

But an excess of elements leads to shedding plums. Oversaturated with nitrogen and acidic soil, the crop will be lost.

Poor pollination

Sometimes gardeners choose plum varieties that are not self-fertile. These plants require pollinators. It is recommended to plant plum trees in the garden, the flowering of which coincides with this.

To attract pollinating insects, you need to plant honey plants. Hyssop, basil, mint, clover cope with their role.

Diseases and pests

Fruit shedding is caused by pests and diseases. Among the pests are dangerous:

Sawfly. The butterfly lays its eggs during the flowering stage of the plant. The first caterpillar eats the inside of the cream with a stone, crawls out and pupates. Then the process is repeated. If protective measures are not taken, several generations of pests parasitize the plum tree during the season.
Plum codling moth. It acts in the same way as the sawfly. But it damages the ovaries and the pulp of the cream. The fruits do not ripen and fall off.
Tolstopodka. The butterfly lays its eggs on newly blossomed trees. The caterpillar eats green bones. The fruits are crumbling.

Disease of the tree with scab, a fungal disease, weakens the tree and it sheds damaged fruit.

Which varieties are susceptible to this pathology

Shedding is common to all old varieties of plums. Get rid of excess fruits and plants that give an abundance of root shoots. But breeders are creating new varieties and hybrids that are resistant to shedding. They should be chosen for planting in the garden.

Nuances

To effectively help the tree and save the harvest, it is recommended that you first determine the cause of fruit shedding.

Plum drops the ovary

Often it just doesn't get to fruit ripening: the ovaries turn yellow and fall off. Reason: lack of nitrogen. Unscheduled top dressing with organic fertilizer (mullein infusion or bird droppings solution) will help correct the situation.

It is recommended to pour out a bucket under each adult tree. In the absence of manure, it is permissible to feed the plant with urea or fermented plant residues. But sometimes just green ovaries fly around from a tree. In this case, the plant gets rid of the fruits that have overloaded it. This often happens with young plums.

Drops green fruit

Sometimes gardeners complain: fruits fall before they are ripe. The ovaries have increased in size, but crumble.It is recommended to pick up several fruits, carefully consider and break them. If unripe berries are affected by caterpillars or scab, then most of the crop died. The rest can be saved by spraying with insecticides and antifungals.

If he althy immature fruits fell off ahead of time, then the plant needs complex feeding. First, it is recommended to add liquid nitrogen, and after 4-5 days - phosphorus and potassium. At the same time, elements are not added, with the exception of ready-made mineral complexes. To accelerate the absorption of nutrients, feeding should be combined with watering.

Sometimes an unripe plum falls off due to a sudden change in the weather: a long cold snap or a steady heat wave. In this case, the fruits fall from young or weakened trees. So the plant tries to escape from death.

Mature cream falls

Plums often fall off the tree in large quantities. The fruit turns blue and begins to ripen. But for some reason, the tree drops the crop. It is recommended to pick up one or two fruits and break them. If there is a worm inside or traces of its vital activity, then pests attacked the fruit tree, and it throws off the crop. Unfortunately, the harvest is unlikely to be saved. But it is recommended to take into account the mistakes and carry out preventive treatments in the fall and spring.

If the plum is he althy and falls to the ground without ripening, then the application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers will partially correct the situation. To increase the effectiveness of the event, top dressing is recommended to be combined with watering. In July, the fruits stop growing and fall to the ground. They show traces of fungal diseases. In this case, it is recommended to spray with antifungal drugs.

What to do in such cases

To prevent fruit shedding, a set of measures should be carried out during the season:

make routine fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers in spring and autumn;
carry out preventive spraying against diseases and pests;
observe the irrigation regime;
timely remove weeds in the trunk circle;
select pollinator varieties;
remove root growth;
rake and burn plant debris (leaves, twigs, carrion);
plant released varieties and hybrids.

To prevent the plum from dropping green or ripening fruits, you should regularly monitor the condition of the trees. If a pathology is detected, protective measures are required immediately.

Proper care

To get a stable harvest, it is recommended to follow all the rules for caring for trees.

Features of watering plums

To preserve the crop, it is recommended to water the plant 4-5 times per season:

after coming out of dormancy;
after flowering;
2-3 weeks after second watering;
while pouring berries.

Under an adult tree it is required to pour 20-30 liters of water (the soil must be moist to a depth of 50 cm).

Regulation of top dressing

Gardeners should know how to feed the plum. Top dressing sequence:

after the tree comes out of dormancy, add a solution of mullein or chicken manure (norm: 1 bucket for an adult plant);
after flowering, apply potash-phosphorus fertilizer (according to the rate specified by the manufacturer);
after harvesting, the loss of minerals in the soil needs to be replenished: it is recommended to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Dry fertilizers are scattered around the entire near-trunk circle and embedded in the soil.

Prevention of disease and insects

Recommended for disease prevention:

avoid crowded plantings;
carry out regular sanitary and shaping pruning;
remove weeds;
feed in time;
remove anthills;
treat the garden with antifungal drugs.

To fight insects, it is recommended to attract their enemies: ladybugs, antlions.

To prevent pest damage, it is recommended to carry out preventive spraying with insecticides:

first after awakening the tree;
second at the stage of budding (pink bud);
third after the formation of the ovaries;
following as needed.

Pest and disease control is ongoing throughout the year.

Increased pollination

Often, it is not the ovaries that fall off, but the empty flowers. To avoid such troubles, it is recommended:

plant pollinator plants (for 2-3 cultivars of plum trees 1 flowering tree at the same time for pollination);
avoid crowded plantings;
plant honey plants to attract pollinating insects.

Easy measures will help to get he althy fruits and preserve the harvest.