Santa Rosa Plum tree, dropped most of blossoms/fruit

11 years ago

I have a Santa Rosa plum tree in my front yard that blossomed like crazy last month, Easily over 200 nice white blossoms. Of those, I'd say 50 or more started developing into some fruit, and of those 50 or so, many of them are turning yellow color and dropping off. I think there are only about 10 left that might actually develop into a full fruit.

Is that normal? What is a normal crop on this kind of tree? 10 seems like too few. I don't know...

Featured Answer

james_ristow

8 years ago

Thanks for the information. I'll have to "look up" plum curculio -- have no idea of what that is. Also I guess I should get another plum tree for pollination. I am running out of space -- would a 22" pot be satisfactory for a "dwarf plum tree" (if there is such a thing). Any recommendations of sources of a good quality plum tree. Oddly, I have had more luck with Home Depot than Anderson's Nursery ... and they offer far better customer support. I hope this can be corrected pretty soon ... I'm no "spring chicken"!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

scuzzynutty
Original Author
11 years ago
One more photo here...this picture you can see the yellow colored one near the top right half...i just touch those and they fall to the ground...
rayrose
11 years ago
Although Santa Rosa is supposed to be self pollinating, you'll get much better fruit set, if you have another variety that blooms at the same time.
Related Discussions
Santa Rosa plum drop...why?
Q
Comments (3)
There is nothing you can do. There are various reasons for drop for example lack of proper pollination. Santa Rosa loves to drop in my climate, for five years it dropped almost everything on me. My tree was not heavily fruiting until it was 8 years old. I had no shortage of pollinating trees or bees. Do make sure there is a good pollinator nearby. Scott
...See More
Yellowing leaves on Santa Rosa plum
Q
Comments (6)
You say the top 1/3 is turning yellow. That sounds more like a cultural problem than a nutrient deficiency. It could be too much water or too little. Too much water is more likely a problem with a soil mix that doesn't drain well enough rather than excess application. It could be nitrogen deficiency. That would show up as small, yellow new leaves and excess dropping of the oldest leaves. It could also be a reaction to excess fertilzer applied two wks ago. Mine have taken the sun, heat, and wind pretty well. But if it's really hot and windy that's going to aggravate any cultural deficiency or excess. The Fruitnut
...See More
Santa Rosa Plum question
Q
Comments (1)
I think you are right, it was drought stressed before the roots were established in your native soil. I had a pear act like that when newly planted and not watered often enough. The defoliation was complete when water was again applied. It not only leafed out again it went through another bloom cycle in August! It is today a fine tree bearing lots of fruit. Al
...See More
Santa Rosa plum & CA drought
Q
Comments (3)
Probably not. Next years harvest may depend more on our strange weather patterns than your watering now. Let it leaf out to it's little hearts content but keep an eye out for rogue blooms and pinch them off if/when you see them. Keep it watered one a week or two till it goes dormant or we get some rain and nature takes over watering duties. The brown leaves may have been from the lack of water or possibly from the heat also. You should see the tree covered in blooms next spring. Be sure to keep it well watered (But not overwatered) from spring through the dry season next year.
...See More
fruithack
11 years ago
Scuzzy- Did you get a late frost? Santa Rosa, and Mariposa were more susceptible to late frosts than sweet cherries for me, so I removed them.
scuzzynutty
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the replies.

No frost, I live in Southern California. There might have been frost ONE morning, but that's it. It blossoms really well, like i said probably more than 200 blossoms. Just don't know why all the fruit is falling off, there's probably 10 left of the 50. Most of them turned yellow and fell off...
scuzzynutty
Original Author
11 years ago
Any one else have any further feedback on why most of the fruit have fallen off and turned yellow? Thanks for any help...
MrClint
11 years ago
Not a whole lot to go on. Most likely a pollination issue, but could also be lack of -or too much water and/or fertilizer. How old is the tree? Did you see much bee activity when in bloom? Can you attach a full picture of the tree?
itheweatherman
11 years ago
I have one too, (I live in SoCal) I am having the same problem.

The reason is that they didn't get pollinated. They need a pollinator: Satsuma, Mariposa, or a Prunus vesuvious cherry-plum, these trees pollinate my Santa Rosa.
fireduck
11 years ago
S...my trees in SoCal flowered...set much fruit....dropped much fruit. I have grown these plums and others for many years. I can assure you this is a weather related problem, not pollination. We had a cold late Winter/Spring.
MrClint
11 years ago
There's too much data on Why Do Plum Trees Drop Plums & Never Develop? to dismiss pollination as a possibility. A "weather related problem" in and of itself is tied directly to poor pollination - as it impacts pollinators greatly.
treehugger2012
11 years ago
I have one which dropped most of its flowers and I blaming the frost. The remaining 15 fruits are big and healthy . My job starts now to protect the 15 fruits from the OFM. In mid-Atlantic states it is a big problem.
james_ristow
8 years ago
My small Santa Rosa Plum has dropped the few embryonic plums it had produced. Every one of them. It is a young tree and I may have over watered it. I am near the ocean and that poses some interesting gardening issues from time to time. So far nobody has come up with a solution to the problem, so I guess I'll withhold the water for awhile and hope for the best.
The Apricot tree next to it is "leafing out" beautifully -- it's second year -- hopefully it will start producing some fruit this year.
Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
This is in reply to the first poster, ..at this stage, going by the size of fruits,
it doesn't look like a pollination issue, more like a pest, could be plum curculio damage.

Setting fruits is another problem and I find that it's a fine line from setting or not setting,..in your case James, tree might still be too young.
rphcfb14
8 years ago
I think immaturity of the tree also has something to do with your tree not setting fruit well.

I planted my Shiro in 2012. Last year, it had a lot of blooms, most friutlets turned yellow and fell off. Only A dozen plums left to ripen. No pollination issue for another J. Plum is next to it.

This year, it flowered and set in hundreds. Lot of thinning requied. The tree knows last year it was too young to carry lot of fruit so it aborted most.

I think your tree will be fruitful next year if your have a compatible plum tree nearby to cross pollinate.