Gran/Grandads Gardening Corner

Last May my DS and DiL presented me with a young plum tree on the occasion of their marriage -' Hoping that this tree, along with our marriage, will grow and flourish and bring you happiness'.
By late summer I'd harvested about 20 little plums.
Lots of buds are appearing now.
How can I encourage it to thrive this summer? All I did last year was water generously but should I feed it? With what?

Greyduster Just seen in your post that you've planted kerria. It's something I always wanted (be careful what you wish for!!) and, when we moved here, it was already growing. Be warned - it can take over!! It's popped up everywhere in our garden, despite heavy pruning and digging up, and I've noticed even more of it this week

Yes Mini I agree, but didn't want to put Greyduster off! It's best planted where there's plenty of space. Mine grew at the back of the garden just beyond an oak tree canopy. It does respond to pruning after flowering.

PRINTMISS, Monty planted potatoes in bags tonight.

I find Monty Don very soothing to listen to, proper gardening instead of 'makeovers' are more up my street.

I usually write down his ideas ready for when I plant something or prune something, and these little tips then stay in my head. I like Kerria btw but we don't have one.
As yet!

Oh blimey!! I read up on it on the internet and it didn't say it was invasive. How does it spread?

Would you like one, roses?

Our neighbours (last house and this one) had kerria. Next door have now got rid of it but it keeps sprouting up on our side now. It just sends up new shoots and travels quite a way. However, it is very pretty if you have plenty of room.
It's difficult to dig up because we have other things in that border and it shoots up amongst them.

Yes Jalima I've got the same problem with the kerria appearing in between other plants and it makes it well nigh impossible to get at it in order to prune/remove it. It's so pretty though that I just about forgive it for being so vigorous!

Thanks Shysal I have that recorded, will catch up, and get the o.h. to stay awake and watch!

Any plum tree buffs amongst us? This is our plum tree's fourth year and last year it was full of blossom and we had about thirty plums (I know; not spectacular, but hey!) but this year it is almost devoid of blossom - about four clumps of flowers, the rest leaves, so I don't think we'll get any plums at all. It looks healthy. It is on a south facing wall and the variety is Czar.

I think Monty is planting fruit trees tonight. You may pick up a few tips on growing plums but in my experience they please themselves from year to year. Perhaps this year your tree is having a rest.

By the way, SHYSAL, last year you recommended geranium little monster. It is flourishing and stayed green through the winter. I am expecting a good show of flowers this year. Has anyone heard of geranium Heidi? I was thinking of trying one. It is supposed to have a long flowering season.

Liaise wrote:
'in my experience they please themselves from year to year.'
We've found that too. Also 4 years is a bit early for the tree to establish a routine.
We have 2 plum trees, one - purple fruit - is very old and for the last few years has had loads of fruit. The other - greenish yellow fruit - is younger and still hasn't produced much fruit, though I prefer it to the purple, which is too sweet for me.

You mean I have to actually watch Monty Donn????? .

I have what appears to be a random plum tree in the front garden. It's about 6ft and has few thin branches. Last year, our first year with the garden, it had 3 kilos of fruit. Much to my surprise. This year there does seem to be less blossom, but it will be interesting to see what happens.

Does anyone have an Arum Lilly in their pond. Mine is huge, but had no flowers last year. Any ideas how to get flowers?

GREYDUSTER a friend of ours makes his own beer and pours the dregs under his plum tree. He gets wonderful results. Maybe you could start making your own beer it would save you watching Monty! I find him quite soothing but my real true love was Jeff Hamilton. hey ho. Days gone by.

Not beer but we have a gallon of elderberry wine that has been in our garage for nearly six years. Before that it was in the garage at our last house for over two! We have not plucked up the courage to drink it! Will that do, do you think?

We have a plum tree, bought not long after we moved here 15 years ago. It fruited for the first time last summer. It gave us the grand total of five plums. DH bought it on impulse from Aldi, it had no variety, it just said plum on the label.

Yes try the elderberry wine. It might buck up the roses as well. I keep looking at the sloe gin bottle but I think I will drink it instead.

Greyduster we had a bottle of home-made elderberry wine that had travelled with us from our previous house; it must have been about 20 years old and I refused to touch it but DH shared it with a neighbour. They were both laughing very heartily at nothing in particular.
Ihad a tiny sip - t was more like sherry than wine

A gallon?
you would be paralytic

Hilda that does not bode well - ours is also an Aldi plum tree!!

Greyduster, Monty was planting cordon apples, so you don't need to watch him if you recorded GW. I think most fruit trees do well on alternate years. Bob Flowerdew would be able to answer your query (I like him on Radio 4's GQT).

Liaise, my Tiny Monster kept its leaves too, but is still quite a small plant. I haven't seen Heidi before, on Google it looks the same colour as my favourite long flowering season geranium, Rozanne. I have yet to beat it. One of mine clambers up through a neighbouring bush, I love it!

Bob says plums need a hard winter, Here in Oxfordshire we had few frosts, don't know about you further up north.
www.bobflowerdew.co.uk/stone-fruits