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Need Help with weeping Santa Rosa plum

 
Posts: 1
Location: Brownsburg, Indiana
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I’ve got a weeping Santa Rosa plum that’s about five years old but it’s never produced fruit. It flowers every year and I keep it well pruned.  I didn’t expect much out of it so I’m not too disappointed.
 
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Posts: 16886
Location: USDA Zone 8a
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Kim, welcome to the forum!

I found this information that might be helpful:

While the Santa Rosa plum is a self-pollinator, you'll harvest a better crop when planted with other Japanese varieties.



https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=2458
 
steward and tree herder
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Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year
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Hi Kim, I agree with Anne. The tree will need compatable pollen, even if self fertile, most fruit will set better with a pollinator.
The other thing you will need are pollinating insects. If it is too cold or too windy the insects are less likely to be flying, or there may not be a good population depending on how hospitable your area is and whether much poisoning goes on. Have you got a nice understory of insect attracting plants? The better the food supply the more happy insects you will have to trip the fruit.
We have a whole forum on pollinators if you think this may be the problem: https://permies.com/f/56/pollinators or this thread discusses the DIY option: https://permies.com/t/179642
Assuming the insects do their bit then the tree needs to develop the fruit. Normally some of the fruit will drop off or fail to swell and this depends on how happy the tree is I guess.
Sometimes it does just take time. I have a plum and a Damson that were well grown when they were planted, but I live in a windy area and am not too surprised I've yet to see fruit after 5 years. Hopefully the conditions will be right for you (and me) soon and you'll get a glut!

Edit: this thread just came up in the similar threads below - so it looks like the Santa Rosa may not be very happy alone, or take longer to mature.
 
Anne Miller
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I like Nancy's suggestion of planting for pollinators.

Nancy said, "Have you got a nice understory of insect attracting plants? The better the food supply the more happy insects you will have



Here are some threads that you or others might enjoy:

https://permies.com/t/93704/Sharing-Pollinators

https://permies.com/t/138194/Edible-Plants-Pollinators-Love

https://permies.com/t/174143/Pollinators-part-permaculture-design

https://permies.com/t/71630/Garden-insect-predators-pollinators
 
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