Planting bare root Victoria Plum tree questions.

[Baz]

I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth on
the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.

I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.

I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)

I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would like
to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I have also
read that compost is a must!

I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly" one so
I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

Thanks
Baz

[David WE Roberts]

Post by Baz
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth on
the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)
I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would like
to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I have also
read that compost is a must!
I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly" one so
I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut and
paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion if you have
some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.

HTH

Dave R

[Baz]

Post by David WE Roberts

Post by Baz
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth
on the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)
I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would
like to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I
have also read that compost is a must!
I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly"
one so I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
if you have some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.
HTH
Dave R

Thankyou, Dave R,
The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?

I certainly will do it if needed.

Thanks again
Baz

[Jake]

Post by Baz

Post by David WE Roberts

Post by Baz
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth
on the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)
I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would
like to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I
have also read that compost is a must!
I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly"
one so I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
if you have some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.
HTH
Dave R

Thankyou, Dave R,
The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?
I certainly will do it if needed.
Thanks again
Baz

On pruning front, my instinct would be to seal the ends. You already
have a sickly tree to nurture; removing any possible point of entry
for problems won't hurt. As you know, we're sort of out of the dormant
time when pruning's best. Although I don't grow plums I think the
principles are common to all fruit trees. I keep a tin of Arbrex I've
had for about 30 years for this purpose though I noticed last year
that it was starting to go hard - must have left the lid off for too
long. Maybe if I open it this year it'll be a solid lump.

I've never tried the emulsion trick Dave suggests. Did a web search
and the results that came back referred to a special type of emulsion
rather than Dulux so perhaps Dave will educate me.

On the planting front, I would dig a sufficiently large hole - the
usual twice the size of the roots thing - then mix what you dig out
with some garden compost, say 50-50 and then add some BF&B and maybe
this new mycr(can't spell it or even pronounce it) fungal stuff that's
supposed to work miracles. (I'm trying that this year to see if the
hype's accurate or not - flamin' expensive stuff so it'd better be
good!)

The 50-50 mix will give the roots the benefit of both worlds to begin
with and by the time they reach what are for them the border with the
next galaxy, they'll happily go on into the unknown (assuming of
course that the tree survives the battering it's already had).

For a couple of quid outlay for the tree, what have you got to lose?

You'll be "on-site" as it were so will be able to make your own
judgement as to whether (and if of course) to allow any flowers/fruits
that form to develop or whether you remove them to allow the tree to
devote all its energy to it's basic survival needs this year.

Keep it well-watered and keep a circle of ground extenting to a foot
away from the trunk clear of grass and anything else for at least this
year.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

[Baz]

Post by Jake

Post by Baz

Post by David WE Roberts

Post by Baz
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth
on the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)
I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would
like to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I
have also read that compost is a must!
I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly"
one so I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
if you have some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.
HTH
Dave R

Thankyou, Dave R,
The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?
I certainly will do it if needed.
Thanks again
Baz

On pruning front, my instinct would be to seal the ends. You already
have a sickly tree to nurture; removing any possible point of entry
for problems won't hurt. As you know, we're sort of out of the dormant
time when pruning's best. Although I don't grow plums I think the
principles are common to all fruit trees. I keep a tin of Arbrex I've
had for about 30 years for this purpose though I noticed last year
that it was starting to go hard - must have left the lid off for too
long. Maybe if I open it this year it'll be a solid lump.
I've never tried the emulsion trick Dave suggests. Did a web search
and the results that came back referred to a special type of emulsion
rather than Dulux so perhaps Dave will educate me.
On the planting front, I would dig a sufficiently large hole - the
usual twice the size of the roots thing - then mix what you dig out
with some garden compost, say 50-50 and then add some BF&B and maybe
this new mycr(can't spell it or even pronounce it) fungal stuff that's
supposed to work miracles. (I'm trying that this year to see if the
hype's accurate or not - flamin' expensive stuff so it'd better be
good!)
The 50-50 mix will give the roots the benefit of both worlds to begin
with and by the time they reach what are for them the border with the
next galaxy, they'll happily go on into the unknown (assuming of
course that the tree survives the battering it's already had).
For a couple of quid outlay for the tree, what have you got to lose?
You'll be "on-site" as it were so will be able to make your own
judgement as to whether (and if of course) to allow any flowers/fruits
that form to develop or whether you remove them to allow the tree to
devote all its energy to it's basic survival needs this year.
Keep it well-watered and keep a circle of ground extenting to a foot
away from the trunk clear of grass and anything else for at least this
year.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

I have been unlucky in the past with this variety, ordered and dead,
ordered and been sent some apple tree, ordered and out of stock, but sent
to me in July.

I have planted this one today with your advice. And of course I will let
you know how it gets on.

Fingers crossed
Baz

[Charlie Pridham]

Post by Baz

Post by Jake
For a couple of quid outlay for the tree, what have you got to lose?
You'll be "on-site" as it were so will be able to make your own
judgement as to whether (and if of course) to allow any flowers/fruits
that form to develop or whether you remove them to allow the tree to
devote all its energy to it's basic survival needs this year.
Keep it well-watered and keep a circle of ground extenting to a foot
away from the trunk clear of grass and anything else for at least this
year.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

I have been unlucky in the past with this variety, ordered and dead,
ordered and been sent some apple tree, ordered and out of stock, but sent
to me in July.
I have planted this one today with your advice. And of course I will let
you know how it gets on.
Fingers crossed
Baz

Good luck with your bargain, if you need to try again next winter I got a
wonderful Victoria plum tree from Sacha and Ray at Hill House last year, and
had a good crop on it the first summer and this spring it is just about to
be completely covered in flower buds, well pleased (and it was one of 4 from
there all have done exceptionally well)

[Sacha]

On 2012-03-17 17:48:05 +0000, "Charlie Pridham"

Post by Charlie Pridham

Post by Baz

Post by Jake
For a couple of quid outlay for the tree, what have you got to lose?
You'll be "on-site" as it were so will be able to make your own
judgement as to whether (and if of course) to allow any flowers/fruits
that form to develop or whether you remove them to allow the tree to
devote all its energy to it's basic survival needs this year.
Keep it well-watered and keep a circle of ground extenting to a foot
away from the trunk clear of grass and anything else for at least this
year.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

I have been unlucky in the past with this variety, ordered and dead,
ordered and been sent some apple tree, ordered and out of stock, but sent
to me in July.
I have planted this one today with your advice. And of course I will let
you know how it gets on.
Fingers crossed
Baz

Good luck with your bargain, if you need to try again next winter I got
a wonderful Victoria plum tree from Sacha and Ray at Hill House last
year, and had a good crop on it the first summer and this spring it is
just about to be completely covered in flower buds, well pleased (and
it was one of 4 from there all have done exceptionally well)

!! Well, thank you for that encomium, Charlie! I must admit I'd
forgotten all about it! But we only send out plants at 3' tall, so big
trees are personal buyers only but that's just because of freight
costs. As we send out few, if any, fruit trees, I'll stick my neck out
and say that, as with many things, cheapest isn't always the best
option. In the past, we have ordered an expensive grape vine from a
very well known nursery and the vine was supposed to be 2 years old.
It had just been re-potted and was about 8" tall. It took two years
coddling before we dared put it into its final home in the small double
greenhouse. I'm not going to name that nursery but it was a disgrace
and they have a big name and should be ashamed of themselves!!

[Baz]

Post by Jake
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

What I did is to dig in Blood Fish and Bone at the bottom of the hole and
used 50/50 soil and compost to plant the tree quite firmly.
Pruned and sealed with emulsion.
This tree is comming on in leaps and bounds.
It has only been planted a couple of days and already we can see new
greenery sprouting all over.
Too early to tell, but it looks like this tree is going to set root and
bear some fruit for us, not this year it is well behind but maybe next
year? A waiting game now.

Thanks for your help and advice, Jake. I will continue to let you know how
we get on with this.

Baz

[Jake]

Post by Baz

Post by Jake
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

What I did is to dig in Blood Fish and Bone at the bottom of the hole and
used 50/50 soil and compost to plant the tree quite firmly.
Pruned and sealed with emulsion.
This tree is comming on in leaps and bounds.
It has only been planted a couple of days and already we can see new
greenery sprouting all over.
Too early to tell, but it looks like this tree is going to set root and
bear some fruit for us, not this year it is well behind but maybe next
year? A waiting game now.
Thanks for your help and advice, Jake. I will continue to let you know how
we get on with this.
Baz

OK, you've talked me into it! I've ordered a dwarf plum tree (no room
for a big one). We'll be able to compare notes.

Have you staked your tree?

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

[Baz]

Post by Jake
OK, you've talked me into it! I've ordered a dwarf plum tree (no room
for a big one). We'll be able to compare notes.
Have you staked your tree?
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

Nice one!

Yes, I staked the tree.

Good luck
Baz

[U***@[127.1]]

Jake <***@invalid.invalid> wrote:
: On Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:58:38 GMT, Baz <***@all.com> wrote:

: >"David WE Roberts" <***@btinternet.com> wrote in
: >news:***@mid.individual.net:
: >
: >>
: >> "Baz" <***@all.com> wrote in message
: >> news:***@69.16.176.251...
: >>>I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for ?1.99 and
: >>>if it
: >>> grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth
: >>> on the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
: >>>
: >>> I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
: >>>
: >>> I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to
: >>> plant it a
: >>> hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
: >>> reccommendations)
: >>>
: >>> I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would
: >>> like to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I
: >>> have also read that compost is a must!
: >>>
: >>> I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly"
: >>> one so I would like some advice please.
: >>> Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver
: >>> Leaf?
: >>
: >>
: >> On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
: >> and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
: >> if you have some spare.
: >> Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
: >> anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
: >> Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already
: >> damaged.
: >>
: >> HTH
: >>
: >> Dave R
: >
: >Thankyou, Dave R,
: >The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
: >Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?
: >
: >I certainly will do it if needed.
: >
: >Thanks again
: >Baz

: On pruning front, my instinct would be to seal the ends. You already
: have a sickly tree to nurture; removing any possible point of entry
: for problems won't hurt. As you know, we're sort of out of the dormant
: time when pruning's best. Although I don't grow plums I think the
: principles are common to all fruit trees. I keep a tin of Arbrex I've
: had for about 30 years for this purpose though I noticed last year
: that it was starting to go hard - must have left the lid off for too
: long. Maybe if I open it this year it'll be a solid lump.

: I've never tried the emulsion trick Dave suggests. Did a web search
: and the results that came back referred to a special type of emulsion
: rather than Dulux so perhaps Dave will educate me.

: On the planting front, I would dig a sufficiently large hole - the
: usual twice the size of the roots thing - then mix what you dig out
: with some garden compost, say 50-50 and then add some BF&B and maybe
: this new mycr(can't spell it or even pronounce it) fungal stuff that's
: supposed to work miracles. (I'm trying that this year to see if the
: hype's accurate or not - flamin' expensive stuff so it'd better be
: good!)

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but I've only just come across
it. Having lost more than one Victoria Plum to suspected Silver Leaf
disease and having also just planted a replacement I would be very
interested to know what this 'mycr' stuff is.

Thanks
Tom


: The 50-50 mix will give the roots the benefit of both worlds to begin
: with and by the time they reach what are for them the border with the
: next galaxy, they'll happily go on into the unknown (assuming of
: course that the tree survives the battering it's already had).

: For a couple of quid outlay for the tree, what have you got to lose?

: You'll be "on-site" as it were so will be able to make your own
: judgement as to whether (and if of course) to allow any flowers/fruits
: that form to develop or whether you remove them to allow the tree to
: devote all its energy to it's basic survival needs this year.

: Keep it well-watered and keep a circle of ground extenting to a foot
: away from the trunk clear of grass and anything else for at least this
: year.

: Let us know how you get on.

: Cheers, Jake
: =======================================
: Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

Ps. The email address in the header is just a spam-trap.

[David WE Roberts]

Post by Baz

Post by David WE Roberts

Post by Baz
I bought a rather battered Victoria plum tree yesterday for £1.99 and if it
grows it grows. It has broken branches all over but is showing growth
on the remaining bits. The roots are showing growth too.
I have it in soak now in a bucket of water.
I want to give it a good start and would like to know whether to plant it a
hole with compost or just soil with blood fish and bone (or any other
reccommendations)
I have read that using compost is not advised because the roots would
like to stay in this and not grow outwards into less fertile soil. I
have also read that compost is a must!
I have planted healthy bare rooted trees before, but not a "sickly"
one so I would like some advice please.
Oh, and because of broken branches would it be more prone to Silver Leaf?

On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
if you have some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days) but
anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.
HTH
Dave R

Thankyou, Dave R,
The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?
I certainly will do it if needed.

If you haven't already, I would prune them.
Broken branches, however small, invite disease.
We were told (can't locate the source ATM) that standard emulsion was a good
substitute for Arbrex and generally better than not sealing the cut.
We have used it in the past with a Victoria and it has been O.K.
However we have also pruned without using a sealing compound and that has
worked as well.

Plum pruning time is about May to September normally when the tree is in
vigorous growth and so likely to heal quickly.
This is the opposite to apples and pears which are normally pruned when
dormant in the winter (although there are additional summer pruning routines
for the dedicated pruner).

Cheers

Dave R

[Baz]

Post by David WE Roberts

Post by Baz

Post by David WE Roberts
On the broken branch front - I would prune them to leave a clean cut
and paint the cut end with a specialist compound, or normal emulsion
if you have some spare.
Silver leaf is a risk (although I am not sure how much these days)
but anyway it is good hygiene to clean up breaks.
Best time to prune does not apply because the branches are already damaged.
HTH
Dave R

Thankyou, Dave R,
The branches on this young tree are only at most 3mm(1/8 inch) thick.
Should I still do as you describe with cutting and emulsion?
I certainly will do it if needed.

If you haven't already, I would prune them.
Broken branches, however small, invite disease.
We were told (can't locate the source ATM) that standard emulsion was
a good substitute for Arbrex and generally better than not sealing the
cut. We have used it in the past with a Victoria and it has been O.K.
However we have also pruned without using a sealing compound and that
has worked as well.
Plum pruning time is about May to September normally when the tree is
in vigorous growth and so likely to heal quickly.
This is the opposite to apples and pears which are normally pruned
when dormant in the winter (although there are additional summer
pruning routines for the dedicated pruner).
Cheers
Dave R

Thanks, Dave

I will tend to it when the rain stops (been raining non-stop here since
late last night).

Baz