Some kind of a plum/Damson?

[kellybee]

Hi folks,

 

This is my first post but hopefully I'm in the right place

 

I've just rented a paddock to put my horses on, and am in the process of clearing it up/checking the plants are safe for them but I have one tree I haven't been able to identify.

 

Not only that, it's very overgrown and creeping all over the field shelter so I was hoping its safe for me to prune it (I know with oaks you should only cut in winter when the bugs aren't drawn to the sap). The tree has been there for at least 20 years (we kept ponies on the same paddock years and years ago) but I have no idea what it is.

 

Looking at the fruit which doesn't have a Calyx (and has a stone inside) I'm guessing its a plum, but they're small and hard, and not yet ripe so I can't be sure. There are only a few fruits I've been able to find on it at all, so I'm guessing the tree isn't very healthy. The leaves seem somewhat poorly, and many of the branches seem dead except for a few shoots. They're also covered in some sort of dry fungus, I can't help but feel very sorry for it!

 

Here are some photos, I'd be grateful for any advice you could give...

 

Thanks, Kelly

[kellybee]

Thanks so much for the reply. The advice I was looking for really was whether I was right in thinking it was some kind of plum. If it wasn't I'd hate for my horses to be made ill by eating some unknown berry.

 

Because its so overgrown, the higher branches are climbing all over the field shelter and are blocking the rear gutter, which in turn means the water tank is nearly empty. There's also a branch which is weighing on the roof, making it a bit of a hazard for the horses in the event of a collapse.

 

The other thing is, I didn't want to kill it by over-pruning or pruning at the wrong time of year, which I guess would be dependent on the species. I'm not an arborist by any stretch of the imagination, and wouldn't want to kill the poor thing off by making asssumptions or just hacking it to pieces, but I didn't want to vut it down completely either. The shade will come in handy on hot days I'm sure.

 

Thanks again, much appreciated!

 

 

Kelly

Edited August 17, 2012 by kellybee
added photo

[John Barleycorn]

Looks to me like a Bullace, or a cross with some other Prunus.

Found a lot growing wild in hedgerows near Faversham Kent.

Made fantastic jam, started as green slime, but suddenly tuned purple.

[Tom D]

Fruit looks big for a bullace, I'd say damsons. lovely when ripe on their own or make jam or gin.

[eagleye]

greengage

[HCR]

greengage

 

I'd say that too.

 

Cut back to natural pruning points now, winter is not good.

[agg221]

Hi Kelly,

 

It's hard to say exactly what form of plum it is - if you can post more pictures when it's ripe then the size, colour, shape and season (and your assessment of the flavour) will help narrow down which type. They will all make decent jam though. Worcestershire was formerly a major plum growing area, so depending on where in Warwickshire you are this could be influential on the origins of your tree and there is even a variety called Warwickshire Drooper, so definitely some commercial plum-growing history.

 

With regard to pruning, you want to do it between blossom and the end of August, so not much time left if you want to do some this year. Blossom time can make it easier to see the structure of the tree - which way the branches go - before the leaves are out. If you prune outside this timeframe you risk the tree contracting a disease called silverleaf, which is usually fatal. The symptoms of the disease are self-descriptive, but be aware that there is another condition called false silverleaf, which is physiological, i.e. the tree isn't actually infected with anything but is responding to stress, so don't immediately assume the worst.

 

With regard to pruning, try to take out whole branches, rather than hacking back (I would describe the final picture in your first post as hacking back). This is because hacking back makes a lot more wounds than necessary, and the tree will respond with vigorous growth so you'll quickly be back where you started, plus you will have cut all the fruit-bearing bits off! Try to take branches either right back to the main branch they're joined to (at the base you'll see a short swelling collar - try not to cut this, so don't cut quite flush), or cut to a fork, or to a side branch at least 1/3 of the diameter of the branch you're cutting through.

 

When choosing branches to remove, start with dead, diseased or rubbing (look for damage to the bark). Then remove anything badly placed or that has got too long and is at risk of snapping off. Don't worry about trying to make it too thin though, plums are quite happy with a dense mop head.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Alec

[kellybee]

Thank you guys so much! We've spent the day pruning the treeswhich run along the opposite hedgerow - some are growing horizontal branches and knowing how our horses like to gallop round a lot, and the fact the trees are so wild it seemed the logical thing to do (esp as the shetland climbed under a hawthorn hedge this summer). Post and rail all the way it looks like - the only way to keep her contained.

 

I'll get onto the plum tree tomorrow with the pruning saw, if my biceps can deal with it! I think it will be easier to take whole branches anyway, because they've grown right over the shelter and there's only a small gap (where the water tank is) to get underneath it.

 

I really appreciate your advice! Will come back in a few weeks with pics of the ripe fruit if I can find any - I only found three in total when I took the photos.

 

Thanks again

 

Kelly