plum fruit drop - Ask Extension
My plum tree drops fruit prematurely and did so last year as well. All of the fruit has brown or black spots. I have opened several and have seen no m...
Knowledgebase
plum fruit drop #867269
Asked May 06, 2024, 2:43 PM EDT
My plum tree drops fruit prematurely and did so last year as well. All of the fruit has brown or black spots. I have opened several and have seen no maggot inside.
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi,
The first photo looks like plum curculio damage which is an insect pest of stone fruits. You can just pick off those plums that have the crescent shaped damage from their feeding.
The fruit drop could be some self pruning, if the tree produced too much fruit, or due to a cold snap or fluctuations in temperatures.
You can refer to our Growing Stone Fruits page for some further information on these.
Also, a good reference is the Virginia Tech Spray Schedule for Home Fruit Growers If you do a search from 'plum' on the PDF document you can read the various treatments and preventions for the pests and diseases of plums.
Emily
