Larger insects that target plum trees include scale flies, moths, flies and wasps. The female plum moth (Grapholita funebrana) lays its eggs on the underside of fruit in May. Once hatched, the caterpillars will burrow into the plums, often leaving no external sign.
What has eaten my plums?
The main culprit causing the damage is the codling moth in the case of apples, and the plum fruit moth on plums and cages. The female moths lay their eggs on the leaves and the young fruits. The eggs then hatch releasing the tiny larvae which bore into the embryo fruits.
How do you protect plums?
Once the fruit begins to develop and the husks are pulling back from the fruit, spray plums with spinosad, esfenvalerate, or permethrin to control the twig borers. Spray again with a mix of fungicide, malathion, and sulfur to control leaf curl, plum pocket, scab, and brown rot, and aphids.
How do you save a plum tree?
To revive a dying plum tree, remove pests with chemical or organic sprays or kill them with insecticidal soap and water. Also, remove fungi-affected fruits and branches and spray them with fungicides. Lastly, adjust the watering schedule, fertilize, and use well-draining soil.
How do I keep bugs off my plum tree?
Controlling Pests on Plums
Kill the beetles by plopping them into some soapy water. Aphids can be controlled by spraying the tree with Neem oil at the first sign of infestation. Rust mites can be controlled by spraying with a sulfur spray in the early spring.
What is attacking my plum tree?
Plum tree pests
Plum trees can be targeted by aphids, especially the plum leaf-curling aphid (April to June) and the mealy plum aphid (July to September). As the name suggests, the former cause the leaves of plum trees to curl. This is often mistakenly blamed on a virus.
What month do you spray plum trees?
Your first application should be just after the trees are first beginning to bud. Make the second application a week to 10 days later. Spinosad is an alternative spray choice. The IPM program recommends spraying Spinosad in late spring when the blossoms are falling from the trees.
What can I spray on my fruit trees to keep bugs away?
We typically recommend fruit tree sprays with a combination of insecticide and disease-control ingredients; including, but not limited to: Bonide Fruit Tree & Plant Guard; Bonide Fruit Tree Spray; Bonide Malathion Insect Control; Hi-Yield 55% Malathion; and Hi-Yield Lawn, Garden, Pet & Livestock Insect Control.
How do you treat shot holes in plum trees?
Shot hole is managed primarily with fungicide treatments to protect buds and twigs from infection. In orchards where twig infections are prevalent, the efficacy of the dormant treatment can be improved by pruning out and destroying infected wood.
Why are branches dying on my plum tree?
Bacterial Canker in Plum Trees
Sunken, dead and often oozing areas of bark will become apparent from spring and early summer, and shoots may die back. Branches can quickly die of this disease.
Should plum trees be pruned every year?
Pruning established plum trees
Prune every year in early spring (April), before bud break. Remove any suckers growing from the rootstock. Rub out any buds growing on the lower trunk. Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased wood, and dispose of it as appropriate, removing it from the garden.
How do I keep aphids off my plum tree?
Limit nitrogen fertilizers, which force the formation of tip growth, one of the insect’s favorite plant parts. There are also several biological treatments in the form of natural predators. Lady beetles, green lacewings, and syrphid fly larvae are another way to control plum aphids.
Can you spray vinegar on fruit trees?
If you do use apple cider vinegar on your plants, dilute it generously with water. Ideally, you should be using vinegar to spray areas in and around the garden, not directly on your plants. Vinegar is also great for chasing fruit flies away from your fruit trees and plants.
What causes holes in plum leaves?
If the leaves are peppered with holes it is probably Shot Hole Disease. Common hosts include trees and shrubs in the plum family such as Russian almond, Mongolian cherry, Nanking cherry, chokecherry, American plum, western sand cherry, Manchurian apricot, Amur chokecherry, pin cherry, peach, nectarine and cherry.
What can I spray my fruit trees with?
Spray oil can help control certain aphids, mites, scales, and pear psyllas on fruit trees (oils can also suppress some diseases). Copper soap (copper octanoate) is effective for cedar apple rust, fire blight and peach leaf curl. Myclobutanil is effective against brown rot and cedar apple rust.
What’s eating my fruit tree leaves?
Caterpillars, sawflies, leafminers, beetles, worms and other insect larvae attack various species of trees consuming their leaves. The damage caused by leaf-eating insects ranges, but in extreme circumstances defoliation may occur. Caterpillars, leafminers and leafrollers are the larvae of butterflies or moths.
Why are my plums full of maggots?
The main cause of maggot damage in plums, damsons and greengages is due to caterpillars produced by the plum fruit moth. In winter female moths lay eggs in trees. The eggs hatch out into caterpillars which feed on fruit in early summer.
What is the best fungicide for plum trees?
Effective fungicides include fosetyl-al, which is applied to the leaves every 60 days, and mefenoxam, which can be applied in the early spring and fall. However, the best thing to do is prevent these fungal diseases by not overwatering and choosing a site with well-drained soil.
How do you get rid of plum fruit moths?
Plum moth can be controlled by hanging a pheromone trap in the tree in early May, which attracts and catches the male moths. The lure will need to be replaced by early July to make sure the plums stay grub-free. The pheromone traps can be removed from the tree at the end of August.
Can you spray soapy water on fruit trees?
Make your own soap spray by mixing 1 tbsp. dish soap (not detergent) with 1 gallon of water. Spray on plants, including underside of leaves, and be sure to wash any fruit caught in the spray thoroughly before eating. Soap will not harm the tree, but it will get rid of unwanted visitors to your fruit trees.
Can I spray peppermint oil on fruit trees?
Make peppermint oil and water solution adding 30 drops of the oil into a gallon of water. Spray the solution on your fruit trees. Ants abhor peppermint and will abandon your tree as soon as they smell it.