Companion Planting Plum Trees [Get More From Your Plum Trees]

Companion Planting Plum Trees ( How To Get The Best From Your Plum Trees)

As fruit trees go, plum trees including Damsons and Gages are relatively trouble free but as with all plants companion planting will help you to attain the best possible results. Companion planting plum trees is all about the benefits that will be achieved including :-

• Healthier trees
• Healthier fruit
• Larger yields
• Less disease

All grown in an organic, non chemical environment creating less impact on our already fragile planet.

 Growing Plum Trees

Plum Trees have the reputation of thriving on neglect so if you select the right variety for your area (late flowering in colder climes, early flowering in milder areas etc…) within a relatively short time you will be enjoying the fruits of your labour.

The majority of the problems with plum trees can be associated with old age. The older the tree the less fruit it produces. Also consider the site of your new plum orchard…

Plum trees are amongst the hardiest of fruit trees but don’t plant plum trees in frost pockets. The tree will survive the cold spells but it will lack fruit and be more liable to disease.

Problems with plum trees

Apart from those mentioned above, there are a few problems that affect plum trees and companion planting will definitely help with these. Problems include:-

• Aphids
• Plum saw fly
• Plum moth maggots
• Fungal infection (more below)
• Birds

Companion planting plum trees with other plants to either boost the health of your plum trees or to attract the garden friendly insects to keep population numbers of the attackers down will help with many of these problems.

Aphids

The bane of the organic gardeners life, there seems to be an aphid for every plant and/or crop and plums are no exception. The two types of aphid that attack plum trees are the plum leaf curling aphid and the mealy plum aphid and both are dealt with in the same way. The only difference is that the plum leaf curling aphid occur in late spring and the mealy plum aphid tend to come later in the season.

To deal with these pests use the same approach as with any other aphids, squash with your fingers or use a washing up liquid spray. Encouraging predators like ladybirds and lace wings onto the affected trees will help greatly but recent studies suggest that encouraging earwigs to nest around plums is far more effective. Hang some plant pots stuffed with loose hay in the branches to attract earwigs which will not do any harm to the fruit.

Aphids can also cause fungal infections so it is of vital importance to keep infestations to a minimum.

Plum saw fly

The larvae of the plum saw fly bores into the fruit through a small often unnoticed hole leaving the fruit completely inedible with a brown trail right through the middle of the fruit.

The two main organic methods of dealing with saw fly are the use of pheremone traps which is only partially effective, and breaking up the top three inches of soil around the tree in February or March which will expose the grub and birds will dispose of them for you.

Plum Moth Maggots

Plums infected with plum moth maggots tend to ripen earlier than uninfected plums and are often mishaped. Inside there is a pink maggot with a brown head. The only organic remedy seems to be pheremone traps, but I would try growing lavender around the plum trees (see below).

Fungal Infections

Including :-

• Plum Pocket
• Powdery Mildew
• Brown Rot

These diseases are caused mainly by not creating enough space between branches and cured by pruning the branches at the right time of year to increase air flow. Basically the branches should not cross or touch each other. Keep enough space between the branches for air to flow.

Birds

Specifically pigeons, these birds can decimate both plum and cherry trees. Leaves, young twigs, and branches are ripped from trees causing less fruit and unhealthy trees.

Established trees are harder to protect, hang old CDS on strings from the branches or bottomless carrier bags both of which move in the breeze scaring the birds away.

Smaller, younger trees can be covered in netting or fruit cages to protect from birds.

Companion Planting Plum Trees

Having looked at the problems that insects can cause, now it’s time to turn to the benefits of companion planting. Below is a list of plants To help with pollination and the attraction of beneficial insects to your plum trees.

Foxgloves

Foxgloves boost the health of all surrounding plants plum trees included. They also attract bees to the area necessary for pollination.

Marigolds

The roots exude a chemical that dispells nematode eel worms and the strong, pungent smell keeps white fly away.

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are excellent at keeping aphids away from your plants, grow as many as you can around plum trees to help keep aphid free.

Dill

Allow dill to flower to attract many beneficial insects including Bees, Hoverflies and many more.

Comfrey

Comfrey accumulates calcium, phosphorus, and potassium all of which are of great benefit to all plants and trees including plum trees. It is also a great trap plant for slugs and snails good for all gardens.

Chives

As chives have such a strong aroma they are a good way to keep aphids away from plum trees. The bright blue flowers also attract good pollinators to your orchard or garden.

Coriander

Another strong smelling herb, coriander is repellent to many bad insects. The flowers are very attractive to bees and hoverflies.

Lavender

Lavender has been used for many years to keep moths away from homes. Growing Lavender in close proximity to plum trees may help to keep the plum moth away or at least keep numbers down. Lavender also attracts many beneficial pollinators to your garden.

How Close Is Close?

The traditional way of gardening is to keep everything neat and tidy, leaving bare soil below fruit trees and bushes. Permaculture however teaches us that to grow organic plants successfully we need to emulate nature. Look in any forest or expanse of woodland and you will see that below most trees are other smaller plants growing within the trees dripline. These plants all not only survive but also thrive in apparently “crowded” conditions.

There is a sybiosis between these plants that cannot be ignored, they help each other, protect each other and in many ways nurture each other. If it’s good enough for nature then it’s definitely good enough for me.