Me asking for help now please?
Im quite new to 'fruit gardening' (as opposed to the rest)..
Now my apples are coming on well..nice & well-formed....
and my little black plums are ripening well and very juicy..
but! My 'Victoria' is bare once again
this is the second year I have 'nao fruto'....the first year it was smothered..
think Ive done all the right things..so,.
can any of you fruity experts out there tell me why..or offer advice please?
Ta everso..ellie

Ellie Baby, 2 years without fruto !!!!! Impossible..
Forget the fruit...
Why don`t you try to grow a cucumber or 2 for a change.
So much easier. Bit of fertilizer and a little talking to normally does the trick !! And they last so much longer ...

Could be a late frost or lack of pollination. Victoria is supposed to be self pollinating but is greatly helped by having another tree nearby

….ellie me old friut….... I thought I knew all there is to know about melons…..the perfectly formed….the ripe ‘n ready……but ah……one never stops learning…….

when selecting melons, how do I know they are truly.... er.... ripe?……

Dick..its funny you should say that.. I used to be a dab hand with the cucumbers..and did my own pollinating...
I used a tiny hairy brush..and sneak into the hothouse....and proceed to tickle the stamens..going from flower to flower(you know..pretending to be a bumble bee?)...
but I must have overdone it...I ended up with far too many..so gave some to other busy housewives
Digger..I was told (by an experienced old gardener) to hold the melon up...then press the tips of your fingers round the top,they should be nice & firm but a little bit springy..is that any guidance dear?

p.s Thank-you greenfingers Im sure youre right.When I bought the tree 3 years ago..it was a sturdy one about 6ft..smothered in blossom then fruit.
I thought(mistakenly) that my little black plum would do the job..so looks like i need another Victoria?

…I was passing thru Alentejo recently and stopped to buy a melon from an ‘old’ lady at the side of the road…....whilst sniffing and squeezing the fruit, some bloke told me they are all ripe…. and went on to explain how most fruit ripen after being picked but melons don’t. So they have to be rip when picked….so how do we know they were/are ripe?…… look at the stalk, if its been cut or pulled, its been “picked” prematurely. When a melon is ripe it will fall from the plant………….These melons showed no sign of stalk or damage from being pulled from the plant…………
…………and perfectly delish……

Hi Ellie, I don't know if it will help, but we have a Victoria plum tree, which is covered in fruit and has been since we prunned it back like an aple tree in Jan of each year, every one said you shouldn't do it but it has done nothing but good for our tree.

Good luck to you Lesley Jean - with that sort of pruning one of these years you're going to get Silver Leaf and then its Goonight Victoria

PS - You should prune plum trees in the summer months

Well, tree is fine and has been for the past four years, no disease or problems at all.
Lesley Jean

Greenfingers you are right with the summer pruning..July really
and you can protect tree from disease infection by 'snapping off' unwanted shoots between your finger & thumb..
I had to write about 'silver leaf' in one of my courses....nasty business & as you say greenfingers..can be goodbye to plum(peach cherry apples,pears)& all parts affected have to be burnt(by law..theres a specific date..which escapes me at moment..thinks its July 8.....)
mind you..even garden 'experts' argue about pruning time for many plants..
anyway..im going to thin mine out this week..and see what happens next season (and try to fit another little victoria in somewhere)

Dried Plum and Gorgonzola Crostini

Ingredients
1 baguette loaf, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices(approx. 24 slices)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, softened to room temperature
24 pitted dried plums (prunes), finely chopped
Prep Time 5 minutes

Preparation
Sweet and salty flavors are both found in this unusual appetizer, which is superb when served at aperitif time with white wine, sherry, or a favorite cocktail.

Heat oven to 350°F. On large baking sheet, arrange baguette slices in single layer; brush with oil. Bake 10 minutes or until light golden. Turn slices over; bake an additional 5 minutes. Cool. Spread each slice with rounded teaspoon of cheese; sprinkle with scant tablespoon dried plum. Serve within 1 hour.

Tip:
- The baguette slices may be toasted up to 12 hours in advance.


Recipe created by Georgeanne Brennan.

Servings
8