Do we need to wash or feed plumb tree?

[Peppa Pig]

We are renting at the mo and have a med size plumb tree in the garen.Its situated on a v dry piece of ground that built up.
Im v excited about the plumbs getting big and healthy enough to make stuff with but Im not sure if I should be watering, feeding or washing the tree to deter insects in the plumb tree.
The man n door said it was fine last yr and the elderly couple didnt do anything to it.
Should I at least give it a can of water in this hot period??
Can take picci if needed

Oh yes the plumbs are forming but some drop off.

[Millymollymandy]

I would water it but one watering can won't be enough. It depends how dry your soil is and the size of the tree. There's no need to wash a tree and a feed won't harm - but I think water is more important. Plums and other fruit on trees drop in June quite naturally so don't worry about that; the trees are getting rid of the excess fruit they've formed though sometimes you need to thin out fruit yourself, though I've never needed to do this with plums, only apples and peaches.

[Peppa Pig]

The tree is about 7ft and about 5/6 ft wide.
How many cans would you reccomend and is there a perticular feed they like?

Thanks

[frozenthunderbolt]

If you are going to water, water thoroughly so the ground is well soaked to at least a foot down. A ring of seaper (sp?) hose would be the way to go - several hours of practically drip fed water will allow it to penetrate.
Throwing one can of water on top of the ground (esp. if done a few times) is likely to:
a) run off without soaking in too well
b) encourage fine feeder roots to grow upwards to get the water, actually making them MORE vulnerable to drought conditions!
Good on you for thinking of the tree though! :-) Lots of water very slowly and steadily is your way to go. then it should be right for a week or two (depending on just HOW hot and dry things are) - watering in the evening/night will be most effective - less evaporation that way.

[Millymollymandy]

Seep hose Jed that's what I use for my big plum tree and for the two little ones I hosepipe them - but slowly for a long time and often do it two evenings in a row so the water has a chance to get down. I'd recommend to earth up the soil around it making a well so the water can't run off, then give it several watering cans worth dribbled slowly, leave it a bit then do it again. Move some of the soil aside to see how far the water has soaked in - it's quite amazing how water can seem to disappear but when you move the surface soil it's still dust underneath a layer of damp!

I put wood ash around my fruiting trees in summer as it is high in potassium which is what fruiting plants like. In the spring I give them a general purpose fertiliser. If you don't have any I don't think you need to rush out and buy some as water is more important or you might lose the entire crop if the soil is dry (that's why I have to water mine every year).

Edit: by watering can I mean big ones, mine are 11 litres!

[Peppa Pig]

I took some of the grass off around the tree and its almost like concrete.
There is a little circle of soil left bare so startting from that I have got a trowel and made some holes with a trowel in and through the grass so when it rains water can get through the concrete layer.
Iv been giving in 3 cans of water slowly every evening but no more as our house has a water meter and i think thats my limit financially.
There where some dead black dried up fruits and brittle bits on the ends of some branches (twiggy bits).
So Iv taken them off. The poor things in the sun all day as its on a raised lawn.

I think I will take up some more grass around it and break up the hard soil and put some n compo Iv been given round it.
its not my tree but I can stand to see a tree, especially a fruit tree soo unloved.
There is a matter of those there lovaly fruits to think about as well
Thanks x

[Millymollymandy]

I think it will enjoy the TLC!

[Peppa Pig]

My two year old little Boo Boo hugs and kisses it, so hopefully its feeling the vibes

I havnt gone quite that far yet though..

[Millymollymandy]

Ahhhhhhhh I have yet to actually hug a tree (let alone kiss one!), even though I might be considered a treehugger by others!

[Peppa Pig]

Trees are wonderful living things. Theres nothing like sitting on a hill under a large tree watching the world go by.

There is a book you might like by Roger Deakin called Wildwood:A journey through trees. Its all about wood, trees. He camps out in a rookery and its just such a real love affair with trees really. Sadly the authors no longer with us.
The cover on the hardback edition reminded of art classes in the late 70's and its what attracted me to begin with but the whole books a gem of a thing.

[Millymollymandy]

As time goes by and because I now own a property with a little woodland I have come to appreciate and love trees even more than I did before - I can't imagine living in a place where there are no deciduous trees as I love the changing seasons and at the moment with this heat I really appreciate all the shade they give!

[oldfella]

That go's for me too MMM, having lived most of my life, in or around London the day I found this place with trees I knew that this is my Paradise, but I do I hug trees because they say to me Welcome back to the world of nature.

[Millymollymandy]

I think I would hug your oak trees too Eddy as your woodland is so beautiful. Mine's a bit more of a mish mash and the really old oak is a funny old shape because it used to be part of a field margin - and round here unfortunately the habit is to take off all the side branches for firewood and to reduce the shade on the small fields - well it's being going on for hundreds of years and makes sense (went to an exhibition on the subject at the Rennes eco museum) so I forgive them for doing it now - but the landscape here in winter is really sad with straight trees with all the side branches removed then all the small new growth taken off every few years too. The worst is when they take the top of the tree off too so you just have a trunk.