Now that I have pruned back my plum tree I’ve turned my thoughts on how best to encourage a bumper crop for next year. In the course of my research I discovered that should I get a bumper crop I will have before me a natural and delicious homegrown ANTI AGEING pot of gold! Throw away the wrinkle cream and eat plums and their dried version prunes instead – the benefits are amazing, you will be drenched with vitamins B, C and E, and in Minerals – Iron, Calcium and Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium and Manganese, all important, but Vitamins C & E are known to have an antioxidant action which helps to protect the body against free radicals which in turn will help prevent degenerative diseases and also helps to slow down the ageing process ( me thinks I feel an orchard coming on!) One of my hobbies is running and working out at the gym, all good stuff but in order to give my muscles the energy they require to prevent me flagging, prunes would be the ideal high energy low weight food that could be carried and eaten when needed – usually before and during training. This would also apply to athletes, cyclists etc. So how do I go about encouraging this amazing tree to produce this crock of gold for next year? It’s not as difficult as you may think – read on Mc Duff!
By this time you should have pruned back your plum tree to encourage it to channel all it’s energy into making stocky growth in order for it to be able to bear all the weight of a lot of fruit (Brownie point 1) In October it will need a feed of bone meal which breaks down during the winter months and by spring will be a valuable source of root promoting phospahtes. (All other Brownie points here on in will be allocated accordingly) In Spring and late Summer it will benefit greatly by a dose of general purpose compost (Suttons General Purpose Pelleted Organic Fertiliser would be ideal) or fish blood and bone. When the first flowers appear – usually March or April – remove half the blossom, and leave the remaining flowers to set fruit. This time next year I could be oh so young! (They also say that laughter is the best medicine….!)
