Yellow vein chlorosis in Greengage and Plum
Paul muddle
Posts: 17
I planted a plum and greengage on my allotment this year. The plot is next to a pond and the soil therefore always quite moist when turned over but not waterlogged. I'm aware that Plums and Gages like moist but well drained soil but thought it worth a try.
Almost all the leaves have fallen from the Gage and those that remain have yellow vein chlorosis, The Plum has produced three fruit but seems to be going the same way as the Gage (which hasn't produced any fruit).
There seems to be a mass of material online about the causes of this problem in plums and gages but it seems unclear whether the cause is Iron deficiency due to soil pH, Iron deficiency caused by damaged roots (possibly rot) or a viral problem.
I'm hoping there's someone out there who's had exactly the same problem, can identify it and tell me how they overcame it, even if it comes down to lifting the trees and replanting somewhere drier.
Cheers.
Posts
It does sound as if the ground is too wet and the magnesium in the soil is leaching out - do other plot holders have similar problems? If so, Epsom salts. Is the ground very acid, as that can do the same thing? You can do a foliar feed of Epsom salts on what is left of the leaves - 200g of salts to 10 litres of water. The lack of flowers may just be the result of the poor spring weather and not connected. Is the allotment site a new one or an established one? If new, could there be some sort of run off pollution?
Hi, no it's an old plot. I have never tested the soil but brassicas do well so assume it's not acid. Thanks for the tip, will pursue the magnesium deficiency idea.
Hi again, just re-checked online for symptoms of Manganese deficiency and it's yellowing at the edges of the leaves, with mine it's the veins themselves that have yellowed.
(Typed Magnesium by mistake in last post)
I was thinking of magnesium. No?
I know you were but I've been trawling the internet for info about magnesium deficiency symptoms and more than one source says yellowing around the leaf edges and an arrowhead shaped green centre. On mine the yellowing appears to spread out from the veins and the space between them is the last bit of green left on the leaf.
Most odd. I don't recall ever seeing that. It sounds as if the "circulatory" system ( like veins and arteries in us) is closing down. I can only think that there is too much water in the ground and the root system can't cope.
Do any other people have fruit trees nearby with similar leaves?