Last chance for brown rot - plagued plum tree

[applestar]

Thanks to The Helpful Gardener, who introduced us to the 10% milk solution for fungal disease prevention, I've been happily spraying my garden and "orchard" since spring without concern for toxic consequences.

Things have been wetter than usual in this area, and now the hot/muggy humid weather is here, but so far, everything has been responding well except for my Brown Rot plagued plum trees. I'm seriously thinking of cutting one of the 3 trees down and replacing it with something more useful. I'm tired of all the moldy/mummified fruits hanging on the trees and littering the ground.)

Quick search around the forum yielded:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9164
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7947

Consensus seems to be that plum and peach trees are more problematic and are best avoided. I have to admit that I haven't been as diligent as I should have been with the fallen fruits -- especially with the lawn all around them, it's difficult to gather them, and they usually rot into the ground. Then the squirrels seem to enjoy the pits. (Actually, they get most of the good fruits in the upper branches as well )

DH hates these trees -- they're some kind of European plums but with wild throwback characteristic of growing root suckers everywhere within it's influence (drip line and beyond). They were originally given to us by my MIL years and years ago, before I was ever interested in growing fruit trees. Since then, SHE's cut down every one of these trees in her yard. I have a strong suspicion now that their origins are root suckers from rootstock and not a proper cultivated variety at all.

I'm thinking I might concentrate on REALLY taking care of two of the trees, but cut down the 3rd one this fall and plan on planting something else there in spring.... (ETA) Right now, there's a volunteer crabapple with marble-sized yellow fruits growing next to it that will be able to stretch out a bit with the plum gone, and there's a Shagbark hickory volunteer in the same bed that I'm going to let grow. Right now, I'm thinking Halesia carolina 'Rosea' [Pink Carolina Silverbells] or Cercis canadensis [Redbud] or possibly Asimina triloba [Pawpaw] or a selected cultivar of native Persimmon as replacement for the plum as the location has become shaded by the woods our property backs up to as well as the neighbor's white pine trees and only gets 1/2 day of sun.

Any thoughts? Advice?

[rainbowgardener]

Who could presume to give you advice, applestar, you are so knowledgeable and you've clearly thought this through already. All four of the trees you mention would be great choices.

The silverbell is gorgeous in pictures. I've never grown it. One reason is that the ones they offer in the catalogues they often say it needs full sun, though if you read about it, it's supposed to do well in shadier conditions also. I think the one Wayside Gardens used to offer (they are not showing it now) was the mountain variety, because it also got too huge for my small property.

I grow paw paws, and I think they are very cool, tropical looking trees. There's a little woods near me that has a lot of them, natively growing, but they never seem to have fruit. I don't know if it's just that the critters get it all before I see it or what. They are dioecious, so you have to have a male and a female to get fruit and the catalogues don't always have them sexed. I have one I've been growing for 5-6 yrs and two more that are a couple years younger. The older one has bloomed the last couple years, but not set any fruit, presumably because it's not getting pollinated, since the younger ones haven't bloomed yet. The flowers are not real showy. So my thought is if you want showy flowers or you want to eat fruit any time in this lifetime, paw paw might not be the best bet. But they are hardy and easy to grow.

If it were me, I'd go with the redbud. They are beautiful trees, gorgeous in early spring, fast growing, easy care and once established will reward you with lots of redbud seedlings that you can plant other places in your garden (but it isn't invasive, doesn't spread from the roots or send up suckers). I have one that I probably planted the same year as the oldest paw-paw. It was one of those tiny little sticks you get from the National Arbor Day foundation for free. It's now about 8' tall and 10' wide and beautifully shaped. It is in a very shady area.

Definitely get rid of some of the plum trees, if you hate them. Life's too short for that!

[Diane]

Go for it. I think you should love everything in your garden and when you don't it's time for a change.
Plus you do have three.

I have two good sized raspberry patches. I'm thinking about pulling one and planting blackberries.