North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

The proof of the pollination is in the plum - how's your production?  

I've always had heavy-bearing plums when a pollinator was available.  Very
heavy-bearing - I never bothered with bird protection, they just didn't make
a dent.  I don't recalling checking the bee activity.  

Whatever the mystery plums are on our new property, they only bloomed for
one day.  There are a few plums, not enough to net, so I think the birds
will be happy.

BTW, now that honeybee numbers are down, I note many more bee varieties in
our blossoms.  The other day I noticed, in a quick glance, half a dozen bees
in the orange tree, with four species represented in the six.  Maybe that's
more normal than I think - I grew up in a home with a honeybee hive, and the
neighborhood was rich with our bees - I may expect them to be more plentiful
than they are...

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jim Fruth
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 5:57 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question

   When my plum trees are in bloom, it is a spectacular site.  Folks driving
by stop to stare but the honey bees don't seem to even notice the masses of
white blooms.  They just fly right over them as though they can't see all of
the flowers.  I used to wonder if my honey bees were either lazy or going
after better flowers.
   This year the bloom is late and the plums and black currants are blooming
concurrently, an event that I've not witnessed before.  Black Currants have
relatively insignificant, almost green flowers and the bees had no trouble
finding them.  That leads me to rethink my prejudice(?) about honey bees and
plum blossoms.  So I ask, "Do plum blossoms not have nectar to attract honey
bees?"  Do honey bees frequent the plum flowers in your orchard?
-- 

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN
www.bberryfarm.com