To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Plum Pollenation Question
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 08:37:02 -0700
Jim,
Blue Orchard bees are the dominant pollinator on my Black Currants, flies and
midges and all sorts of miscellaneous bugs including Blue Orchard bees seem to
out-number honeybees on my ten plum trees.
I think temperature is a factor since my plums are often blooming at temps
when
honeybees don't like to fly.
I do not get good plum pollination here in south coastal B.C. except last year
when the weather was warm at bloom time. This warm bloom-time occurs about
every
seven or eight years.
Our bloom sequence is Japanese plums, and then European plums with Black
Currants.