Plum, cherry plum, gages, and Mirabelle trees are in bloom this season. Most of these trees are self-infertile or necessitate the presence of other varieties for adequate pollination of their flowers. These stone fruit flowers produced are relatively small, lack significant pollen, and are odourless. Such blossoms rarely attract bees as much as larger scented flowers do. The lack of interest from bees may contribute to insufficient pollination, leading to flower drop. Hence, compatible synchronous plum varieties may fail to bear fruit despite multiple plum varieties being planted a few meters apart.
Introducing other trees and herbs with tiny flowers that bloom before the plum trees is advisable. This strategy ensures adequate and timely attraction of pollinators to the orchard. Fennel, yerba mate, lilly pilly, and longan blossoms draw in tiny pollinators capable of accessing the diminutive stone fruit flowers. Flies, wasps, beetles, and other little insects facilitate the pollination of small flowers this summer.
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Pollinators on longan and yerba mate blossoms
Other plants that attracts small pollinator insects
Small stone fruit blossoms need small insect pollinators
