A while back on HOS there was a discussion that shiro plums are not really reliable to set fruit on it's own because others were having problems getting consistency with shiro in the same area as these trees. So I'll repost the same link of picturing my trees as I did before;
http://home.comcast.net/~holla...../shiro.htm
In the last of 20 years since these had produced the first crop I have had two other trees of thundercloud myrobalan plum at 85 feet and 300 feet. For many years the tree at 85 feet was cut down and in recent times has volunteered a new leader from the ground giving a new gene source for pollen. I was still curious what might have been doing the work for me all those years producing me plums for so long almost consistently so I began observing our first visitors in our yard;
http://home.comcast.net/~hollaus/Greens ... orkers.htm
There was nothing yesterday. Noon today there were only few house flys and a few (pic 2 thru 4) insects (I can't identify with out some help). Over 1 hour later there was enough activity swirling around these very fast energetic bugs that I was lucky enough to even find them resting. At this point the only mason and honey bee I saw was out numbered by flys 40:1 and by these insects 100:1 so I guess the regular pollen gatherers are still hibernating.
These insects interest me but they don't seem to give me the idea they are the ones giving me the extra plums because they seem to avoid disrupting pollen the way the honey bee does. Anybody have any clue what these are !
???????
They are at the most 50% the weight mass of a mason be but much faster moving around.
Rooney,
Those are leaf cutter bees. They are some of the very best pollinators. There are many different kinds. They also like my plums here in Maine. They are also present in my wild blueberry fields and at times are there in the countless thousands. You can augment their numbers by drilling blocks of wood or making nests using straws which they will nest in. They cut a few leaves to make chambers in the tubes for their eggs. They also leave a little pollen there for the young. Google them for more info. They really can get the job done.
Bberry
Interesting! I believe one of our HOS members, Chuck, gave ‘us’ a presentation on ‘bees,’ including mason bees, but also alerting us to the multitude of ‘other bees,’ so tiny we’d not likely know what we were observing. You may have found some? Actually, they look familiar to me.
Check out this site: http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washingto ... fault.aspx -- fairly close to home… One looked like a candidate. …honestly, I’ve never hurt for pollination. I’ve kept honey bees, and they’re lazy. I’ve also housed Mason bees, less lazy, but as you mentioned – vastly out-numbered by other agents.
I’ve walked outside during a spring full moon and found hundreds of tiny moths (with their fuzzy pollen collecting bodies) working over a prune tree in full bloom. After that… and including what you’ve pictured … I’m a lot less concerned with that end of the pollination equation. I suspect factors such as wet weather (washing pollen from flowers) and hard frosts are far more responsible for poor sets than lack of bee-like pollinators…
As far as your Shiro’s, to start with -- what a treat to look at such beauties in full leaf! Nice work; they’re an aggressive tree and fairly difficult to maintain. Speaking of which – I just finished pruning mine a few days ago, dodging emerging flowers and leaves… A passed friend once made a portion of her (school teacher) living from her consistent crop of Shiro plums, right here in Yamhill County. But, among her many trees of Shiro she also had what’s become my favorite (early) plum, Satsuma.
I’d grafted a Satsuma to my (base) Shiro tree, and if anything appears self-fertile – it’s Satsuma! They don’t bloom at the exact same time as Shiro, but close. Actually, can you imagine a full-set of every blossom?! It’s a good thing they don’t set completely or all we’d be doing is thinning … which some years I nearly do… I had a relatively thin set on my Shiro’s last year so am hoping for more this year. Good questions and interesting observations!
Idyllwild
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