pruning bullace trees

[limetree]

I have a bullace tree in the garden - not fruiting too well now, and no fruits at all last year but 2007 was a good year (prior to this don't know as only moved in Dec 06). Would cutting it back improve its chances next year?

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by limetree

I have a bullace tree in the garden - not fruiting too well now, and no fruits at all last year but 2007 was a good year (prior to this don't know as only moved in Dec 06). Would cutting it back improve its chances next year?

Last year was a bad year in my area for all the early fruiting plums - I assume a late frost. This year is a good year again.

I know zilch about pruning though - othe than the thought that it is a native so does it need pruning ?

[Hedera]

If it's a really wild bullace it would be best not to prune it beyond keeping it in shape and removing crossed branches. If it's one of the cultivated ones pruning tends to make them grow faster and thornier! They do tend to be bi-annual fruiters sometimes.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by limetree

I have a bullace tree in the garden - not fruiting too well now, and no fruits at all last year but 2007 was a good year (prior to this don't know as only moved in Dec 06). Would cutting it back improve its chances next year?

Leaving aside the questions of what Bullace actually is - it tends to be a catchall name with variation across Britain as to precisely which Prunus species is being refered to, if you are concerned about fruiting and it looks like you are dealing with a cultivated form then it would be best to treat as a domestic plum - there's a good guide, explaining reasons for timing here:

How to prune your plum tree with step by step pictures

If the tree is in desperate need of pruning, I'd probably risk doing the work now, so long as the location isn't especially exposed or likely to get early frosts. Otherwise it's probably best to wait until next June - pruning then will of course reduce the fruit available next year. As Hedera says there is a tendency among Prunus species to become bienniel fruiters, this is largely a function of age, and it should be recognised that these are not a long lived species. Heavy pruning can sometime re-kickstart annual fruiting.

CM