Since we've polished off the cherries. (There are currently no cherries left)

...and blueberry season has started.

...my mini orchard has gotten less attention. Aaron mentioned that my plum tree was growing funny one day and I didn't think much of it. I was so un-alarmed by his comment that it was a couple days before I actually looked at my tree.

Its main branches are drooping! When I first discovered this I just thought "well the fruits are too heavy for the branches and just making the branches a little droppy."

But today I thought I'd take a closer look. I lifted the branches again it really didn't feel like the fruit alone could be causing this. So I took a look at the base.

I had the camera vertical but I'm also standing on the hill so I don't know if the above picture portrays an accurate angle. With that aside the base of the tree is really at an angle!

So I'm guessing I should be staking the tree? It really seemed past the staking stage but I'm guessing letting it be at this angle could eventually be problematic.

Its also not looking the healthiest. Some fruit is coming in just fine and other looks more like this:

Not sure if its just deformed or getting eaten or what. All in all I think my plum tree needs some love! I may try to rescue it tomorrow. Maybe stake it, give it some compost, and treat it with a fungicide. Any other words of wisdom would be great.

Unfortunately right behind this tree is a patch of poison ivy. So working near that is going to make helping this tree a little more difficult.

Kind of on a tanget, but to add to the spring/summer of fruit we've be having, the blackberries have come in and will be ripening soon!

This patch is behind the plum tree and poison ivy. I really need to borrow a goat so I'll be able to pick blackberries without getting poison ivy.