Pomegranate & Santa Rosa Plums - No Fruits or Few

I live In Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, CA and I have a very healthy Pomegranate and a Santa Rosa Fruit Tree but they give us just one or two very sweet fruits once a year.
What is going on? Any ideas?

Thanks.

Ravi Sahay

Here are a few things to think about with your plum:
Santa Rosa is an early producing variety and our spring weather was tough, HOT then COLD, then hot with another cold spell. This type of weather can play havoc with the pollination cycle, not to mention the pollinating insects. I've heard numerous complaints from people who have plums which didn't produce well this year. That's probably your main reason.
Some other things include whether the tree has been fed, pruned, mulched, and watered, all of which can affect fruit production.
Also, sometimes after several years of heavy fruit production, the tree seems to need to take a rest unless conditions are just perfect.

I also live in Rancho Penasquitos in the \"Christmas Card Lane\" area. I did not have any problems with these fruits -- although I've had years of practice and some nursery experience. If you would look at this site:

www.frostconcepts.com/horticulture/

you will find quite a bit of free information (and no ads) that answer your question. Specifically, look at the document titled

\"European\" Fruits & Nuts.

Happy growing...

South San Francisco here...
1 Santa Rosa Plumb, perhaps 30 years old.
Fruited well when we moved in 20 ago. Gradually declined. Some was due to tree size, allowing wind damage due to increasing height and a neighbor's new fence, upwind. Wind eddies behind a fence can actually be far worse than in front of it. (Trust me on this.)

Secondly, I did see an improvement when I watered and fertilized. This was 2 years after a major pruning. I tend to use benign neglect to great advantage (?,) but I believe I thwarted myself in the case of this tree... the odd weather patterns not withstanding. I am changing to a much more proactive approach. (As a safety, I tend to under-fertilize, esp w/chem ferts. 'I can always add more.')
Grow ON!
BillSF9c