arent the leaves getting ready to fall off for the season???

if so.. rake them up and throw them away..

and be done for the season ..

otherwise... that leaf is at least 50% crispy.. it will not recover ... no matter what you do ..

late fall is not really the time to be spraying deciduous trees ... and i am too lazy this morn to find out if this is some evergreen plum ...

ken

ken, Santa Rosas are deciduous, we grow them here (poorly) in PA.

The dots look like fungus, maybe the result of the cumulative damage by aphids over the summer. If the leaf loss is not usual, then call the Cooperative Extension Service (listed under USDA) in your county. They are usually a decent resource.

If plums are losing their leaves in your area, then grind them up (mower) and call it a year. Plums are subject to a million fungal, borer and insect problems. Most don't kill the tree, a few after several years. Leaf problems (except for leaf roll) are almost always minor problems, especially if the tree was in good shape for the growing season. It's late October, put the tree to bed. That means, no fertilizer, no pruning and no obsessing about leaves that are supposed to be falling off.

exactly .. the leaves shut down a month ago ... or so ... and that is when the problems attacked ... so what .... vermin and disease often attack a stressed plant or leaf... and shutting down is stress defined.. actually its dead tissue.. and its starting to compost on the tree ....

the energy is being pulled down into the root mass ... for winter storage ... its probably root growing season ....

simplistic ideas... which my simplistic mind can retain ... a scientist might roll thru.. and confuse us.. lol ... with the science ... see link ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks guys for the comments. And I know we are beginning the dormant season and the leaves will be falling off. My concern is this is a sign of disease that I can treat this winter before spring growth. This is a young dwarf plum that produces fruit and I would like to have decent fruit production next year and of course help my tree to thrive.
Ann