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How to Grow PlumsA guide to growing plum trees in gardens, allotmentsand containers
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Growing Plums - DetailsSee also:- Plum Cultivars (Varieties) | Plum Rootstocks | Fruit Growing Glossary | Tree Forms | Container Growing | Buying Plants
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| How to plant - against a wall | Fan tree forms do best if
planted again a wall. It's best to fix the supports and
wires to the wall before you plant the tree. Dig a large hole wide enough to take the roots when spread out and deep enough to take the whole root system about 30cm/1ft away from the wall and slightly sloping away from the wall. You should be able to see signs on the tree of the original soil depth on the tree stem. Care must be taken not to plant the tree so deep as to bury the union between the rootstock and scion (the knobbly bit). Stand the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots or bare-rooted specimens, tilting it slightly towards the wall, then fill in the hole with soil, slightly rocking the tree between each spadeful so the earth falls between the roots, firming gently as you go, until the hole is filled to the top. Water in well. |
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| How to plant - in containers | Even on dwarf rooting stocks, plum trees can be quite
vigorous, even though the containers will go a little way to
curtailing the size of tree, so large containers are necessary . Bush and Pyramids - container size minimum 60cm/2ft wide x 45cm/18" deep Fans - container size minimum 75cm/2½ft wide x 60cm/2ft deep Good drainage is essential so make sure there are plenty of drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Place a 2.5cm/1" layer of stones or crocks in the bottom and cover with enough soil or compost so that when you place the tree in the container, the original planting depth (which you should be able to see on the stem of the tree) is 5cm/2" below the top of the container. Fill the container with soil or a loam based compost to the original planting depth. Firm well and water in. |
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| Aftercare | Open Ground - Yearly pruning will be
necessary (see below). Apply a mulch of well rotted manure or
compost once a year in spring and a supplement of a
nitrogen rich inorganic fertiliser is helpful in February. Wall Grown Trees - Yearly pruning will be necessary (see below). Apply a mulch of well rotted manure or compost once a year in spring and a supplement of a potash rich inorganic fertiliser is helpful in February. Keep trees well watered as the ground near walls often dries out quickly Containers - Yearly pruning will be necessary (see below). Apply a mulch of well rotted manure or compost during the first year in spring and a supplement of a potash rich inorganic fertiliser is helpful in February. In subsequent years, it is best to carefully remove some of the soil from the container and replace it with fresh compost. Do this carefully so as not to damage the roots. Keep the containers well watered. General - For smaller trees, protecting from birds with netting and frost with garden fleece in the early spring is a good idea. If there are lots of fruit forming these should be thinned as early as possible in June to avoid the branches being over-laden which may cause them to break. Aim at having fruit 8-10cm/3-4" apart. Place a grease band around the trunk in October to help guard against winter pests. |
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| Harvesting | Fruit for eating are best left to completely ripen on the tree. Harvesting takes place between July and August depending on the cultivar. Fruit for preserving are best harvested slightly early. |
Plum Tree Dimensions |
Expected Yield Per Mature Plum Tree |
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| Standards Half Standard Fan Pyramid Bush Cordon |
Height:
+4m/12ft Height: +2m/6ft Height: +2m/6ft Height: 2½m/8ft Height: 4m/12ft Height: +2m/6ft |
Spread:
6-8m/18-24ft Spread: 5-7m/15-21ft Spread: 5m/15ft + Spread: 1.6m/5ft Spread: 1.6m/5ft Spread: 30cm/1ft |
Standards Half Standard Fan Pyramid Bush Cordon |
14-54kg/30-120lb 12-40kg/26-80lb 12-23kg/25-50lb 14-23kg/30-50lb 14-27kg/30-60lb 2-3kg/4-6lb |
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| For a complete guide to and explanation of the various fruit tree forms click here | ||||||
Unlike many other fruit trees, you
should never prune plum trees in the winter/early spring. Only prune plums
trees between March and September to avoid disease infections.
Always make pruning cuts no more than 6mm¼" above a bud. The aim is to produce an open centred canopy. Slant all pruning cuts away from the buds as in the diagram on the right, to prevent water being channelled towards the bud which will cause problems.
Be brutal - especially in the first
3 years. You may think leaving longer stems will produce more fruit more
quickly but this is not the case. In order to produce a good framework of
sturdy branches which will carry lots of fruit rather than spindly twigs
which will break at the first sign of fruit, hard pruning is essential in
the first 3 years
A tree is comprised of 3 main parts:
1. The stem or trunk 'Leader'
2. Main 'Branches' which come directly off the Leader
3. 'Laterals' which come off the Branches
Laterals usually have a set of cluster leaves at their base then
spaced leaves all the way up their stems. Always ignore the leaf
cluster when counting the leaves to prune back to e.g. the diagram
below has been pruned back to 5 leaves on the right had lateral and
3 on the left hand lateral
How you prune will depend on the age of the tree until the 4th year. See 'detailed pruning instructions' below
You can usually tell what age tree you have by the amount of growth present as follows but note that amount of bare leader/ trunk at the bottom of the tree, will depend on the form of tree e.g. standard bush etc. For an explanation of the various fruit tree forms click here
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Maiden |
2 Year Old |
3 Year Old |
Older |
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Central main stem (leader) with buds |
Central stem, bare towards the bottom with a few main branches and very few laterals | Central stem, bare at the bottom with more developed branches plus more developed laterals | Central stem, bare at the bottom with many more fully developed branches and many more laterals which clearly show the tree form (shape) e.g. fan |
Detailed Instructions on Pruning Plum Trees |
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1st year (Maiden) Plum TreeBush - In March prune leader just above a bud 1m/3ft above soil levelPyramid - 60cm/2 ft above soil level Fan - In March find 2 good buds - 1 facing right - 1 facing left about 30cm/1ft above the ground then cut the leader about 30cm/1ft above them (just above a bud). If there are lateral branches rather than buds, use these instead and cut them back by 2/3rds to an upward facing bud. Remove any other laterals.  By late July the two selected buds or laterals may have put on sufficient growth to enable you to start training them upwards at 45 degree angles in a 'V' shape tied to canes fixed to the wires. Wait until they are 45cm/18" long before training even if you have to wait until the next year - these are called the 'ribs'. Half Standard - In March prune leader just above a bud 1.2m/4ft above soil level Standard - In March prune leader just above a bud 1.9m/6ft) above soil level |
2-Year Old Plum TreePyramid - In March Cut back the leader by about 45cm/18" just above an outward facing bud ensuring there are three or four buds below the cut. Remove side shoots (feathers) within 45cm/18" of the ground. In late July - Prune main branches to 20cm/8" just above a downward facing bud and prune all laterals from these main branches to 15cm/6". Do not prune the central leader.
Bush and all Standards
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3-Year Old Plum TreePyramid - In March cut back the new growth on the central leader by 2/3rds to a bud which is facing in the opposite direction of the one chosen last March. In late July prune current years growth on main branches to 20cm/8" just above a downward facing bud and prune current years growth on laterals from these main branches to 15cm/6". Remove any vigorous upright shoots.
Bush and all Standards - In May Remove any dead wood or crossing branches which may be rubbing.
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Pruning Older Plum TreesEstablished plum trees really only need to be pruned to restrict to new growth and to keep the tree size within the available space or to remove weak spindly branches, dead wood or branches which may be crossing and rubbing. Pinch out current years strong growing side shoots to 6 leaves from their parent branch.
Pyramids Mostly prune to downward facing buds
Bush/All Standards Always prune to outward facing buds/shoots
Fans Repeat last year's pruning/training if the wall is large enough to take extra ribs/laterals. Thin laterals to 10cm/4" apart. Always prune to upward or downward facing buds/shoots. Rub out any small shoots/buds which are pointing directly towards the wall and pinch back any shoots growing directly away from the wall to 1 leaf.
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| Pests | Diseases |
| Birds
- like to eat the developing buds which can decimate the crop. Protect
smaller tree forms with netting or cotton Aphids can cause leaves to curl or honeydew or mould to form on the fruit and leaves. There are chemicals available to combat aphids which can be bought at garden centres. Organic methods include spraying with diluted washing up liquid ( 1 teasp per 2 litres of water), companion planting of flowers such as marigolds nearby. Plum Sawfly - Small holes in the plums, often oozing a sticky black liquid. There are chemicals available to combat plum sawfly which are usually sprayed in spring. Organic methods include turning the soil around the base of the tree with a trowel or hoe in late winter and early spring which exposes the over-wintering pupae for birds to eat. |
Silver
Leaf - Fungus causing the leaves to turn silver and finally
brown and the infected branches to die back which have a brown or
purple stain within the flesh. There is no chemical treatment. Cut away
six inches past infected wood of the branches and burn. Preventative
measures include not pruning during the winter/early spring, sealing
larger pruning cuts on branches with a sealant. This can be a serious
disease and if the main trunk of the tree is infected with fungus it may
be necessary to remove and burn the whole tree. Canker - Indicated by shallow depressions at the base of branches which get bigger in spring, . An amber like gum may also be present. Treatment consists of cutting back to good wood and paining the cut with canker paint . Spraying with a copper based fungicide in August, September and October will help protect the tree if canker is a known problem in the area |
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