Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Plums
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Growing
How to Care for Plum Trees
Watering
- Be sure to water the young trees heavily every week during the first growing season to help promote growth. Then, water regularly. It’s best to water the plant deeply at the soil line, then let the soil dry out (though not completely) and water again.
- If rain is lacking, water your tree well into mid-October to give it plenty of moisture through the winter months.
Fertilizing
- Do not fertilize young fruit trees until they have set a crop.
- Once established, fruit production requires regular fertilizing all year long. If there’s good fruit set, fertilize with one pound of calcium nitrate per tree or 1½ lb. 10-10-10. Cut back the nitrogen in fall and winter to avoid encouraging new growth in those seasons.
General Care
- Are you having pest issues? Talk to your local cooperative extension for natural solutions that work in your area.
- To help control pests and diseases, remember to prune your trees to keep them open. You can also mulch around the trees in the spring to help control weeds, but be sure to remove the mulch in the late fall so that no pests use it over the winter. You can also lightly cultivate the soil around your trees in late spring to eliminate any pests in the soil.
- In the fall, rake away all debris and fallen trees.
- To prevent winter injury: Consider a tree wrap or guard around the lower trunk, especially for a young plum tree.
- Keep an eye on the lower bark and branches for mouse or rabbit damage; if this could be a problem, you may need to install tree guards or fence in young trees with chicken wire for the winter.
How to Prune Plum Trees
When to Prune
- Prune in early spring or mid-summer to avoid infection. The best time for pruning is usually spring for young trees and mid-summer for established ones.
- Do NOT prune in the fall. Winter injury and infection may occur.
Thinning Fruit
“Thinning” is the process of removing developing fruit from a tree in order to increase the overall quality of the produced fruit and to prevent damage to the tree.
- Thinning is usually done about a month after blooming ends in the spring.
- Leave 2-4 inches between each fruit, removing those in between.
- Thinning helps to prevent branches from breaking under the weight of the fruit. If branches do break, prune them back to undamaged wood, ideally cutting back to a natural fork to avoid leaving stubs.
Pruning: Japanese Plum Trees
- If you have a Japanese variety, the best pruning method is to create an “open center” shape, where the central trunk is cut short and several large branches radiate outwards from it’s tip. In the summer of the first year, cut the vigorous shoots that form on the top of the tree by two or three buds. After about a month, check the tree. As soon as you have three wide-angled branches, spaced equally apart, cut back any other branches so that these three are the main branches. In the early summer of the second year, cut back the branches in the middle of the tree to short stubs and prune any shoots developing below the three main branches. After the third year, remove any shoots in the center of the tree to keep its shape.
- Japanese types require heavy pruning to help keep them in shape and to produce better fruit. It is also good to thin out the fruit on these types of trees. You should space the plums about 3 to 4 inches apart on each branch.
Pruning: European Plum Trees
- If you have a European variety, the best pruning method is to create a central leader. This shape features a central trunk with branches that spiral out every 5 to 8 inches, making sure that no branch is directly above another. The training for such a system begins in the early summer of the first year, during which time you should remove any shoots that form within 18 inches of the ground. The end result should resemble a Christmas tree.
- European types do not typically require fruit thinning because they do not produce as much fruit as Japanese types. However, the fruit on these types should be spaced about 2 inches apart on each branch.
For more pruning tips, check our spring pruning guide.
- For a European type, try the ‘Stanley’. This semi-freestone type works great for the eastern, midwestern, and some of the northwest regions of the U.S. It is self-fertile, meaning no cross-pollination is necessary. It’s harvested in late August, producing medium to large plums with dark blue skin and greenish-yellow flesh and is great for cooking, canning, or eating fresh.
- For a Japanese type, try the ‘Satsuma’, which produces large, dark-red plums. This kind is good for eating fresh and canning because of its sweet taste.
- American hybrid trees, such as ‘Alderman’, ‘Superior’, and ‘Underwood’, are all popular choices. These trees combine the taste of the Japanese variety with the hardiness of the European variety. These types work well for regional extremes.
Cooking Notes
- Plums are great for making jams or jellies.
- Plums can also be stored through freezing or drying them (dried plums are prunes), learn how to dry fruit with a dehydrator.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I planted what I think is an American plum 5 years ago from Home Depot. It has flowered every year but never produced any fruit. After doing some research I though maybe it was a kind that needed cross pollination. So I bought an Italian prune plum from Home Depot this year and planted it 10 feet away from the much taller American plum. I am now worried that they will not cross pollinate or even bloom at the same time. Can someone tell me if these two types cross pollinate? Thank you so much.
Hi, Star: Yes, your American plum needs cross-pollination and in fact is an excellent cross-pollenizer itself. Your Italian prune plum is probably self-pollinating (“probably,” because these days there are various hybrids out there with differing characteristics) but of course could still help the American. Give it some time. Also, read up (in the Old Farmer’s Almanac and also in the Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide print publications, as well as here on Almanac.com) on how to make sure that your place is as pollinator-friendly (e.g., bees) as possible. The other thing you might do is ask at Home Depot. Perhaps they get these questions and have answers specific to what they sell. Thanks for asking, and good luck!
I just planted 2 flowering um trees. These are the first trees I have planted ever. I understand they are a good beginner tree, I have followed all directions and have an appropriate soil conditions. I love in Sun City AZ. What are my chances for being successful with these trees. Also how long will it be before they would reach max. Height. I appreciate any information as I am rely wanting to be successful with these two trees.
Hi, Vanessa: Well, no, you’re not plumb crazy for being plum crazy in Sun City, but a lot of your success will depend on which cultivar you have and how you treat your trees. Presumably your local nursery or wherever you got it would not provide you with something unsuitable for growing, but in general flowering plums do best in hardiness Zones 5 to 8, and you are in slightly warmer Zone 9b. The time to height maturity will vary with cultivars, too, but many will top 15 feet in 5 to 10 years. Flowering plums are fairly drought-tolerant, but you will have to find the delicate balance between keeping them sufficiently moist and not letting them sit around in water, which encourages fungal diseases. Also, if possible, protect them from any strong winds during their first year or two, as they can be pretty delicate. WE are plumb crazy about the way you are caring so much about these trees, and we’re sure that both you and they will be a success. Thanks for writing!
I moved to a property with an unusual plum tree that no one seems to be able to identify however it looks just like the one in your picture. Can you tell me what type/variety it is? Any info on the tree will help. Thanks
My plum tree developed a blight on it this past year that looked like a raised black scab. What I researched was a blight that was spread by rain or moisture, I lost my entire crop of plums from it.
I cut it down to stop the spread of it to my new young trees. The question I have is can I still use the wood for bbq and smoking meat?
We would not suggest you use the diseased trees for anything, not even compost.
Do plum trees lose their leaves in Winter?
Yes, plums must experience a dormant period, during which time they drop their leaves in cold climates.
I brought some plum pits home from Switzerland. Need planting from seed instructions.
Is this indeed a possible successful endeavor?
