Plums: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Plum Trees

Ever thought about growing juicy plums? Not only are they prolific producers, but plum trees also add beauty to your backyard if grown in the right spot. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest plums.

Plums (Prunus domestica, Rosaceae) belong to the rose family along with cherries, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. They are a type of stone fruit which grows on trees in clusters, usually harvested for a short period in late summer or early fall.

These round, small fruits are usually reddish-purple in color and have smooth skin when ripe. Their flesh can be orange, red, purple, yellow, or white, and can vary in taste—some are sweet while others are tart.

There are so many ways to enjoy this juicy fruit from baking (pies, cakes, muffins) to jam-making. We also enjoy plum sauces served with pork and chicken. Or, enjoy the fruit raw like an apple and add plum slices to cereals, yogurts, and even salad.

Plus are also nutritious as a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Choosing a Plum Tree

There are three major categories of plum trees: European, Japanese, and American hybrids.

The hardy European types do well in most regions across the U.S., and are generally self-fertile. If you have space for only one tree, go with a European plum. (However, even self-fertile trees will produce better if cross-pollinated with a second tree.)
The Japanese types flourish where peach trees thrive (warmer regions, generally). The Japanese plums’ early blooms make them more susceptible to spring frosts in colder areas. They need to cross-pollinate with a second variety.
American hybrids are typically the hardiest of the plums, with some varieties surviving as far north as Zone 3. They need to cross-pollinate with a second variety.

Order bare-root, rather than container-grown trees, if possible. Bare-root plants usually establish better. A well-established tree will yield up to 2 bushels of plums from late summer into fall.

Planting

When to Plant Plum Trees

Plant plum trees in early spring, as soon as the frost in the ground has thawed. If the soil is very waterlogged, it is best to wait until it drains.

Selecting a Planting Site

Plums should really only be planted in a prime location featuring all of the following characteristics. Otherwise, they may not perform well.

Plant plum trees in loamy, well-drained soil. Plums do not do well when planted in clay-heavy soils or in locations where their roots will be constantly wet.
Choose a planting location that receives full sun—6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight at the very least.
Avoid planting in low areas where frost may settle, as the frost can damage your trees. Because they flower so early, plums are especially vulnerable to spring frosts, which can damage blooms and result in sub-par fruiting.
Find a sheltered location, such as a south- or west-facing spot out of the wind if possible. This will help the plum tree set fruit.

How to Plant a Plum Tree

Space standard-size trees 20 to 25 feet apart and dwarf trees 10 to 15 feet apart.
Set bare-root trees atop a small mound of soil in the center of the planting hole, and spread the roots down and away without unduly bending them.
To prepare a container-grown tree for planting, remove the tree from its pot and get rid of any tightly circling roots by laying the root ball on its side and using shears to trim off these roots. Do your best to untangle roots without damaging roots, but if the root ball is particularly pot-bound, you can loosen it by scraping up and down the sides with a knife or hand fork.
When planting grafted trees, it’s important to keep the graft union 1 to 2 inches above the soil line. This is especially true for dwarf varieties, as roots may start to grow from above the graft if the tree is planted too deep, bypassing the rootstock that keeps the tree dwarf-size.
Dig a hole that’s a few inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots.
- For bare-root trees, set the tree on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole and spread the roots away from the trunk without excessively bending them.
- For container-grown trees, simply place the root ball in the middle of the hole.
- Fill in the hole, stopping periodically to make sure that the roots are thoroughly covered and no air pockets remain around the tree.
Water the tree thoroughly at the time of planting; this helps the soil to settle around the roots. Keep the tree well watered for the first few weeks after planting.
For bare-root trees, it’s often recommended to stake the tree for at least one year, until the tree is stable enough to stand on its own.

See our lovely video showing how to plant a plum tree and find detailed information below.

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.

fresh plums on the branch

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.

Varieties

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.

Gardening Products

Recipes

Dark Plum Duff

Second Summer Applesauce

Plum Crostata

Christmas Plum Pudding

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.

Fruit

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

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It might be best to start with stock that comes from the U.S., unless you have already gone through the process of getting a permit (a “foreign phytosanitary certificate”) from U.S. customs to grow a tree from a seed/pit from another country, which it seems that you would likely need to do for this case. (For more information, please see:
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/clearing-cbp/bringing-agricultural-products-united-states
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/downloads/seedweb.pdf - this link talks about certain restrictions for Prunus, the genus that includes plums.)

In general, even though the species might be the same, seeds (or pits) from plants that have grown in one location may not adapt as well to another location, versus more native stock. Unless you are interested in plant breeding, then growing a plum tree from stock from a U.S. nursery might be more successful. Also, pits from fruit from a grocery store, for example, often come from varieties that are bred more for commercial concerns, such as shelf life and holding up during transportation, rather than traits popular for a backyard orchard, such as flavor. More varieties are available to home gardeners, too.

Hope this helps!

Reply

When is the best time to plant a plum tree? Also is it possible to start a plum tree from a seed?

Reply

The best time to plant a plum tree, Kali, is mid- to late March, April, or June—depending on your location. (You do not want to do it when there is snow on the ground!) You want to give it time to establish roots before the heat of summer sets in. Extension services provide lots of information (and occasionally offer programs); the Penn State service has this detailed advice on growing from seed: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/gardening/fact-sheets/home-orchard-production/growing-new-fruit-tree-plants-from-seed

We hope this helps!

Reply

I planted an early laxton plum about three years ago and ended up having to transplant it in a new location a year ago. This is the first year we've seen fruit on it but they are tiny. They are ripe and tasty but only about as big as a quarter. The literature on it indicates a medium sized fruit. Do the fruits get bigger as the tree ages?

Reply

I live in Edmonton, Alberta of Canada. I would like to buy
2" thick plums tree or edible sweet cherry tree. Could you please tell me where I can order it and how much for shipment?

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Hi Anne, We do not sell plants on our Web site. We just offer free how-to-grow advice. Try searching Google. For example, type in: cherry trees alberta canada site:ca

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Anne, have you located any hard fruits for your area? I am in Saskatoon and looking for the same.

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Can you harvest the plums while they are still yellow/orange color. Will they turn red if put out and left in the sun light?
We had a lot of rain here in Texas and the two trees I have are loaded with plums.
They are so heavy that about 10 to 15 branches are loaded down with them and are now touching the ground. If I could harvest them now I would have well over 100 plums per branch at this time. Only 10 to 20 on each branch are now deep red color. All others are yellow or orange at this time. Is their a way to save any of the plums.

Reply

Plums do ripen after they are picked. Place the picked plums in a spot that is between 68 and 77 degrees F. You can also put the plums in a brown paper bag to ripen a bit quicker. It’s suggested that you thin the plums early in the spring when they first start growing so that you the ones left on the branches will grow bigger and tastier. This also prevents the branches from breaking under the weight of all those plums.

Reply

Hi,
Does the root system of the Santa Rosa Plum Tree spread out, or grow downwards? I live in WA State.

Thank you.

Reply

How to Grow Plums: The Complete Guide

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Plums