Start by removing all damaged, diseased and dead branches, cutting them back to healthy wood—which may mean cutting them back to the trunk. Pruning your plum tree helps to balance out the branch structure and give it a characteristic shape. Plant. The earliest pruning done on a plum tree is typically already done at the nursery (to make sure, ask them) before you buy it there in spring; when you get home, all you have to do is plant it. When you buy a new plum tree for planting, it may come from the nursery already pruned. He worked as an expert consultant with eHow Now and Pro Referral -- a Home Depot site. Avoid pruning during the second summer. Plums can be heavy croppers, leading to branches breaking under the weight of fruit, so thinning is important to prevent damage. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Garden Focused: Pruning Overgrown Plum Trees, Royal Horticultural Society: Plums: Pruning, People's Trust for Endangered Species: Summer Pruning. If the plum tree is still crowded, then further thinning can be done in July. Plums on ‘St. Hello gardeners! A prune is a dried plum of any cultivar, mostly the European plum (Prunus domestica). Use of the term "prune" for fresh plums is obsolete except when applied to varieties (of plum) grown for drying. You'll need a stable ladder to reach the top branches, a sharp pair of secateurs and a pruning saw, because some of the branches you need to remove are likely to have diameters in excess of 2 inches. No doubt about it, you have the holy grail in your back yard. This begins with the same formative pruning as apples and pears but, importantly, is carried out in early spring. Different types of plum tree require slightly different pruning processes, although most are relatively straight-forward to do, while the age of the tree also influences the type of pruning required. Keep these things in mind: You can have confidence in knowing that not everyone will prune the exact same way (even the experts). The main purpose of pruning the Santa Rosa plum tree is to getter a better yield of plums and enable them to be harvested by hand. Whether you're pruning a young tree or a mature one, it's important to use clean tools and to make clean cuts to avoid exposing the tree to fungal diseases and harmful microorganisms. The plum has been cultivated since ancient times and was brought to North America by early settlers. Winter plum tree pruning should be avoided because it can leave the tree prone to infection by silver leaf disease. You may end up with a good number of fairly large ones. Where space is particularly limited, plums can be trained as cordons. Pruning Plum Trees There are two considerations when pruning plum trees. Cut another foot from the top of the trunk. Different types of plum tree require slightly different pruning processes, although most are relatively straight-forward to do, while the age of the tree also influences the type of pruning required. Plum Tree Pruning. Plum Tree (Prunus) Learn How to grow Plum Tree in containers, Growing Plums, pests and diseases, and more about this Prunus tree. Come with us as we prune a mature plum tree in the orchard. Prune (verb) Pruning helps balance the top growth of your tree with the root system, giving the roots time to re-establish in your yard before spring growth. Strongly growing plum trees are more resistant fungal infections. Young trees less than five-years-old should be pruned as little as possible. It doesn’t have to be! Aim for a well-balanced tree, keeping the centre of the crown free from shoots to allow good light penetration. Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0 Plum trees are best pruned in a vase format to get a short trunk … I really like this tree and want to keep it healthy. The best time to prune plums is early spring or early summer during a dry day. Pruning a plum tree during the dormant period typically results in the best growth. Prune (noun) A plum. Pruning fruit trees is not a difficult task, provided you know the basics regarding the time of pruning, what to prune, and how to prune. During the next dormant season, choose four branches evenly spaced around the main trunk to keep and cut off the rest. Julien A’ rootstocks are kept to 2.4m (8ft) and on ‘Pixy’ rootstocks to 1.8m (6ft). Join Pruning a Victoria plum tree. The time for plum tree pruning depends on the maturity and type of plum tree. You really should use a pruning paint, or white latex paint, on the tips of limbs that have been pruned. It is best to avoid this by supporting laden branches, but this can be avoided maybe by thinning the fruit late June. The first is to establish a good shape. Apple trees are among the easiest, and most forgiving, trees to prune, but plums are just as easy. Prune them back to solid, healthy wood straight away. Pruning your plum tree step-by-step. Begin pruning immediately when you plant a young tree to ensure proper shape. If pruning old plum trees this way doesn't kill them, it will assuredly produce unattractive and unproductive new growth. A mature plum tree that is kept properly pruned can be a valuable landscape specimen, even without fruit. Choose four or more of these evenly spaced around the trunk as keepers—along with the four original ones—and cut off the rest. times, RHS Registered Charity no. Do not prune the sapling during the summer. It can help prevent trees becoming overgrown, and is also effective for pyramid plums. How to prune a plum tree. When pruning plum trees in the dormant season, only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year. Julien A’ rootstock, or 1.8m (6ft) for ‘Pixy’, after which, shorten the central leader to 2.5cm (1in) or less each May, to keep the tree at the same height, Vertical shoots at the top that compete with the central leader should be removed in late June, In the third week of July, shorten branch leaders to 20cm (8in), pruning to a downward or outward-facing bud in the axil of the leaf. Prune (noun) The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain species of plum. During the first year after the tree is planting, wait until buds have started to swell on the tree, and then cut off the top portion of the tree. Also, remove suckers, which are those shoots that emerge at the base of the tree. Water sprouts do not produce plums. Pruning ornamental plum trees (Prunus spp.) Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. This robust plum tree is easy to grow and tends to be relatively frost-resistant. Why Remove Water Sprouts. When your tree is dug up from our fields to be shipped to you, the root ball loses many of its tiny feeder roots, which are needed to absorb moisture and nutrients. Find out how to prune your plum tree, below. They’re susceptible to silver leaf disease, which enters through pruning wounds. Prune your purple leaf plum annually to encourage the growth of new flowering wood. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2020 and 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, General enquiries The purple leaf plum can reach a height of 25 feet and displays pink and white blossoms in the early spring. Established fruit tree plums are best pruned in mid-summer. Never prune your plum tree on a damp day; wait for a dryer day to prevent silver leaf disease. Sort by. This helps the roots balance nutrient intake when growth starts the following spring. If a branch is growing at an unfavorable angle but is otherwise healthy and producing good fruit, you may want to alter its growth direction using ropes and stakes. It is a radical pruning in which the trunk (leader) is headed back to about 30 inches tall. When a plum tree matures, it's best to do all the pruning in the summer. In the UK, the best time to prune your plum tree is in mid June 2017, never in winter when they are dormant. Pruning a plum tree during the dormant period typically results in the best growth. The picture below illustrates the three steps. Trees can be bought as maidens, or partly trained. Sometimes plums can fruit so heavily that they break branches. Plum trees grow fast while young, and require aggressive pruning while dormant through winter. Plum fruit Tree is adapted to a great extent, it is very compact and its care is quite easy compared to other fruits. Dwarf plum trees require the same type of pruning as standard plum trees although they reach smaller mature sizes. You’ll need pruning shears to cut branches less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter and a hand saw to remove branches up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Its ultimate size will depend on the rootstock it is grown on. the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Plum tree pruning is therefore best carried out early spring to mid-summer. A prune is a dried plum of any cultivar, mostly the European plum (Prunus domestica).Use of the term "prune" for fresh plums is obsolete except when applied to varieties (of plum) grown for drying..