Apple trees are among the easiest, and most forgiving, trees to prune, but plums are just as easy. How to Prune a 5-Year-Old Plum Tree. If you are wondering how to prune a potted fruit tree, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s not difficult. But without accurate trimming and training, these trees could be a problem instead of an asset. Trees should be pruned annually as growth slows down in August. Check out the video below to … Removing leafy growth helps to restrict the vigour of trained fruit forms. How To Plant Plum Trees. Here’s how to do it properly to ensure optimal fruit production in summer. Even though plum tree pruning isn’t hard, it’s crucial to know how to prune a plum tree. Gardeners may have differing opinions about the best way to prune a fruit tree, but our simple three-step process that works for the majority of fruit trees. July and August is the best time to prune plums in most Northern Hemisphere locations. But if you don’t prune your tree correctly, you can hurt it more than help it. Foliage – deciduous Flowering – March-April Harvest – July to September. Do this in early summer while fruits are still small and can be pinched out with your thumb and forefinger. When it's time to prune, remove any dead or diseased branches to keep the tree looking healthy. A video on pruning plum trees - Dan Neuteboom shows us two mature plum trees, one of which has been pruned badly, while the other has been pruned well. These will form the main lateral branches. While growth is dormant, the tree becomes more susceptible to silver leaf disease. Common problems Silver leaf. One simple step that often goes missing is this: prune your fruit trees on a dry, sunny day. Prune plum trees before they bloom in late winter. This leader is the newest extension of a long, upright growing trunk from which all lateral branches arise. How to prune plum trees. Prune new branches in January. When to Prune Plum Trees . Plumcots and pluots are hybrids between plums and apricots. Be aware that the trunk alone is not enough to ensure that the tree will survive. You will have planted in winter when the tree is dormant. How to prune plum trees. By the time it is five years old, a plum tree (Prunus spp.) When to Feed Plum Trees . Prune only as much as you absolutely need to prune, and never remove more than 25 percent of a tree's branches. Winter is the best time to cut back stone fruit trees (peaches, cherries, apricots and plums) and pome fruit trees (apples, pears and quince). The principle is to avoid damaging the collar of the branch and to make a clean cut which doesn't tear the bark. May 11, 2016 "It was written so even a child could learn how to plant a plum tree from the pit. Stakes or training wires may be needed depending on the type of tree form you decide to grow. A dwarf fruit tree is created when a piece of a selected cultivar is grafted to a dwarf rootstock, which then limits the mature height of the tree. The picture below illustrates the three steps. For most deciduous trees, make sure that there are living branches on at least 2/3 of the tree, though this varies by species. Summer Pruning Plum Trees. For young trees that you are in the process of shaping, do just one pruning in early spring. Don’t prune plum trees in winter as this can cause them to develop silver leaf disease. Pruning plum trees… Young plum trees can be pruned during the summer months to remove the sucker limbs that sprout from the trunk but are unproductive in contributing to fruit production. How to Prune a Dwarf Plum. Four steps to a healthy plum tree. Japanese plums trees come in a variety of species, such as Satsuma, Santa Rosa, Burbank, Mariposa, and Red Ace. Reader Success Stories. Click here for tips on how and when to prune fruit trees in pots. Pruning is an essential part of fruit tree care. Summer pruning will keep the tree manageable, and allow the fruit to ripen. See our guide below for how to trim plums into a healthy bush – the overall look you are going for is a wine glass shape. STEP 1 Cut a notch about 3cm deep into the underside of the branch. Plums need to be pruned in July and August to ensure top-quality fruit is produced consistently each and every season. In fact, if you don’t thin them out, your plum tree may crop so heavily that the branches snap under their own weight! Winter is the best time to prune deciduous fruit trees such as apples, pears and plums. Height – 16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 m) Exposure – full sun Soil – rich enough. Cherry plums are small native or wild plums. When you prune in the winter, you revitalize the tree and stimulate growth the following spring, whereas when you do it in the summer, you slow unruly growth and limit the size of the tree. How to Prune Fruit Trees. Plums have varied bloom times—early spring to late spring. Never prune your plum tree during the winter! Name – Prunus domestica Family – Rosaceae Type – fruit tree. Pruning is the most important winter task for your plum trees. Before getting into the best time to prune a plum tree here in the UK, it’s important to know when not to prune one. Plum tree is magnificent from spring to fall, and offers abundant harvests of plums.. Main Plum tree facts. In early spring (April), before bud break, prune the central leader down to about 60 cm/2 feet above the ground, ensuring that there are at least 3 buds below. When you prune a plum tree depends, in part, on the stage of development of the tree. Prune lateral branches (branches that grow out from the scaffold branches) back to the branch collar using cuts made at 45° angles. Français: planter une graine de prune. Plums trees are easy to grow, and with a little care and attention, produce bumper crops of juicy fruit. If you are growing plum trees in the ground, preparing the area is the first job on the agenda. The winter months, especially around February, are an excellent time to prune plum trees to insure their fruitfulness in the approaching growing season. Italiano: Piantare un Seme di Prugna. Nederlands: Pruimenzaden planten. Remember to always use very sharp secateurs for a clean cut, just above a bud and sloping away from it. So, now that you know when to prune fruit trees, it’s important to how to prune your tree. Plant plum trees during the dormant season, before growth starts in late winter or early spring. You should prune young trees fairly heavily for the first 3 years so that they distribute less nutrients for fruiting growth and more for vegetative growth. When to prune established fans. Thinning fruits can be regarded as the first stage of pruning, as it reduces strain on the branches. Prune young trees in spring for shape and established trees later on, to remove dead and damaged wood. Prune back any old and diseased stems to … Fertilizing plum trees without knowing whether or not it is necessary not only wastes your money, but it can result in excessive plant growth and low fruit yields. Remedy. Fruit trees, including plums, will absorb nutrients from the soil, especially if they are surrounded by a lawn that is regularly fertilized. These trees will fruit well whether or not they are pruned. European Plum trees do best when pruned and trained to a central leader tree. This type of tree has a pyramidal shape with a single upright leader limb as its highest point. Plums are prone to aphids, birds, caterpillars, plum fruit moth … Cut back sideshoots growing from the horizontal leaders to three leaves from the basal cluster, 7.5cm (3in) long. Print; Send fan mail to authors ; Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 155,068 times. Pruning plum trees after planting. Leaves develop a silvery sheen, cut branches reveal red staining. has settled into the mature form according to the training it received when young. You may have to clear the area of grass, or any invasive weeds before planting, as competition can be a problem while the growing plum trees are still young. Plum trees are a gorgeous addition to any outdoor space. Also, prune off any branches that aren't producing fruit. Jessica Shaw. Growing plums; problem solving. If your plum tree is fairly young, go for late spring pruning. Never Prune Plum Trees During Winter. Prune fans in spring and summer on a dry day (when the risk of fungal infection is low). Bare-root plants usually establish better than container-grown trees. Most … This is a highly undesirable fungal disease that leads to silvering of the leaves and eventually death of the branch. How to Prune Plums How to prune plums. The reason for training and pruning is to increase fruit production and boost tree health. Learn how to trim one and the rest will be easy, as the base principles of pruning are the same. These cuts stimulate growth behind the cut. Prunes are a type of European plum with an extra high sugar content (which allows them to be dried without fermenting at the pit). Some are self-fertile and others require a pollinator. Pruning fruit trees in containers is generally a breeze when compared with pruning fruit trees in the orchard. There are two basic types of pruning cuts: Heading cuts are made along a branch at the junction of a bud. The tree’s age is a barometer on when to fertilize. To prune a plum tree, wait until the tree is dormant in the winter if you want to encourage more growth in the spring, or prune it during the summer if you want to slow its growth. “Victoria” plums (Prunus domestica), of English origin, grow from self-pollinating, high-yield trees with vigorous growth. PRUNING TECHNIQUES FOR PLUM TREES This section explains how to prune a branch, the same rules apply to plum trees and other fruit trees. Here’s how and when to prune your plum trees. How to prune established espaliers. Prune a plum tree during the winter, and it could wind up with silver leaf disease. wikiHow Quick Video on How to Prune Plum Trees. Prune European Plum Trees to a Central Leader Shape. Once you have decided on growing plum trees, and where to place it, it is almost time to get planting. How to Prune Victoria Plums. These plums are much softer, juicier, and larger than their European counterparts, though the European plum trees can survive much colder conditions. Plum tree pruning is therefore best carried out early spring to mid-summer. European plum trees require much lesser pruning when compared to the Japanese one which have an aggressive growth rate. Thinning cuts are made at the base of a branch, removing it entirely and reducing the amount of vegetative growth. 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