Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil that is protected from strong winds. To get the richest leaf color and best flowering, grow in full sun. Ornamental plums can grow in shade, but the foliage will tend to remain green in shady locations. Give your plum tree plenty of space for roots as well as crown.
How long do flowering plums live?
Flowering plum is a short-lived tree with an average lifespan of about 20 years. The tree is susceptible to fungal diseases, so do not overwater and allow the tree to sit with “wet feet.” You can lessen the chance of fungal diseases occurring on the foliage by taking extra care not to spray the leaves when watering.
When should plum be pruned?
spring
When to prune plums. Avoid pruning plums in winter, as it increases the risk of infection by silver leaf disease to which plums and other Prunus species are prone. The best time for pruning is usually spring for young trees and mid-summer for established ones.
What is the best fertilizer for plum trees?
Best Plum Tree Fertilizer Reviews
- Jobe’s Fruit & Citrus Fertilizer Spike 4-6-6. Best For Potted Trees.
- Down to Earth Organic Citrus Fertilizer Mix 6-3-3. Best Organic Dressing.
- Jobe’s Organics Fruit & Nut Granular Fertilizer 3-5-5.
- Miracle-Gro Citrus, Plum, & Mango Food 6-4-6.
- Miracle-Gro Fruit Food Spikes 15-5-10.
Can you prune flowering plum trees?
You can also prune some trees after flowering. This is only good for a small number of flowering trees such as Prunus trees (plum) but care needs to be taken so that this interruption occurs straight after the flush of flowers but before the tree comes into full leaf and growth.
What is wrong with my flowering plum tree?
Cankers, galls and mildews are common fungal diseases of ornamental plum trees. Kansas State University reports that these trees are prone to develop Cytospora cankers, which are caused by Leucostoma and Valsa fungi.
Do flowering plum trees lose their leaves in winter?
Throughout its hardiness zones, purple leaf plum drops its leaves in fall and needs no extra protection against winter lows. But at the mild end of its growing zones, unexpected highs and lows can warrant stepping in to save the clusters of 1-inch blossoms that appear before purple leaves unfurl.
Do ornamental plum trees need pruning?
Spring bloomers should be trimmed after flowers have dropped. Summertime-blooming plum trees must be pruned the following winter or early spring. Winter bloomers, such as P. mexicana, may be trimmed after fruits are harvested in early fall.
Do flowering plum trees lose their leaves?
Purple leaf plum tree is one of those few trees, whose blooming marks the arrival of spring. The leaves appear just after the fading of the flowers. Leaves are generally shed in the month of August and by the end of September, the tree completely loses its foliage.
Can you cut the top off a plum tree?
A mature tree that hasn’t been pruned needs help to become a good fruit producer, but whacking off the top is not the optimal solution. If pruning old plum trees this way doesn’t kill them, it will assuredly produce unattractive and unproductive new growth.
What is the best way to prune a plum tree?
Always cut just above a bud and sloping away from it. Don’t worry if you end up pruning out some developing fruit – you may need to thin the fruit in July, anyway. And don’t worry if you don’t get your pruning exactly right – plums are more forgiving than apples or pears.
Should plum trees be pruned every year?
Pruning established plum trees
Prune every year in early spring (April), before bud break. Remove any suckers growing from the rootstock. Rub out any buds growing on the lower trunk. Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased wood, and dispose of it as appropriate, removing it from the garden.
Is Epsom salt good for plum trees?
Sweeten Fruits
If you have some fruit trees, a boost in magnesium will do them a world of good. Epsom Salt is used on fruit trees or vegetables to help them yield larger, sweeter, and more fruits. It works great also for nut trees and fruit shrubs.
Are coffee grounds good for plum trees?
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper, all of which are essential to fruit trees. They also raise the pH level in the soil, which is good for the health of the plant. Most fruit trees require slightly acidic soil, so adding coffee grounds will help them thrive.
How do you keep a plum tree healthy?
How to Care for Plum Trees. 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.
How tall does a flowering plum tree get?
25 to 30 feet high
At maturity, this tree will reach 25 to 30 feet high with a canopy spread of 20 to 25 feet. The unique purple leaves, the light pink delicate blooms, and the size of this tree make it a striking focal point to build your landscape around.
How tall does a flowering plum grow?
It is a deciduous tree growing to around 5m (15′) tall, with slender, arching branches, purple leaves, and double mauve-pink flowers from mid August to mid September.
Are flowering plum trees fast growing?
The Newport Flowering Plum Tree has a fast, dependable growth rate. It gains between 3 and 5 feet of new growth a year – or sometimes even more! In order to get the fastest growth, water the Newport Flowering Plum Tree at least once a week and fertilize once in spring and once in late summer.
What does a sick plum tree look like?
Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)
Black knot is a blissfully accurate and descriptive name for fungal diseases. On plum trees, you will see black, swollen masses on the twigs and branches. The masses will start as subtle green or light brown soft spots that grow over multiple seasons to black tumor-like growths.
How do you rejuvenate a plum tree?
The basic principles are:
- If significant pruning is required spread it over two or three years.
- Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches (the three Ds) first.
- Prune away any crossing branches.
- Thin out the centre of the tree.
- When pruning at this stage, try to maintain the “balance” of the tree.
Why are the leaves turning yellow on my plum tree?
Lack of water – trees in pots need regular watering as they dry out quicker and do not catch as much rain water as plants and trees in the ground. Small pots – are the pots big enough? Nutrient deficiencies – as with watering, trees in pots need regular feeding to give them the nutrients they require to grow.