Young plums are generally pruned in early spring, before bud break, in order to avoid infection by silver leaf disease. Begin pruning immediately when you plant a young tree to ensure a proper shape. Established fruit tree plums are best pruned in midsummer. Trimming flowering plum trees is not advised.
What is the best time of year to prune plum trees?
summer
The best season to prune a plum tree is mid summer during full growth. Why not prune a plum tree in dormant season? The answer is that plum trees are prone to fungal infection, including the infamous Silver Leaf disease. Pruning in summer means there are fewer fungal spores in the air.
What is the best way to prune a plum tree?
Prune in the third week of July when the young shoots have finished growing. Shorten new branches to 20cm (8in), cutting above a downward or outward-pointing bud. Cut side branches back to a bud at 15cm (6in) Train and tie in the central leader to the stake.
How do you prune a tall plum tree?
Prune them as close to the main branch / trunk as possible using a sharp pair of secateurs. If you keep on top of this task they will stop growing after a few months. Do this when the plum tree is in full growth, any time from early June to early August. It is best done on a dry dry to reduce the risk of infection.
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.
How much should I prune my plum tree?
- Prune all of the branches back by about a third, cutting to just above a bud. Take side shoots back by one half.
- Keep the tree in good health by cutting out any older branches that are weak, damaged, competing or crossing. Prune away any older branches that growing into the centre of the tree.
Do plums grow on new or old wood?
But remember, plums fruit on young wood. Avoid removing branches that are less than three years old unless you have to.
How long do plum trees live?
Plum | 10-25 years*
Why does my plum tree not fruit?
Reasons Plum Tree not Fruiting
Freezing temperatures before blooms open will also kill the flowers. Without flowers, you will have no fruit. Insects that chew the terminal ends, shoots, and flowers will also cause no fruit on plum trees. Excess nitrogen fertilizer promotes leafy growth and can diminish fruiting.
How tall should a plum tree be?
Most plum trees will reach 16 feet (5 m.) at maturity or 14 feet (4 m.) if they are a dwarf variety. If you live in a more northerly climate, you may consider planting your plum tree in a location where it will have protection from cold winds, as they are prone to late frost damage.
How do you shape plum trees?
Pruning to a bud.
Make sharp, clean cuts close enough so that you won’t leave a clumsy stub that’s hard to heal over. Stay far enough above the bud so it won’t die back. Slant the cuts and the new growth will develop beautifully. Always prune back to buds aimed in the direction you want limbs to grow.
How do you rejuvenate an old plum tree?
Leave lower shoots alone since the aim of fruit tree rejuvenation is to get the tree to produce new wood in the lower section. During the second year of winter, lower the tree’s height by another few feet (1 to 2 m.) if necessary. You can also shorten limbs to give the lowest branches better light.
How do you reduce the height of a tree?
Remove the vertical branches just above the juncture with the side branches. You would repeat this at all of the locations that contribute to its unwanted height. By pruning in this fashion, you will retain as much of the trees natural form as possible.
Do plum trees fruit every year?
Fruit such as apples and plums may fruit in alternate years. This is known as biennial bearing. A generally poor crop, but vigorous growth. Performance may decline over several years.
How do you fertilize plum trees?
A plum tree that is three years or younger needs no more than 1/2 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer once in mid-April and once in early June. A mature plum tree benefits from one annual application of 10-10-10 fertilizer in a quantity of 8 ounces for every year of the tree’s age. It can be applied in mid-April.
How do you prune a tree?
A proper pruning cut does not damage either the branch bark ridge or the branch collar. A proper cut begins just outside the branch bark ridge and angles down away from the stem of the tree, avoiding injury to the branch collar (Fig. 6B).
Why are my plums rotting before they ripen?
Brown rot is a fungal disease of apples, pears, plums, cherries and some other fruit and ornamental trees, causing a brown, spreading rot in fruit. It is caused by the same fungi that cause blossom wilt of the flowers and fruit spurs.
What are water shoots on plum trees?
Vertical shoots (water shoots) = vigorous shoots with vegetative buds growing vertically from existing branches or formed structure. May also be horizontal as well. However, as plums fruit mainly on 2 & 3-year-old wood some of the new shoots (1st year wood) need to remain to carry next years’ fruit .
Why are my plum trees dying?
A dying or diseased plum tree can be caused by bugs or pests, rain, mildew, bacteria, hot and cold weather, frost, no pollination, too much water, or a lack of water. Plum trees are resilient trees and there are many ways to treat bugs and diseases.
Do plum trees need feeding?
When to Feed Plum Trees. The tree’s age is a barometer on when to fertilize. Fertilize newly planted plums in the early spring before it leafs out. During the tree’s second year, fertilize the tree twice a year, first in early March and then again about the first of August.
What fruit tree produces fruit the fastest?
Some of these fruit trees take only two to three years to set and produce fruit. That’s a fraction of the time it takes for other trees to grow fresh fruits.
Top 10 Fastest Growing Fruit Trees
- Peach Trees.
- Mulberry Trees.
- Apple Trees.
- Citrus Fruit Trees.
- Apricot Trees.
- Mandarin Fruit Trees.
- Cherry Trees.
- Fig Trees.