If you ’re new to fruit tree growing and pruning , you absolutely ca n’t go unseasonable with plums .
Some trees will stop produce well unless you give them the right chop . But prunes will keep on chugging despite your negligence .
Of course , they ’ll do much well if you deal them right , and that includes even , strategic pruning .
Silverleaf. Photo via Alamy.
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The real challenge with pruning plums is in the timing . It ’s not exaggeration to say that pruning at the wrong time can kill your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
That might go spectacular , but there ’s a disease out there that attacks plum tree if you prune them at the wrong time of class .
Do n’t worry , we ’ll help oneself you cipher out when to set out the work and everything else you need to know . Here ’s what ’s come up in this usher :
What You’ll Learn
There are two unlike stage of pruning . The first is establishing the ideal shape and the 2d is yearly criminal maintenance .
Once a tree has been shaped , it ’s your job to preserve it . This primarily postulate removing dead , pathological , and deformed wood .
It ’s not just about work and removing bad wood each year , though . This also helps the plant to remain productive .
plum blossom and yield on either older wood or class - old wood , depending on the species .
When to Prune Plums
in general , we prune plum in the summertime or winter . That ’s because these trees are passing susceptible to a disease called silvery leaf .
If you prune in the spring or autumn , you execute the risk of taint your trees with the fungus that causes this disease , Chondrostereum purpureum .
The fungus flourish in the besotted atmospheric condition of dip and spring , and that ’s when this disease spread . Open injury put up an opportunity to attack .
It can live on numerous species in the ornamental garden , includingmaples , hawthorns , willow , lilacs , cherries , apples , andpears . But plum are the most susceptible .
When the disease is present , the leaves take on a silvery sheen that is awfully pretty , but it ’s a sign of speculative word . There ’s no known cure for it , and it can spread like wildfire in the woodlet .
When you do prune , do it during a geological period of dry weather . Conditions should be dry for at least a week before pruning and predicted to be ironical for a workweek after . The longer the weather remains wry , the better .
Do n’t feel like you have to hold back for summer or winter – your local conditions are what matter most .
If you regularly have a teetotal stretch in fall or spring , go ahead and do your pruning then .
Dry atmospheric condition is more important than the time of year . you may even do part of the work in the summer and a second more again in the winter .
Overgrown specimen should be shaped back up over a series of days .
Of course , if you see pathological or wiped out limbs , these should be rationalise in good order aside . Pruning diseased parts regularly is the first stone’s throw to preventing diseases from decimating your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
There’ssome evidencethat the fungicide furmecyclox can help foreclose the disease when applied to the pruning wounds , but since that ’s not useable to the home nurseryman , we have to bind to care our timing .
The blackjack that Tree exude after being turn out actually provides innate protection , so do n’t apply a wound sealant .
Gather Your Tools
You do n’t ask anything special to keep your tree diagram in tip - top shape . The usual tools apply here .
You need something to take off the large limbs and something for the smaller development .
You will probably also want something to avail you pass those taller branches , like a tree saw or a ravel .
Know Your Terms
Before we jump in , let ’s ensure we ’re all on the same page .
The luggage compartment is , of course , the mail central reinforcement . From there emerge the limb or branches . These are the scaffolding of your tree and we wo n’t dress this dowery .
Vase - shaped trees have about five limb . Central drawing card shapes can have about the same telephone number , or sometimes a few more . These are usually at least three feet above the earth .
In addition to the main limbs , a tree will have side branches , which are sometimes called laterals .
These are the sprig , shoots , and smaller branches . These side branch might have modest leg grow from them as well .
Most of the fruit is formed on what are call spurs . A fruit spur is a short growth that grows at about a 45 - arcdegree slant from the arm .
These spurs typically grow on twelvemonth - old or two- to three - year - previous branches .
Tree will also have folio and flush buds , but we do n’t really have to worry about these since they ’re not relevant to the pruning process .
Pruning Young Trees
unseasoned trees involve limited pruning to adjust them up for winner .
If you buy a tree that is over three years old – and most are – it is in all likelihood already pruned to the appropriate contour , and all you call for to do is keep up it .
Pruning a tree when it ’s young gives you a chassis that is not only more productive , thanks to better abstemious exposure and air circulation , but it is also easier to rationalize in the futurity .
You also desire a social organization that can bear the weight of the fruit .
For coarse plums ( Prunus domestica ) , if you have a tree that ’s under a year old , crop the main theme to about three to four feet magniloquent , so long as there are about five or six spurs below where you trim down it .
Make the cut just above a spur . polish off any side shoot by cutting them right at the land .
The class after planting , the untested tree will send out new shoot below the cut . The one close to the top that arise directly up will become the central loss leader .
give it in property . If it ’s grow a bit crooked , use acquire tape or clothespins to hold it unsloped .
tolerate the lower ramification to develop over the class of the year . The following year , remove all but four or five of the limbs .
You ’re reckon to keep branches that make a 45 - degree angle with the main bow . These will be the strongest .
The next class , prune to include another four or five main branches , so that you have up to 10 amount .
Japanese or Formosan plums ( genus Prunus salicina ) want to be pruned into a vase form . To do this , find a group of four or five spurs about two or three feet above the foot .
Make a 45 - degree slash right above each spine , sloping aside from the gad .
The bud below the pruning cutting will turn outwards , creating what we call a vase shape . clip off any lower leg below the top four or five as they emerge , as well as any competing limb that sample to acquire within the “ vase . ”
For both types of plums , this initial shape should be maintained for the first few years . At about five old age , you could start cut according to the methods outlined below .
Pruning Japanese Plums
Nipponese plum blossom and fruit on twelvemonth - old wood , and they ’re much more vigorous than the common species .
That means we need to prune to preserve unseasoned Mrs. Henry Wood without overcharge the tree , or you wo n’t be getting much yield .
thin out off any that develop below the main limbs of the vase . Next , cut off any crossing or deformed limb .
The branches best able to support fruit are called scaffolding branches . These are the ones that originate about 45 degrees in relation to the trunk .
Those that have a narrower or wider crotch run to break up when laden with yield . shoot for to leave as many of these scaffold arm in place as possible .
Now you want to go in and encourage novel growth , since that ’s where the yield will develop . Look for the long branches .
Cut them back in front of a fruiting urging , leaving about a 12 spurs on the branch . This will promote a Modern section to grow with new fruiting spurs .
If a branch is a bit short , under a foot long , do n’t dress it back . Let it mature some more length first .
in the end , snip off any water sprout and cut out the branches , condense on old laterals , so you ’re result with about one-half of the ontogeny that you started with .
You want to do this so there are n’t too many arm give rise yield and overload the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Now you should have the right balance of productive wood while creating an open vase shape that allows for good air circulation and access for harvesting .
gravid branches should be cut with the one - two - three method .
This ask first issue a branch from the bottom about midway through at a point several inches out from the trunk . Then cut off the duration of the arm coming from the top down just an in or two out from the undercut .
Finally , issue the remaining stump off at the collar . You do n’t want to make the cutting flush with the tree trunk .
You should begin the cut at the genitalia of the outgrowth and torso and then rationalize down and out at about a 45 - degree slant . Do n’t leave a stub of the branch in spot , since this can introduce disease .
small offset should be clipped flush with the main branch .
Pruning Common Plums
coarse or European plums ( Prunus domestica ) yield on wood that is two geezerhood old or older .
limb that are 10 or 20 years old might taper off in production as they age . When shaping up these trees , give them a central drawing card shape .
Again , you want to hold back those growing at about a 45 - point slant from the torso .
The first step is to remove any dead , diseased , dying , or deformed wood ( we call these the four “ Ds ” ) .
When we say “ change form , ” we ’re talking about branches that traverse or rub against each other , or that are crumpled or growing in rather than out .
Next , lop the new , young whip shoots back by about half to encourage branch . Cut in front of a yield spur .
Now , you could reduce the tree out a bit . Just keep in mind that these trees fruit good on vernal Sir Henry Joseph Wood . Do n’t prune off wood that is under three years old . direct onetime Mrs. Henry Wood or else .
There are a few common plum tree that grow horizontal branches . ‘ Victoria ’ is one such cultivar . For these , just focus on cutting and not so much on choosing branches with the perfect 45 - arcdegree shape .
To help oneself the branch balance itself so it wo n’t let on when laden with yield , prune just above an upwards - facing shoot .
utilise the cutting guidelines described above to make the cuts .
Fruit Thinning
plum tend to produce a larger crop one year and then a humble crop the next .
In those bragging twelvemonth , the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can be a act over - enthusiastic . The best way to aid the tree out is to thin out the fruit a little .
This should be done twice a year when the developing yield is present .
The first time is when the fruits are young and green , usually around May . face the tree diagram over and soak off some of the fruits if a branch looks overloaded .
essentially , you ’re looking for fruit that come to each other or look like they might in the futurity . Take up to one-half of them off the branch .
The second round is done later on , as the fruits are nearing matureness .
bet the plum over and remove any damaged or pathologic yield and any that exhibitsigns of pest damage .
Find more tips on thinning fruit here .
Prune Those Prunes… er, Plums
Plums do n’t ask for much and they give so much in income tax return . A single tree give you enough fruits for all of your jam , pie , kuchen , and deep-dish pie needs .
Even omit tree will offer up up handfuls of yield .
But we do n’t want handfuls , we want enough yield to fill buckets and buckets ! Pruning can help to make that go on .
Keep croak with that orchard of yours . If you ’re wondering abouthow to maintain fruit trees in other ways , our guides can shed some light on the topic . Give the following a read next :
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Kristine Lofgren
