What is the best time to prune plum trees?

spring
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.

Can you trim the top of a plum tree?

If your plum is not unreasonably tall and is basically healthy, you can leave the tree at its existing height and prune it to clear away branches that don’t bear fruit. The first branches to remove are those that are dead, damaged, broken or infected. This type of pruning should be done annually.

What month do you prune trees in UK?

Deciduous trees (ones that lose their leaves in winter) are usually pruned in autumn and winter. In some cases, for example with magnolias and walnuts, pruning is best done in late summer, as healing is quicker.

How do you prune an overgrown plum tree?

How should I prune an overgrown plum tree?

1. Remove crossing or dead branches and diseased limbs.
2. Thin out the tree.
3. Can you see through the tree yet?
4. Prune lower branches to be parallel with the ground and upwards facing.
5. Cut tall branches down in height so fruit is produced in a reachable location.

How do I prune my plum tree?

Pruning the young plum tree is easy. Wait until new growth is 3 inches long. Cut the main stem back until it is 2 feet tall, making the cut just above a bud. Once you’ve trimmed the height, if there are competing leaders, or stems that are very close to the main stem, cut them off completely flush with the main stem.

What is the best fertilizer for plum trees?

10-10-10 Fertilizer The fertilizer 10-10-10 is an all-purpose fertilizer that meets the needs of plum trees throughout the growing season. 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.

When should you not prune trees?

Those beat-up branches can — and should — be removed at any time. But removal of healthy limbs should only be done in the middle of winter — the dormant period when the tree is essentially asleep — or in the spring when the tree has just begun actively growing again and new growth is forming naturally.

What trees can be cut down without permission UK?

cutting down, topping, lopping or uprooting a tree with a diameter less than 75mm. cutting down or uprooting a tree with a diameter less than 100mm to improve the growth of another tree, for example tree thinning.

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.

Why does my plum tree have no fruit?

A The two most common reasons why flowers fail to produce fruit are frost damage and lack of pollination partners. Pollination and fruit-set are very sensitive to cold springs. More practically, go for late-flowering fruit. Apples flower latest and plums and cherries earliest.

How do you increase the yield of a plum tree?

Provide good irrigation and a fertilizing program appropriate for fruiting trees. Fertilizers higher in phosphorus will help with blooming and fruiting. Bone meal is a great source of phosphorus. Prune trees when young to create a strong scaffold and minimize upward growth.

What do I feed my plum tree?

Pears (established), cherries, plums, gages, damsons and peaches

1. These fruits need a balanced general fertiliser in early spring.
2. Organic growers can use similar amounts of dried poultry manure pellets with some organic potassium every three years.

How do you prune a plum tree?

Pruning the young plum tree is easy. Wait until new growth is 3 inches long. Cut the main stem back until it is 2 feet tall, making the cut just above a bud. Once you’ve trimmed the height, if there are competing leaders, or stems that are very close to the main stem, cut them off completely flush with the main stem.

Time Frame. The best time to prune the plum tree is from the middle of June until August. Choose a period when there is no rain or fog in the forecast as heavy moisture in the air after pruning makes the plum tree susceptible to the fungal pathogen that causes silver leaf disease (Chondrostereum purpureum).

What is plum prune?

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.