Plum tree: tips for planting & caring for

Plums from your own garden can sweeten the summer. We'll show you what to watch out for when planting, pruning and buying plum trees.

The term “plums” encompasses several subspecies derived from different wild forms and more or less strongly mixed. These include, among other things, the plum, which is also called plum or plum Mirabelle, the Reneklode, the creeping plum and of course the round plum and egg plum. All of these plum species are subspecies (subspecies) the Prunus domestica and belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). The different plum species vary in terms of shape, size and color, taste, consistency of the pulp and possible uses.

The hybrid out Cherry plum and blackthorn called Prunus domestica originally from the Middle East. It can live up to 120 years and reach a height of a proud 10 meters. The flowering period begins in April and adorns the tree with a fragrant white flower dress until May. The yellow, red or blue-violet round fruits with characteristic belly seams develop from the bright flowers. These are ripe for picking from June to September.

What you should consider when it comes to choosing the right varieties, planting, caring for and pruning your plum tree, we have put together in this article with expert tips.

Varieties of plums: Popular and tasty varieties

Whether as a juicy fruit, boiled down in the form of jam or compote, on the cake or in a crumble, as Schnapps or Chutney: Plums are very multifaceted and can be found in many different shapes enjoy. The individual plum subspecies and their different varieties are differently suitable for fresh consumption, cakes or jams. Some fruits are juicier, some more acidic and there are also big differences in consistency. The following varieties, which can be used relatively universally for snacking and processing, are recommended for the home garden:

Plum varieties (Prunus domestica)

‘Ontari plum’

• Deep yellow plum that ripens in early to mid-August
• Very high and regular yield
• Large, tasty, sweetish, slightly spicy fruits
• Vigorous growth with a large crown
• Flowers very hardy, wood, on the other hand, little
• Low demands on soil and location
  

Plums / plums / plum varieties (Prunus domestica subsp. domestica)

'Katinka'

• The best quality early variety that can often be harvested as early as the end of July
• Tastefully aromatic, fruity-fresh with low acidity
• Firm, light yellow pulp
• Suitable for fresh consumption or as a baking ingredient (very easy to remove stones)
• High and regular yield
• Medium vigor and easy pruning
• Sharka-tolerant and not very sensitive to frost (more about Sharka under "Common diseases and pests")

'House plum'

• Classic among the plum trees with sweet and sour, very pleasant, stone-releasing fruits
• Regular, high yield from mid-September to October
• Vigorous, large crown
• Qualitatively one of the best varieties, but demanding and prone to sharka
  

'Jojo'

• First variety that is absolutely sharka-resistant
• Large and firm fruits with a balanced sweet and sour taste, slightly aromatic
• Harvest early to late September; do not harvest too early (blue color starts 2 - 3 weeks before fully ripe)
• Early flowering, not suitable for locations sensitive to frost
• Medium-strong growth

Mirabelle varieties (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca)

'Mirabelle von Nancy'

• Excellent, sweet-aromatic taste
• Very juicy meat that dissolves easily from the core
• Excellent for fresh consumption, as a baking ingredient, for preserving or distilling
• Harvest in mid to late August
• Requires a lot of space, very vigorous
• Good disease resistance
  

‚Bellamira ’

• New cross ('Cacaks Beste' x 'Mirabelle von Nancy') for frost-prone and rough locations (late flowering)
• Ripe from late August to mid-September
• Early, high and regular yield
• Very good and sweet fruits, easy to remove stones, a little less aromatic than 'Mirabelle von Nancy'
• Strong growth

Important: Some plum varieties are self-sterile, also known as self-sterile. You need another variety of plum in the vicinity so that the flowers are fertilized and fruit can develop. Apart from the Reneklode, all of the varieties we recommend are self-fertile. So you don't need to worry about fruit formation when choosing one of these varieties.

Renekloden varieties (Prunus domestica subsp. italica)

'Big green Reneklode'

• Particularly sweet, juicy and tasty
• Yield only sets in a few years after planting and is then irregularly high
• Harvest from late August to mid-September
• Quite strong growth
• Wood quite frost hardy
• Not self-pollinating, needs pollinator variety (for example _‚‘House plum’)

Due to the complexity of the subspecies and their varieties in the realm of the plums, this was only a small and incomplete list of very different but particularly popular plum varieties. Read more about the plum subspecies and varieties here.

Buy plum tree

Plum trees are available all year round as container plants and in spring and autumn as bales. When choosing a variety, you should primarily be guided by the conditions prevailing in your garden and accordingly choose a variety as a grafted fruit tree. When buying, you should make sure that the plant has healthy roots and an even crown. The finishing agency should be undamaged.

Plant plum tree

In addition to the purchase, there are a few things to consider when planting the plum tree. We will show you where and how to plant a plum tree correctly so that your own plum harvest is also successful.

The right location for the plum tree

So that your tree grows well and feels comfortable in its new home, the right location is very important. Plum trees prefer a humus rich and nutrient-rich soil with a pH value between 6 and 7. The location should be warm and sheltered from the wind; a house wall, for example, is very suitable. Since some varieties can get quite large, there should be a distance of several meters in all directions.

Planting a plum tree: Instructions & procedure

Once the right location has been found, you can start planting. The best planting date is in autumn between October and November, so that the plum tree can form new roots over winter and grow well in spring. Alternatively, the sapling can also be planted in spring, but then it should be watered particularly thoroughly.

When planting, particular attention should be paid to a sufficiently large planting hole. If the hole is about twice the size of the tree's root ball, some compost can be added. Then the support post is attached to the west side. Once the tree is in place, it is poured thoroughly. Now tie the tree to the support post and cover the planting disc with mulch material.

A detailed guide to the Planting a plum tree You will find here.

Maintain the plum tree properly

Plums are one of the easiest fruit crops to care for. Investing a little time and effort is still very worthwhile. A healthy tree and a plentiful harvest are thanks. Young trees in particular grow better when their tree slices are free of dense vegetation such as lawns. Because dense lawn and its roots act like a felt and quickly soak up rainwater. In order to promote the tree and ensure a good water supply, the tree grates are regularly covered with organic mulch material in the first few years after planting. A 10 to 20 cm high layer of grass clippings or less high layers of straw or chopped garden waste are ideal, to keep the earth around the tree trunk loose and moist and suppress the colonization of nutrient- and water-robbing ones Plants. Bark mulch acidifies the soil and is therefore not recommended for this purpose. Three to five years after planting, the tree can cope with competing plants on its tree grate quite well. Then you can sow lawn, a flower meadow or something similar there.

Water the plum tree

In the first few years after planting, the roots of the young trees are still sparse and shallow. At this time it is important to find a good compromise between watering and promoting deep roots. On the one hand, young trees need a lot of water and should by no means suffer from a lack of water during drought. On the other hand, plants that are constantly watered will form less deep roots. Why should they? After all, rooting costs energy. However, deep roots are very important for fully grown trees so that they do not lack water during every short dry period. We therefore recommend that you water young trees with about 20 liters of water once or twice a week rather than daily. Then the soil under the tree is well saturated with water and the tree can feed on it for a while. Reduce the frequency of watering as the tree ages. Five years after planting, the tree is well adapted and only needs to be watered in the event of prolonged drought.

Fertilize the plum tree

Once a year, natural fertilizer supports the development and yield of the plum tree. As long as the tree grate is still exposed or is regularly mulched, compost is the ideal form to fertilize the young tree. Instead of mulch, the tree grate is completely and generously covered with compost or composted manure in February or March, when the snow has melted. These fertilizers release the nutrients very slowly and thus offer the tree a balanced, long-term supply of nutrients. If the tree grate is already overgrown with lawn or other plants, liquid fertilizer is better suited so that not only the tree grate but also the tree benefits. Mix an organic fertilizer into the irrigation water and water your tree with it in spring. Please note the amount of fertilizer recommended on the packaging. Due to the mostly well-supplied garden soil and the far-reaching roots of the fruit trees, no fertilizer at all is often necessary. Fertilizing small amounts once a year or every two years will boost your tree and its yield. However, it shouldn't be too much fertilizer, as this can have negative effects on the tree and the groundwater.

Plum tree: common diseases and pests

Although disease and pest infestation is comparatively rare in fruit trees in the home garden, it is important to know what to do if the worst comes to the worst. Because if you recognize the damage or the symptoms early, you can act quickly and contain it in good time. The bad news first: As a member of the rose family (Rosaceae), which also includes many other types of fruit and berries, the various types of plums fall into the infestation grid of pathogens adapted to this family of plants. But do not panic, if your tree feels comfortable in its location and you have many beneficial insects in the garden, the conditions are good for your tree to stay healthy.

We have listed some of the most common pests and diseases and suitable countermeasures for you here:

Tip: Check your plum tree regularly for signs of eating, discoloration and fungal coverings. Sick shoots can be removed promptly. In order to reduce the further spread of fungi, always dispose of infected plant material in the residual waste.

Transplant plum tree

As with the planting itself, autumn or early spring are suitable for transplanting, as soon as the soil is frost-free. It is important that a large part of the tree's roots are preserved. You should remove kinked runners. After the tree has changed location, a generous cut suits it very well. Removing the flowers and a good water supply after transplanting also support the rapid rooting process. Moving larger plum trees can also be done in winter. To do this, dig a wide trench around the root ball in midsummer. Next, the pad is slightly loosened. Then the trench is filled with hay or leaves. Also dig out the planting hole at the new location for plum growing during the summer. As soon as the ground starts to freeze, the tree and the root ball can now be dug up. Before planting the tree, the soil is lightly filled with earth. After the planting, fill in further cavities of the planting hole with soil. Finally, a layer of mulch (ideally dried grass) protects the tree grate. A pruning is also recommended for the winter variant. Remove the flowers in the following growing season.

Cut the plum tree correctly

A professional pruning of the plum tree favors, as with all fruit trees, the formation of yields and the development of young trees. Anyone who thinks the yield is sufficient is still advised to prune every few years. The cut rejuvenates the tree and gives it new strength. In addition, the Fruit tree pruning not necessarily for more, but for bigger and nicer fruits.

We have compiled the most important key data for cutting a plum tree as an overview for you below:

• When to cut the plum tree?
  A plum tree can be pruned on dry days in winter (winter pruning) or in summer (summer pruning).
• Prune tree how to cut?
  Depending on the development of the tree, a distinction is made between upbringing, maintenance and rejuvenation pruning.
• The right cutting tool
  Always use sharp and clean cutting tools - this reduces the risk of bruises and the spreading of unpleasant diseases.

A detailed guide to the Pruning plum trees can be found here in our expert article.