Plum tree: tips for planting & care

Plums from your own garden can sweeten the summer. We will show you what to consider when planting, pruning and buying plum trees.

The term "plums" summarizes several subspecies that are derived from different wild forms and are more or less strongly mixed. These include, among other things, the plum, which is also called plum or damson Mirabelle, the greengage, the creeping plum and of course the plum and plum plum. All these plum species are subspecies (subspecies) the Prunus domestica and belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). The different plum species vary in fruit shape, size and colour, taste, pulp consistency and uses.

The hybrid off cherry plum and blackthorn named Prunus domestica originally comes from the Near East. It can live up to 120 years and reach a height of 10 meters. The flowering period begins in April and adorns the tree with a fragrant white flower dress well into May. The yellow, red or blue-violet rounded fruits with a characteristic abdominal seam then develop from the light 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 compiled this article with expert tips.

Plum Varieties: Popular and tasty varieties

Whether as a juicy fruit, cooked in the form of jam or compote, on the cake or in the crumble, as Schnapps or Chutney: Plums are very multi-faceted and can come in many different forms enjoy. The individual plum subspecies and their different varieties are differently suitable for fresh consumption, cakes or jam. Some fruits are juicier, some more sour 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)

‘Ontario plum’

• Deep yellow custard that ripens in early to mid-August
• Very high and regular yield
• Large, deliciously sweet, slightly spicy fruits
• Vigorous with a large crown
• Flowers very frost hardy, but little wood
• Low demands on soil and location
  

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

'katinka'

• The best early variety in terms of quality, which can often be harvested as early as the end of July
• Tastefully aromatic, fruity-fresh with low acidity
• Firm, light yellow flesh
• Suitable for fresh consumption or as a baking ingredient (very good stone removal)
• High and regular yield
• Medium growth and easy maintenance 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-dissolving fruits
• Regular, high yield from mid-September to October
• Strong growth, large crown
• One of the best varieties in terms of quality, but demanding and susceptible to Sharka
  

'yo-yo'

• First absolutely Sharka-resistant variety
• Large and firm fruits with a balanced sweet and sour taste, slightly aromatic
• Harvest early to late September; do not harvest too early (blue discoloration begins 2 - 3 weeks before full maturity)
• Early flowering, not suitable for frost-sensitive areas
• Medium growth

Mirabelle varieties (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca)

'Mirabelle de Nancy'

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

‚bellamira'

• New crossing ('Cacaks Beste' x 'Mirabelle von Nancy') for frost-prone and harsh locations (late flowering)
• Ripens late August to mid-September
• Early onset, high and regular yield
• Very good and sweet fruit, easy stone removal, slightly less aromatic than 'Mirabelle von Nancy'
• Strong growth

Important: Some plum varieties are self-infertile, also called self-sterile. They need another variety of plum nearby so the flowers can be fertilized and fruit can develop. Apart from the greengage, all the varieties we recommend are self-fertile. When choosing one of these varieties, you don't have to worry about fruiting.

Greengage varieties (Prunus domestica subsp. italiana)

'Big green greengage'

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

Due to the complexity of the subspecies and their varieties in the kingdom of 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 year-round as container plants and in spring and autumn as balled crops. When choosing a variety, you should primarily focus on the conditions prevailing in your garden and choose a variety as a grafted fruit tree accordingly. When buying, you should then make sure that the plant has healthy roots and an even crown. The finishing point should be undamaged.

Plant plum tree

In addition to the purchase, there are also a number of 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

The right location is very important so that your little tree grows well and feels comfortable in its new home. Plum trees prefer humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil with a pH 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 several meters of space in all directions.

Plant plum tree: instructions & procedure

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

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

A detailed guide to Planting a plum tree you'll find here.

Caring for plum trees properly

Plums are among the easiest fruit crops to care for. Investing a little time and effort is still very worthwhile. Thanks are due to a healthy tree and a bountiful harvest. Young trees in particular grow better when their tree pits are free of dense vegetation such as grass. Dense lawns and their roots act like felt and absorb rainwater quickly. In order to promote the tree and create a good water supply, the tree pits are regularly covered with organic mulch material in the first few years after planting. A 10 to 20 cm layer of grass clippings or lesser layers of straw or chopped garden waste are ideal, to keep the soil around the tree trunk loose and moist and suppress the establishment of nutrient and water-robbing ones Plant. Bark mulch acidifies the soil and is therefore not recommended for this purpose. Three to five years after planting, the tree tolerates competing plants on its tree pit quite well. Then you can sow a lawn, a flower meadow or something similar there.

Water plum tree

In the first few years after planting, the roots of the young trees are still sparse and flat. 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 not suffer from a lack of water during drought. On the other hand, plants that are constantly watered form shallower roots. Why should they, after all, rooting costs energy. However, deep roots are very important for mature trees so that they do not lack water during every small dry spell. We therefore recommend that you water young trees with about 20 liters of water once or twice a week rather than daily when it is dry. Then the soil under the tree is also well saturated with water and the tree can draw on it for some time. Reduce watering frequency as the tree ages. Five years after planting, the tree is well adapted and only needs to be watered if the drought lasts longer.

Fertilize plum tree

Natural fertilizer once a year 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 way to fertilize the young tree. Instead of mulch, the tree pit is completely and generously covered with compost or composted manure in February or March, when the snow has melted. These fertilizers release nutrients very slowly, providing the tree with a balanced, long-term supply of nutrients. If the tree disc is already overgrown with grass or other plants, liquid fertilizer is better suited so that not only the tree disc growth but also the tree benefits. Mix an organic fertilizer into the irrigation water and water your tree with it in the spring. Pay attention to the amount of fertilizer recommended on the package. Due to the usually well-supplied garden soil and the far-reaching roots of the fruit trees, no fertilizer is often necessary. Fertilizing small amounts once a year or every two years will benefit your tree and its yield. However, it should not 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 infestations are relatively rare on fruit trees in the home garden, it is important to know what to do if they do. Because if you recognize the damage or the symptoms early on, you can act quickly and contain them in good time. The bad news first: As a member of the rose family (Rosaceae), which also includes many other fruit species and berries, the various plum species fall into the infestation grid of pathogens adapted to this plant family. But don't panic, if your tree feels comfortable in its location and you have many beneficial insects in the garden, the chances are good that your tree will remain 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 damage, discoloration and fungal plaque. Diseased shoots can be removed promptly. To reduce the further spread of fungi, always dispose of infested plant material in the residual waste.

Transplant plum tree

As with planting, autumn or early spring are suitable for transplanting, as soon as the ground is frost-free. It is important that a large part of the roots of the tree are preserved. You should remove any kinked spurs. After the tree has changed location, it does very well with a generous pruning. The removal of the flowers and a good water supply after transplanting also support the rapid rooting process. Larger plum trees can also be transplanted in winter. Dig a wide ditch around the root ball in midsummer. Next, the bale is slightly loosened. The ditch is then filled with hay or leaves. Also dig up the planting hole at the new location for the plum growing during the summer. As soon as the ground starts to freeze, the tree can now be dug out together with the root ball. Before planting the tree, the ground is lightly filled up with soil. After inserting, fill up further cavities of the planting hole with soil. Finally, a layer of mulch (ideally dried grass) protects the tree pit. A pruning is also recommended for the winter variant. Remove the flowers in the following growing season.

Pruning the plum tree properly

A professional pruning of the plum tree, as with all fruit trees, promotes yield formation and the development of young trees. If you think the yield would be sufficient, we still recommend pruning 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 more beautiful fruit.

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

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

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