This will allow better light and air movement into the tr… He has a Masters in Public Health Nutrition and Public Health Planning and Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. If you prune during damp weather, the plum tree is at risk of silver leaf disease. ", climate. Pruning too late in the summer can make the tree vulnerable to cold winter temperatures. Reviving an Old Fruit Tree Fruit tree rejuvenation is largely a matter of careful and selective pruning. Established fruit tree plums are best pruned in mid-summer. When do I prune a plum tree that is in a pot? Then, leave the plum tree alone until the second year dormant season, when frost danger passes but before the tree begins to grow. An old plumb tree that has produced nice plumbs every season was damaged by wind, with many fruiting branches broken. Prune at the right time. Last Updated: November 18, 2020 The timing is important, since pruning at the wrong time of year can expose the tree to disease. Very easy to follow and I look forward to more fruit than leaves in future. If there are any branches crossing over other branches, remove those as well so your tree has a nice shape. Thin out branches that crowd the canopy to improve light and air circulation. Don’t try to overcome several years of neglect in one year. Thanks for your help. Plum trees should be pruned in the summer months to reduce the risk of the pruning wounds becoming infected with 'silver leaf' disease, which can finish off a tree quite quickly. European plum trees need another European plum, and Asian plum trees need an Asian plum. Place your pruning tools in this bucket. Prepare a sanitizing solution by mixing a 1:10 ratio of bleach to water in a bucket. Use a hand saw for large limbs you can't cut with lopping shears. Begin pruning immediately when you plant a young tree to ensure proper shape. :) ". Once the dead and broken materials have been removed, the general form of the healthy portions of the tree can be seen. Drastic pruning encourages the tree to produce excess growth--more growth than is good for the tree. The first rule for pruning plums is this: Never prune plums in the winter! When it's time to prune, remove any dead or diseased branches to keep the tree looking healthy. ", such as myself. Don’t prune plum trees in winter as this can cause them to develop silver leaf disease. After this first pruning, you might wish to paint the tree with white latex paint to keep it from getting sunburned and protect it from pests. How to prune a two-year old fruit tree, ready for its all-important third year. This helps the roots balance nutrient intake when growth starts the following spring. Yes. See Step 1 to learn how to prune your plum tree to encourage it to grow strong and beautiful. In the summer of the first year, cut the vigorous shoots that form on the top of the tree … It will produce lots of vigorous shoots. Cut off up to one-third of the wood, then leave the branches alone. What do I do if I pruned my plum tree and now there's no plums? Plum trees need to be pruned once a year so that they'll retain a healthy shape and produce abundant fruit. After pruning, should I use pruning sealer? Pruning old apple trees may seem futile, but it can actually help encourage them to put forth new fruit. Pruning the plum tree takes a few growing seasons. Clip back long branches using lopping shears. Then leave the tree alone until the following year. I was glad to get the information about pruning in wet weather. If there is a really cold winter will this hurt it? ", "Very informative, answered all my questions without going elsewhere. If you have an old apple tree in your yard, determine if it can be salvaged, then prune it. Stonefruit, such as plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines, need to be pruned into what's called a vase shape, or open centre. How much pruning can I do at this time of year? This helps so much. So, if you want to reduce the size of a branch by 3 feet, cut off 1 foot of the branch. Summer pruning will keep the tree … Plum tree is magnificent from spring to fall, and offers abundant harvests of plums.. Main Plum tree facts. From age five on, pruning is minimal, consisting of thinning, heading and removing unhealthy wood. A successful website writer since 1998, Elton Dunn has demonstrated experience with technology, information retrieval, usability and user experience, social media, cloud computing, and small business needs. Approved. If you want to let the fruit ripen, cut just beyond the fruit. Drastic pruning encourages the tree to produce excess growth--more growth than is good for the tree. If you decide to rejuvenate the tree, the first step is to prune out all broken and dead branches and cut away the sucker growth around the bottom of the trunk. Roots from a stronger tree are used or a variety that will keep the tree small (dwarf) the trunk is grown for a while and then a branch of the variety is cut in and bound (at the base of your tree you will see a lumpy area that is the graft point) the original trunk is then cut off leaving the variety you want to grow. This article has been viewed 540,538 times. What can I do? This is because of the risk of a disease known as Silver Leaf which attacks the tree and can cause huge damage. Trim back long branches by one-third again, in the second year. By this point, your overgrown plum tree should be cut back drastically. No doubt about it, you have the holy grail in your back yard. This was very helpful to us, as all our trees are 20 years old or even more. Prune old trees more heavily, especially if they’ve shown little growth. Pruning plum trees - plan a head Hi Carol, All I can say is WOW!! Leave your plum tree alone until mid to late summer. Great information for a novice gardener, "In Washington state, most dormant seasons are wet, at least on the west side of the state. Use lopping shears for growth thicker than 3/4-inch and anvil pruners for thinner growth. Clip back the long limbs by one-third again, so they are at their desired length. While older plum trees bear fruit, the fruit lacks the quality and sweetness of well cared for plum trees. Plums are pruned in early spring or mid-summer to avoid infection by silver leaf disease. Prune it to the shape you want. ", trees, but decided to wait for a little dryer season in springtime. ", "Thank you for the assistance in attempting to maintain an older tree shading the garden. Remove any dead or unhealthy wood the second year in the same manner as you did the first. Pruning the plum tree takes a few growing seasons. How to prune plum trees. A mature tree that hasn't been pruned needs help to become a good fruit producer, but whacking off … The time for plum tree pruning depends on the maturity and type of plum tree. Old, overgrown apples and pear trees can still be attractive and productive features in the garden if brought under control with pruning. Dead and diseased branches can be removed any time of year, since taking them off won't affect the growth of the tree. "It has given me a whole new idea how to control the size of the tree for my yard, as well as keeping it in shape. Identify any dead, diseased and damaged wood from your old plum tree. A neglected plum tree gets too tall for easy fruit picking and produces minimal fruit. All young fruit trees need some pruning to get them off to a good start. Clipping off the new growth keeps the tree from getting weak and becoming susceptible to disease. Shorten the tree by cutting the main scaffold limbs back to a strong, well-positioned side shoot or riser. "I've had this 'jelly' at the base of my plum tree for a couple seasons now. ", "These instructions and graphics were clear and concise. Thank you! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Usually the purpose of pruning large old trees is to reinvigorate the tree with new growth to be more productive with fruit and to reduce the size of the tree to make the fruit easier to pick. Then remove additional limbs, cutting back up to one-third of the wood again. ", "It was very informative! He has a Masters in Public Health Nutrition and Public Health Planning and Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. For the first two years of the tree's life, prune only during the dormant season and keep the scaffold whorl cut back to 10 inches (25.4 cm). What is the optimum height for a plum tree? Prune young trees in spring for shape and established trees later on, to remove dead and damaged wood. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Find out the variety of your tree and then get another variety that is suitable for cross-pollination. If you have a fan-trained plum, you will need to shape as you cut it. Young plums are generally pruned in early spring, before bud break, in order to avoid infection by silver leaf disease. Summer pruning can be used … Save some pruning for the summer. My tree bears a lot of fruit, but it all falls off the tree when it is tiny. If your tree is over 20 feet tall, shorten it by 6 to 8 feet with the first pruning. I am not sure how I will do, hopefully with your. Read all of it, even if, "Hi. If larger branches have developed a collar, cut just outside the collar, a few inches from the trunk. Plum trees are best pruned in a vase format to get a short trunk … These videos apply equally to trees with fruits containing pips (such as apples and pears) and those containing stones (such as plum and cherry).. , spring, whenever frost danger passes for your area suppose to a... Need another european plum, and the bark may split and your tree is over 20 feet ( to. Pears to make pies, pear butter and pear salad much you can identify what is the most clear concise. 'Jelly ' at the wrong time of year to trim my mature.. Overcome several years of neglect in one year shape and produce abundant fruit much of the tree to... Trees in late winter can lead to vegetative overgrowth and reduced fruit production the quality and sweetness of cared... Dispose of all cuttings to avoid infection by silver leaf disease last.! But it all falls off the new growth will occur where you make each cut, of! The assistance in attempting to maintain an older tree shading the garden them off n't. 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