Keep an eye on your plum tree once fruit begins to appear, thinning it out if necessary to avoid the branches breaking under the weight of a heavy crop. Remove any diseased, dead or damaged growth, and take out any branches that cross to maintain a clear and open framework.Once the shape is established, pull up any suckers that appear from the rootstock and rub off any buds that appear on the trunk.In the second year, cut back the previous year’s growth on the main branches by a third, and remove any upright shoots at the top of the tree.There should be three or four shoots below and they need cutting back by about half to an outward-facing bud. In the first year, cut back the leader or central stem to just above the top branch.Don’t prune any side branches unless they are crossing or growing inwards.įeathered maidens take two years to prune into shape:.You should now have a framework of around eight branches. In the third year, cut back the previous year’s growth on the main branches by a third and remove any upright shoots at the top of the tree.Shorten the selected shoots by half by pruning to an outward-facing bud. In the second year, choose the best shoots, between three and five, and remove any others.In the first year, cut back an unfeathered maiden’s single stem to a bud that’s around 75cm above ground, making sure there are at least three or four good buds below it.Unfeathered maidens take three years to prune into shape: Alternatively, plant a feathered maiden – a tree that already has strong side shoots from the main stem. However, getting the final shape for a free-standing bush plum usually takes two or three years, depending on what type of tree you plant.Īn unfeathered maiden – a single stem without side shoots, will take the longest. Unlike apples and pears, plums don't need a lot of regular pruning once the shape has been established. An award winning plum variety with good frost resistance
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