Spring is typically the best time to prune young trees, and it is best to prune established trees in the middle of summer. Since many other trees are best pruned over the dormant period, this is one thing that sets plum and other Prunus trees apart. Plums should be pruned in late spring, or over the summer months, and not in autumn or over the winter. No matter your reasons for pruning a plum tree, and regardless of what you hope to achieve, it is important to prune at the right time. Renovate an older tree and stimulate bare wood areas to new growth.

Keep the tree in a desired shape and/or to a desired size.

In order to make sure sunlight reaches fruit which develops on the tree and to allow good light penetration through the crown of the tree.

Avoid overcrowding which can lead to damage.

Remove dead, damaged or diseased material.

Plum trees need to be pruned for a number of reasons, including to: You might be thinking – “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.īut if you fail to prune a plum tree, you may find that issues begin to creep in – and your productive plum may develop problems and become less productive over time. If you have a productive plum tree in your garden, you may wonder why you need to prune it at all. Why Prune A Plum Tree? Victoria plum tree Plum trees are a little different to apples, and many other common trees when it comes to their pruning requirements – so here is a guide to help you work out what you should do to your plum tree, and when. Learning when and how to prune the different trees and other plants in your garden is important, since for many species, pruning correctly can help keep them healthy and productive over time. Often, once established, they will require little care, but pruning is one important job to take care of.

Fruit trees are great plants for a relatively low-maintenance garden.

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