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Plum trees aren’t too hard to take care of, and a careful trim is better for them than a full crop when it comes to pruning. But it’s important to know when to prune any plum tree in your garden because the tree will respond best when it’s growing. The age of the tree will also make a difference to how and when you prune.
To get the most out of this fruitful tree in your garden, you’ll need to know more than just how to prune it. You’ll also need to know how to plant it. You should add a plum tree to your list of the best flowering trees that grow quickly and put it in your backyard.
Pruning plum trees at the right time is crucial for the health and productivity of your tree. Proper pruning encourages new growth, maintains a desirable shape, and allows sunlight to filter through the canopy. Pruning at the wrong time can leave your tree vulnerable to disease. So when is the best time to prune a plum tree?
Avoid Mid-Winter Pruning
It’s best to avoid heavy pruning in mid-winter. Plum trees and other stone fruits are susceptible to a fungal disease called silver leaf disease. The fungus enters the tree through pruning wounds made in winter. Pruning in the dormant season of late winter just before spring growth starts poses less risk than mid-winter pruning.
Silver leaf disease causes the leaves to develop a silver-gray discoloration before turning brown and falling off. It inhibits the tree’s vascular system, leading to dieback of branches and potentially the whole tree if left unchecked. The fungus is active during wet winter weather.
Early Spring Pruning for Young Trees
For young plum trees that are still establishing their shape through pruning, early spring is an optimal time. The tree is still dormant so you can assess its form without leaves in the way.
Pruning just before spring growth begins directs the tree’s energy into vigorous new growth. This is especially important in the first 3 years after planting a young tree.
Make sure to leave the pruning until late enough in spring to avoid the coldest part of winter. Pruning too early exposes fresh cuts to damage from hard freezes
Summer Pruning for Mature Trees
Once a plum tree is around 3-5 years old and has established its basic framework, summer pruning is preferable to heavy dormant season pruning.
Summer pruning slows vegetative growth. This prevents excessive growth that could lead to branch breakage. Removing some of the energy going to foliage production also helps redirect energy into fruit production.
Time summer pruning early enough in summer to avoid making cuts that won’t have time to heal before winter. Mid-July is a good time to stop summer pruning in most regions. Cuts made too late in summer can be damaged by winter cold.
Prune During Dry Weather
Plum trees are best pruned during dry daytime weather rather than damp conditions. Wet weather creates an environment conducive to fungal and bacterial diseases entering through pruning wounds. Silver leaf disease is of particular concern with stone fruits.
Ideally, prune plum trees during a dry spell or when dry weather is forecasted for the next several days. Avoid pruning after rain or during prolonged damp or humid weather.
Remove Dead, Damaged, and Crossing Branches
While the timing of pruning plum trees depends on tree age and season, certain types of pruning can be done anytime
Removing dead, damaged, and diseased branches is important for tree health and can be done anytime. Cut these branches back to the trunk or main branch they stem from.
Branches that rub or cross over each other should also be pruned as soon as the problem is noticed. Crossing branches hamper air circulation and growth.
Use the Right Pruning Tools
Using the right pruning tools ensures clean cuts that heal quickly. Jagged cuts from using the wrong tools slow healing and invite pests and disease.
Hand pruners are ideal for cutting back smaller branches up to about 1⁄2 inch diameter. Loppers provide greater leverage for cutting thicker branches up to 11⁄2 inches diameter. A pruning saw makes quick work of large branches.
Always sterilize tools before and after pruning to prevent spreading disease between trees. A bleach solution works well for disinfecting. Wipe tools clean after each cut.
Dispose of Pruned Branches
Proper disposal of plum tree prunings is just as important as when and how you prune. Fungal spores and insect eggs can reside on cut branches and pruned leaves.
If branches are diseased, put them in trash bags immediately to avoid spreading disease. Healthy prunings can be chipped for mulch and compost once allowed to dry for a couple weeks.
Never leave pruned branches lying around on the ground, as this allows diseases and pests an easy pathway back into your tree.
Consult Your Region’s Guidelines
While these general principles provide a guide for when to prune plum trees, it’s important to consider your specific climate and region as well.
Cooperative extension services in many regions provide pruning guides tailored to local conditions. Their guidelines offer more precise timetables for pruning stone fruits like plums.
Following region-specific guidelines takes the guesswork out of timing your plum tree pruning correctly. Your local policies are optimized for local weather patterns and disease risks.
Key Points to Remember
- Prune plum trees during dry weather, not after rain or damp conditions.
- Avoid pruning plum trees in mid-winter when silver leaf disease risk is high.
- For young trees, prune in early spring before growth starts.
- Prune mature trees in early to mid summer to slow growth.
- Always remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches promptly.
- Disinfect tools before each pruning session.
- Dispose of pruned branches promptly and properly.
When should you not prune a plum tree?
You should not prune a plum tree in winter. Laura says that if you prune the plum in the winter, it will grow faster when it wakes up in the spring.
‘Fruit trees, known as stone fruit, such as plums and cherries should be pruned after flowering in the spring when the sap is rising and not after September. This will ensure your trees bloom for future years and provide you with a delicious bounty of fruit, explains Pippa Palmer from Kent Downs.
However, unlike apple and pear trees, please do not prune your plum trees in the winter. The open wounds on plums are a great breeding place for disease, which will eventually cause their demise. ’.
When to prune plum trees (Image credit: Alamy/Nobilior)
Pruning plum trees in the summer, when they are strong and full of resources, is best because the trees can grow back quickly. The tree will use more of its resources to grow in the spring and early summer, making it less resistant to disease. In fall and early winter, the tree’s dry and oxygen-rich wood make it an ideal host for fungi.
Don says, “Like all stone fruits, plum trees should only be pruned during their growing season, which is from April to August.” If you prune outside of these times, you could cause silverleaf and bacterial canker infections, which are both very bad for the plant. ’.
The exact time to prune will depend upon the age of the tree. Mark Hewett says, “It’s best to prune young plums in early spring, before what is known as bud break. This will protect them from getting silverleaf disease.” ‘Established trees, however, are best pruned in midsummer. ’.
If you want to keep the size of your plum tree under control, Laura Sweany a horticulturist from Raintree Nursery advises that summer pruning might be best.
When you prune in early summer, around the end of June, you can get rid of the wood that is still growing on the ends of that year’s branches. This keeps the branches from getting longer. So if you want to keep your plums on the small side, remember to “prune in June!”.
Q&A – When is the best time to prune a plum tree?
FAQ
What is the best month to prune a plum tree?
How do you prune an overgrown plum tree?
When should you not prune fruit trees?
What month do plums ripen?
Is pruning a plum tree difficult?
Although plum tree pruning is not difficult, it’s important. Anyone can trim plums, but timing is important, as is consistency. Therefore, learning how and when to prune a plum tree is imperative. The purpose of pruning and training is to encourage tree health and increase fruit yield.
Should a plum tree be pruned in summer?
As with other stone fruits such as cherries and apricots, plums are much more susceptible to silver-leaf disease if pruned outside of summer. Simply remove old wood and crowded branches to create an open shape, when pruning a plum tree. Cherry trees and their relatives should be pruned in summer to avoid silver-leaf disease.
When should you prune a Japanese plum tree?
Instead, prune in early spring and then thin out excess branches again in summer. Plums are formed on two year old fruit so prune to create a balance of old and new wood. Protect your Japanese Plum tree from insects and disease by spraying a combination of Lime Sulphur and Dormant Oil in late winter. A coppery spray in summer is also beneficial.