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PLUM TREE CARE INDEX
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Plum
Tree Care
Plums
Plum trees should not be the first choice of fruit tree for the
totally inexperienced gardener, but with a little knowledge they
are not too hard to grow - read on and let GardenAction show you how.
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PLUM TREE
QUICK GUIDE
Latin Name
Prunus Domestica
Type
Hardy deciduous tree
Site and Soil
Most prefer full sun. Very tolerant of soil conditions
Plant to Harvest Time
A 2 year tree will produce fruit 3 years after planting
How Many?
Standard or bush) 25 kilos (58lb).
Greengages - 12 kilos (28lb). | |
Choosing Your Plum Tree
Give careful consideration to what type of plum tree is best for you.
Buying a plum tree which might grow to 9m (30ft) tall producing masses
of cooking plums is not a good idea if you have a small garden and
want eating plums!
The three key factors in choosing a plum tree are
size, taste and pollination. GardenAction explains all three.
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SIZE
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Fan trained plum trees grow to an eventual height of around 2 m
(7 ft). Although the shortest of all the forms, they will grow to a
width of around 3 m and are really only a practical proposition when
grown against a wall (not north-facing). If you have that sort of wall
space available, this is the form for you. |
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Pyramid trained plum trees are free-standing and will grow to an eventual
height of 2.5 m (8 ft). These are a good form for a smallish garden -
their spread will be about 1.6 m (5 ft). This form of tree has
branches radiating out in random directions from a straight central trunk |
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Bush
trained plum trees are free-standing and are taller than the
pyramid form - around 4m when mature. They do have one advantage over
the pyramid form however, the branches and foliage is held around 1 m
(3 ft) high from the ground - this makes mowing around the tree
much easier. The downside is that some of the fruit will be too high
to pick without the use of a ladder. |
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Standard trained plum trees are again free- standing and will grow
to a height of around 6 m (20 ft). This is a largish tree and only
suitable for medium to large gardens. It will produce a mass of plums
each year, most of them needing a ladder to harvest. |
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Standard
plum trees reach a height of around 8 m (28 ft) at maturity - on your
own head be it if you plant one of these in anything but a large
garden. They will produce enough fruit to feed your entire neighbourhood
and you will definitely need a decent sized ladder to pick most of the
fruit. |
CLICK
HERE FOR NEXT PLUM PAGE
BACK TO
FRUIT INDEX PAGE
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Copyright 2000-08 David Marks. All rights reserved.
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