fruit > PLUMS
IN THIS GUIDE
PLUM GUIDES
HarvestingPruningVarieties
plum tree trees are an excellent alternative for many UK garden , providing both visual appeal and an abundant output .
‘ Plum ’ is the name given to the yield of a number of unlike trees in the genusPrunus .
European plum ( Prunus domestica ) are the type most usually grown for their edible fruits in UK gardens and will be the focal point of this guide .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureSheltered
Height2.5 – 4 MiB
Spread2.5 – 4 M
PreferredLoam , Sand
MoistureMoist but well run out
pHNeutral ; slimly Acidic
However , P. cerasiferais one case of ‘ ornamental plum tree ’ grown in UK gardens which will sometimes also bear edible yield .
And there are also other plum , such as Chinese plum , Japanese plums and a wide reach of New World plums too .
Within even European plum , there is an almost bewildering range of unlike type of plum to consider .
P. domesticais separate into different subspecies .
When we spill the beans about plums , we might be speak about :
It can be helpful to realize a small more about the different plums you might grow before you narrow down down your choices and decide which one may be right for your garden .
Common Types
As well as perfect in on the subspecies types , you will also call for to think about the specific cultivar of plum tree that you would like to grow .
Some coarse and well - loved pick are :
However , there are many more interesting option to consider , and many thing to tolerate in thinker when pick out your plum tree .
You will need to consider :
Growing From Pits
While you may develop a tree diagram from a plum pit , that Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will not inevitably have fruit which taste like the yield from which the Hell come – it may not even fruit at all .
What is more , there are no guarantees that the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree which maturate from the pit will be suitable for turn in your garden .
One important thing to note is that when you purchase a yield tree for your garden , it will ordinarily have been grafted .
Grafted tree are made up of a rootstalk ( the bottom - most part of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with roots ) , and a scion ( top part of the tree diagram ) of the fruit varietal you have select .
The rootstock determines the health , size and vigour of the tree diagram , and the scion is what determines the fruit that you will get .
When choose a plum tree for your garden , therefore , you take to cogitate not only about choosing a appoint varietal wine , but also about choosing one on an appropriate rootstock .
In the UK , many plum are grafted on to :
“ Even a little garden can suit a plum tree on a Torinel or Pixy rhizome , ” share Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .
“ These are also worthy for produce in a ( great ) container if you have the clip to keep up with its demands , peculiarly in summer .
“ The birds in my garden have show adept at judging the ripeness of the fruit on my recently planted plum tree ( on Pixy rootstalk ) . Hopefully , when is has grown a bit more , there ’ll be enough to divvy up ! ”
Planting Bare Root Plums
Plum tree diagram are typically planted out as bare - beginning trees over the dormant menses , some sentence between November and February .
Bare origin trees are cheaper , and will unremarkably give more successfully than weed - get trees purchased at other times of the year .
Standard or shrub - trained plum tree diagram can make excellent stand - alone trees for little garden .
Plums can also be trained in a sort of dissimilar path to make the most of small place .
Be sure to choose the right option for the blank usable , conceive its build ( and how you will prune it ) as well as its eventual size .
small plum trees can also be develop in large containers , though container - develop trees will always require more maintenance .
If you have the blank , including a plum tree as part of a forest garden design can be a great idea .
A forest garden is an eco - friendly and humbled - sustentation eccentric of garden , which maximise yield while mimic and working with nature and create a thriving , biodiverse and resilient ecosystem .
Forest gardens do not take to be vast – they may only include 2 - 3 trees .
But create one does imply thinking not only about rich trees , but also about creating synergetic combinations of layered planting beneath them .
Every time you think about planting a plum tree ( or any other yield Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ) you should also count the plant that will help their development , help oneself with pollinationand pestilence command , and generally better the wellness and resilience of the tree and the organisation as a whole .
Planting yield tree social club beneath and around a fruit tree diagram is a eccentric of companion planting .
Considering the creation of guilds around a plum tree diagram should definitely be conceive when making plans about where to implant your novel Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
plum tree trees are typically H5 hardy , meaning that they can exist through the winter across most of the UK , even during hard wintertime .
However , they will fruit best when grow in a sheltered and protect web site in full Dominicus – and some variety will do well when given the warmth and protection of a spot against a stone or brick rampart .
Some are tough and hardier than others .
In terms of grunge , plum trees will thrive in a loamy or sandy soil , with moderate to mellow fertility , enrich with plentifulness of organic affair .
They do best where the ground is moist but free draining , though can also cope with more gratis - enfeeble conditions .
And they prefer soils ( or growing media ) with a neutral or more or less acidulent pH.
As when plant any yield Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , to plant a plum tree tree you should toil a generous hole , then lend compost of well - rotted manure to the base of it .
Place the tree in the hole , making sure that the stain is at the same level as antecedently , and that the graft point is above the ground .
tauten the soil back around the roots , making indisputable that there are no air pockets .
Plum Tree Care Guidelines
plum tree trees placed in a suitable location will require some precaution until they become install .
Be indisputable to irrigate well during the first growing season when the atmospheric condition is dry .
Once install , plum trees should be evenhandedly downcast maintenance and easygoing to care for .
Restricting grass maturation around the base of a new fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and mulch as well as adding a guild of good familiar plant is an excellent idea .
Organic mulch will add tedious release fertility , improve the surrounding soil , reduce wet loss and aid in dope suppression .
The best room to verify that a plum tree tree has the nutrient it want over time is through the use of mulch , and familiar planting .
active collector plants ( comfrey etc .. ) chop and dropped around the base of the tree should avail in keeping your plum tree tree happy and hefty .
If you have uprise a plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree from a pit , in bitchiness of the above cautionary greenback , and would like to give it a go , your immature seedlings should usually be save in a tree nursery or protected location in a container for their first year at least .
They should then ideally be go to their final produce position in early spring .
Small plum trees can certainly be produce in large container in belittled spaces , and you should occupy your container with a mix of soil and compost or a desirable stain - based potting mix .
take down , however , that when grow in a container , you will have to expend more time on their care .
They will continue to take regular watering – more than those grown in the ground – and may benefit from a liquid feed if ontogenesis is poor .
Propagation
Effective propagation of plum trees usually involves more complex horticultural method like chip bud and grafting , so are not usually undertaken by gardening novices .
Common Problems & Diseases
plum placed in the proper slur , with a guild of beneficial companion plants , will usually experience far fewer trouble .
So your first defence against any plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree issues should be measured and holistic garden aim .
Pests plum trees can suffer from include aphids , scales , moth , caterpillars and bird .
Diseases to remain vigilant for admit bloom wilting and browned bunkum , scoop plum tree , bacterial canker and silver leafage , for good example .
If plum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree leaves change by reversal brown , or there is folio drop , this can be a sign of drought , or wrong lachrymation .
It can also be due to a fungous disease or other systemic issues which prevent the tree from take up water efficaciously through its radical – or which stops water from reaching a branch and its leaves as it should .
think , however , that plum trees are deciduous and leaf cliff is normal and innate if it appears when it should in the fall calendar month .
