Plum Tree Planting and Growing Tips

Tree Numbers

• Plant enough plum trees to supply your family with adequate fruit throughout the harvest season. The typical plum tree produces anywhere from three to five bushels of fruit per year. For conversion purposes, an 8-gallon bucket equals approximately one bushel. Consider not only how many fresh plums you want to eat, but also additional purposes for the fruit, such as canning or baking.

Planting Times

• The best time to plant your plum trees depends on how you purchased the trees. If you purchased them rooted in containers, plant them anytime you choose. In contrast, plant bare-root plum trees in December when they're naturally dormant, to give them the time they need to get established before the spring growing season.

Site Selection

• Plums thrive -- nay, require -- full-sun conditions. The area should be exposed to full, direct light all day. While your trees may tolerate less than full sun, both their growth and their fruit production rates will plummet. Additionally, the site you select must have well-draining soil, as these trees do not like constantly wet, sticky dirt.

Planting Style

• For bare-root plum trees, place them in a bucket full of fresh, clean water and soak them for four hours. This soaking helps soften and loosen the root ball. For potted plants, remove the tree from the pot. Gently tap the dirt to help loosen the roots. If the roots are compacted, use a knife and make three or four vertical cuts down the side of the root ball to help open it up. Regardless of how the tree was prepared, plant it the same way: dig a hole that's wide and deep enough to fully accommodate the tree up to the point where the roots meet the base, no deeper and no higher. Place the tree in the hole and firmly pack in dirt around it.

Plant Spacing

• Give your plum trees enough room to spread, not only for their branches, but also for their root system. For the best results, keep the plum tree spaced approximately 20 feet away from other trees.

Fertilizer

• In most cases, home plum-tree growers do not need to fertilize their plum trees. Doing so won't make a remarkable difference in fruit production and generally gets reserved for commercial plum growers.