How Long Do You Wait to Plant Plum Tree Pits?

Sowing Time

• Collect the seed from fresh, ripe fruit harvested in fall. Plant seed immediately in an outdoor location. The seed will germinate in spring. If you wish to plant in spring, stratify the seed for at least three months. Fill a small resealable plastic bag halfway with equal amounts of sand and peat moss. Add a few tablespoons of water to moisten the mix. Place seeds inside, cover well and leave in fridge for about 90 days. Remove seeds in spring and plant.

Soil and Site

• Plant the tree in any well-drained fertile soil. The American plum varieties grow best in sandy or loamy ground and the European varieties are also tolerant of well-drained, clay soil. Choose an area that gets full sun and avoid low-lying spots as these tend to develop frost pockets. Plum trees bloom early in the season and the flowers are likely to be damaged by frost that builds up in low areas. Also avoid areas of high wind.

Pollination

• Keep in mind the pollination need of the plum tree you are propagating. While some plum varieties are self-fertile and do not need another tree for cross-pollination, other cultivars require the presence of another plum variety to produce fruit. Also make sure that the two plum trees you are using have overlapping bloom time.

Life

• Plum trees generally have a healthy productive life of 15 to 20 years. A standard-sized plum tree will start to bear fruit anywhere between 3 to 5 years from the time of planting. The tree will produce its full load in about 10 years from planting time with every standard-sized tree producing 3 to 5 bushels of fruit. The quantity of harvest is a general estimate and is likely to differ by variety.