How to Grow Plum
Prunus domestica
Plums need full sun, fertile, well-drained soil, and shelter. Many are self-fertile; others need partners. Train as a fan or bush. Summer prune stone fruits after harvest to reduce silver-leaf risk; remove dead/diseased wood as needed. Water in dry spells—especially at fruit swell—and thin clusters to prevent breakage. Net against birds. Harvest when fully coloured and slightly soft; most plums ripen on the tree and don’t improve after picking.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Early spring with a general-purpose fertiliser. Mulch with compost in late winter.
Watch For
- Silver leaf
- Plum moth
- Brown rot
- Bacterial canker
- Aphids
Companions
Comfrey, Chives, Garlic, Marigolds
Track your Plum care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun, sheltered from late frosts
Full sun for best fruit production. Fan-trained trees do well against a south or west-facing wall. Avoid frost pockets as blossom is early.
💧 Watering
Water during fruit swell, consistent moisture helps
Water regularly during fruit swell in dry spells. Established trees are fairly drought-tolerant but cropping improves with consistent moisture.
🌱 Fertilizing
General feed in spring, mulch in late winter
Apply a general-purpose fertiliser in early spring. Mulch with well-rotted compost in late winter, keeping it away from the trunk.
✂️ Pruning
Summer prune only to avoid silver leaf
Prune only in summer (June to August) to reduce silver leaf risk. Remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches. Thin crowded growth for airflow.
🌿 Support
Wire support for fans, stake young trees
Fan-trained trees need a system of horizontal wires. Stake free-standing trees for the first two to three years after planting.
🍎 Harvesting
Pick when soft, thin fruitlets in June
Pick when fruit is soft to the touch and parts easily from the branch. Thin fruitlets in June to one per cluster for better size.
Growing Tips
Choose the right form
Fan trees suit warm walls; bush trees fit open sites—install supports early.
Summer-only pruning
Prune after harvest while in leaf to lower disease risk.
Thin the crop
Leave one fruit every 5–8 cm to improve size and reduce limb strain.
Bird protection
Net trees as fruits begin to colour to protect your harvest.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Plum Moth
Identification: A small pink caterpillar inside the fruit near the stone, surrounded by brown frass. Fruit may ripen and drop early.
- Hang pheromone traps from mid-May to monitor and reduce male moth numbers
- Pick up and destroy fallen fruit promptly
- Apply nematode biological control (Steinernema carpocapsae) to soil in autumn
- Spray with a contact insecticide timed to egg hatch (typically mid-June)
Pest Aphids (Plum Leaf-Curling Aphid)
Identification: Tightly curled, distorted leaves in spring. Colonies of green aphids inside the curled leaves. Sticky honeydew.
- Apply a winter tree wash to kill overwintering eggs
- Encourage ladybirds, lacewings, and earwigs
- Spray with insecticidal soap before leaves curl tightly
- Spray with a pyrethrin-based insecticide at bud burst before leaves curl
Pest Plum Sawfly
Identification: Fruitlets develop a sticky black frass on the surface and drop prematurely. Larvae are creamy-white with a brown head.
- Pick up and destroy fallen fruitlets before larvae enter the soil
- Cultivate soil beneath trees in winter to expose pupae
- Hang white sticky traps at blossom time to catch adults
- Spray with a contact insecticide at petal fall
Disease Silver Leaf Chondrostereum purpureum
Symptoms: Leaves develop a silvery sheen. Affected branches die back. Cut wood shows a brown stain in cross-section.
Treatment: Cut out affected branches at least 15 cm below the stained wood. Prune only in summer (June–August) when spore counts are lowest.
Prevention: Never prune plums in winter. Seal large wounds with wound paint. Maintain tree vigour.
Disease Brown Rot Monilinia fructigena
Symptoms: Fruit develops soft brown patches with concentric rings of buff spore pustules. Fruit mummifies on the tree.
Treatment: Remove and destroy all affected fruit, including mummified fruit left on the tree over winter.
Prevention: Prune for good airflow. Remove fallen fruit. Avoid damaging fruit during thinning.
Disease Bacterial Canker Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum
Symptoms: Sunken, oozing patches on bark. Branches die back. Small round holes in leaves (shothole). Amber gum exudes from wounds.
Treatment: Cut out cankered branches well below the infection in summer. Sterilise tools between cuts.
Prevention: Prune only in summer. Avoid pruning in wet weather. Choose resistant rootstocks.
Popular Varieties
Dessert
Damson
Greengage
Italian Prune
A European freestone plum with purple-black skin and greenish-yellow flesh. Has a high sugar content, making it ideal for drying or cooking.
Santa Rosa
A Japanese variety producing large, juicy plums with reddish-purple skin and amber flesh. Blooms early and is vigorous, often requiring aggressive pruning.
Victoria
The UK's most popular plum — self-fertile, heavy cropping, and reliable. Produces large oval fruit with red-speckled yellow skin and sweet amber flesh. Prone to silver leaf if pruned at the wrong time.
Czar
A hardy, self-fertile cooking plum that crops reliably even in poor conditions. Dark purple fruit with tart yellow flesh, excellent for jam and pies.
Marjorie's Seedling
A very late-season self-fertile plum with large, dark purple fruit. Dual-purpose — good fresh and excellent for cooking. Hardy and disease-resistant.
Opal
An early-season self-fertile dessert plum with reddish-purple skin and sweet yellow flesh. Compact growth habit suits smaller gardens.
Cambridge Gage
A reliable greengage producing small, round, yellow-green fruit with exceptionally sweet flavour. Partly self-fertile but crops better with a partner.
Mirabelle
Small, golden-yellow plums with intensely sweet flavour, prized for jams, tarts, and eau-de-vie. Hardy and productive once established.
Jubilee
A large-fruited dessert plum with purple-red skin and juicy golden flesh. Self-fertile and vigorous — a good all-round garden plum.
Log Plum in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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