Trimming Prunes

Plum pruning is one of the important stages in the annual cycle of activities for the care of this crop. This procedure performs quite a few functions, and it is undesirable to ignore it. Properly carried out pruning adds life to the tree, saves it from diseases and increases the quantity and quality of fruits.

In addition, a well-groomed tree looks much more aesthetically pleasing.

Do I need to form a plum

The plum tree begins to form from the moment the seedling is planted. If this is not done, the crown will be very thickened, which will lead to stagnation of air and excess moisture inside it. Such conditions are a favorable environment for the development of diseases, especially fungal and putrefactive.

If a tree grows uncontrollably, it spends a lot of energy on the growth and maturation of unnecessary shoots. This significantly reduces fruiting, since the tree simply does not have the strength to return a good harvest. In addition, the central part of the tree is heavily shaded and does not receive enough sunlight. On a neglected tree, the fruits become smaller, and their number decreases, moreover, their ripening occurs mainly on peripheral branches.

If you do not trim the plum, gradually the space inside the crown will be filled with dry branches. They are formed as a result of freezing in winter or simply breaking from the wind or under the weight of fruits. Such a dead wood is a real hostel for the larvae of various pests, of which there are quite a lot of plums.

What are the types of pruning

Each of the existing types of plum pruning is carried out for a specific purpose. There are the following types of pruning:

• sanitary;
• thinning;
• rejuvenating;
• formative.

Each type has its own timing and frequency.

Sanitary pruning

This is a mandatory type of pruning, which must be carried out at least twice per season: in spring, before the buds swell, and in autumn, after the end of leaf fall. Sanitary pruning is carried out to rid the tree of unnecessary trash, which are dry and broken branches.

At the same time, all shoots infected with a fungus or other diseases are cut out.

Thinning plum pruning

The name speaks for itself, since such pruning aims to save the crown from thickening. For this, all improperly growing shoots are cut out, as well as those that grow deep into the crown. Vertical shoots (tops) are also removed.

Rejuvenating plum pruning

Such pruning may be required for an adult plum tree if its fruiting begins to noticeably fall, and annual growths have decreased to 10–15 cm. The essence of rejuvenating pruning is the gradual replacement of all old wood with a new one. To do this, cut out part of the old branches of the crown (usually no more than ¼ of the part), instead of this, growing young shoots and, as it were, forming the tree again.

After 4 seasons, the crown is completely renewed. This procedure allows you to significantly extend the life of the plum tree and the period of its active fruiting.

Formative Plum Pruning

Formative pruning is carried out in the first years of the tree’s life and allows you to form a young plum in one way or another. There are several types of crown, which is formed using pruning:

• sparsely layered;
• cupped;
• pyramidal.

The formative plum pruning scheme in spring depends on the gardener and is chosen by him depending on climatic conditions, variety and personal preferences.

A video on how to form a plum crown on a young tree can be viewed at the link below.

How to prune a plum

When pruning plums, gardeners use various techniques that allow pruning in one way or another. These methods include the following:

• Thinning. Provides for the complete removal of a branch or part of it from a branch, while the length of the branch itself does not change.
• Shortening. Removing the top of a branch to a certain length.

Both of these can be done in different ways. These are:

1. Ring cut. Applied when a branch is completely deleted. At the same time, you should not leave too large stumps, make oblique or too long cuts.
2. Kidney cut. It is used in the formation of the crown in order to set the direction of growth of the shoot. The shoot is shortened at an angle of 45 ° above a correctly oriented bud.
3. Transfer to the side escape. It is done to change the direction of branch growth. A promising lateral shoot is selected, and the branch is cut 2 mm above the ring.

Plum pruning principles

Pruning is a rather responsible procedure, and its improper implementation will more likely harm the tree than help. It must be done on time, otherwise the plant will recover for a long time. Cuts must be made evenly and accurately, so you need to use only high-quality sharp tools. It is obligatory to sterilize it both before and after pruning.

After the procedure, it is imperative to treat all sections with a disinfectant, otherwise there is a high risk of infection. After processing the place of cuts, you need to cover it with garden pitch. This will prevent the tree sap from leaking out and help the wound heal faster.

How to Prune a Plum in Spring: Tips for Beginners

Before you start pruning plums, it is advisable to study this issue in theory. This will allow you to understand why this procedure is done and how it affects the tree. Then you can move on to practice. The first time it is best to prune with someone experienced gardeners with the appropriate skills.

To remove unnecessary growth of small thickness, you can use a garden pruner. Larger branches are removed with a hacksaw. When cutting large branches, you must first make a file from below. Otherwise, the sawn branch, breaking off under its own weight, can make a big tear of the bark. Cuts “on the kidney” and “on the side shoot” are made with a sharp garden knife.

Pruning dates for plums in spring

In order not to harm the tree and help it recover quickly, it is imperative to follow the recommended time frame.

When can you prune plums in spring?

The spring pruning procedure is carried out before the start of the growing season. You need to choose a time when the soil has already thawed, but the plant is still dormant. At this time, the movement of juices in it has not yet begun, and the kidneys have not swelled. In the southern regions, this time falls on the end of February – the beginning of March, in the middle lane a little later.

Can plum blossoms be trimmed?

The flowering period is the time of the greatest intensity of the movement of juices in trees. Any pruning at this time can lead to an increased release of sap at the cut points, which will greatly weaken the tree and may even lead to its death.

How to prune the plum in the spring

The crown of an adult plum tree can be shaped in several ways. In addition to the fact that a tree with a beautiful, neat crown looks more aesthetically pleasing, it also makes it easier to work with it, as well as increases productivity, reduces disease and prolongs life.

Video on how to properly cut a plum in the spring – at the link below.

How to form a plum in the form of a bowl

The formation of a plum with a crown in the form of a bowl is carried out by limiting the growth of the central conductor at a small height. This allows you to transfer growth to strong side shoots, which, overgrowing, gradually form a bowl. This method has a number of advantages:

• The low height of the tree, you can work with it without special tools.
• Increased yield due to the clarified center.

How to cut plums in tiers

A sparse-tiered crown is one of the main ways to form fruit trees, including plums. The essence of this method is the formation of several (usually three) fruiting tiers of branches, divided among themselves. A crown of this type is formed over four years, in each of which the next, higher tier is laid.

A tree whose crown is formed in this way has a central leader shoot, which is pruned only on a fully formed tree. It makes the whole structure strong and stable.

Pyramid Plum Pruning

Pruning a plum with a pyramidal crown is also done in several stages. During the first three years, pruning and shortening of the leader and skeletal branches is carried out, in subsequent years, corrective pruning is carried out to maintain the desired shape. Pyramid plums are not tall, and they are often planted as an ornamental tree.

Bush pruning plum

The bush form of cultivation is atypical for plums, however, it is also used by gardeners, especially in cold climates. The bush form is achieved by removing the central conductor and growing several equivalent shoots on a short stem.

How to prune a tall plum

If the plum has not been formed properly, it can grow to a considerable height. In this case, it is better to lower the crown, this will improve the quality of the fruit and facilitate the work. You can reduce the crown in stages or all at once. If the age of the plum does not exceed 10 years, the central conductor can simply be cut off at a height of about 2,5 m. All shoots growing nearby are shortened to the same length.

Gradually reduce the crown of older trees, making a cut of skeletal and semi-skeletal branches for a side shoot. Gradually removing vertical shoots, over several seasons, the crown can be reduced to an acceptable size.

Do I need to cut the lower branches of the plum

Often young shoots appear on the stem of the plum below the skeletal branches. When trimming, it must be removed by cutting into a ring. Gardeners have a rule: the trunk below the skeletal branches must be clean. And whitened.

How to cut tops

Spinning tops are vertical shoots that never bear fruit. After pruning, they begin to form in excess and greatly thicken the crown. So that they do not take away the strength of the tree, they can be cut throughout the season.

Using various stretch marks and weights, some spinning tops are given a horizontal direction of growth, thus turning them into fruit branches.

Plum formation by tree age

The formation of the plum crown in one way or another begins in the first year after planting and continues for several years. The full crown is usually formed in 4 years.

Pruning plum seedlings when planting in spring

When forming the crown in a sparse-tiered way, the seedling is cut off after planting at a height of 60–80 cm. 3–4 buds should remain below the cut. After pruning, shoots will begin to grow from them, which will become the skeletal branches of the lower tier. Pruning plums when planting in the spring is the basis for the competent formation of a tree for all subsequent years.

How to form a plum in the first year

In the first year after planting, no more pruning activities are carried out. The next spring after planting, the formation of the lower tier begins and the middle tier is laid. To do this, do the following:

• Choose 3-4 strong shoots growing in different directions from the trunk and located approximately at the same level. The rest of the shoots are cut “on the ring”.
• Small branches of the first tier, the length of which is less than 0,3 m, are left, all the rest are also cut out “on the ring”.
• Selected 3-4 shoots are pruned at the same level, about half of the topmost shoot.
• The central conductor is shortened so that its height is 0,15–0,2 m above the place where the shoots are cut.

Pruning 2 x summer plum

The following spring, pruning of the 2-year-old plum continues. At this time, the formation of the second tier of the plum is completed and the third, last, is laid. Approximately at a distance of 0,5–0,6 m from the lower tier, 2 or three promising shoots are selected, extending in different directions from the trunk. All events that were held in the previous year are repeated. And also the branches growing deep into the crown, shoots-competitors and tops are removed.

young plum pruning

Crown formation ends next spring. At a distance of 0,4–0,5 m from the second tier, the most powerful shoot is left, all steel ones, including the central conductor, are cut out “on a ring”. The shoots of the lower and middle tiers are pruned. After that, it is possible to cut a young plum only for sanitary and thinning purposes, removing crown thickening and limiting upward growth.

How to prune an adult plum tree

An adult fruit-bearing plum is cut several times a season. In spring and autumn, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing dried, broken and diseased branches. At the same time, branches growing above the crown are transferred to the lateral shoot in order to limit the growth of the tree upwards. Tops are also cut out, growing incorrectly, rubbing against each other and directed deep into the crown of the branch.

How to prune an old plum

A sign of the need to rejuvenate an old plum is a decrease in yield, a decrease in the annual growth of shoots to 10–15 cm, and a shift in fruiting to the upper part of the crown. For rejuvenation, the tree is gradually rid of the old wood, sawing out the skeletal branches. This procedure is carried out for 3-4 seasons. During this time, the tree will be completely overgrown with new shoots.

Pruning a running plum

If the tree has not been pruned for a long time, do not try to bring it back to normal in one go. First of all, you need to inspect and remove all dry, broken and diseased branches. After that, you can proceed to thinning pruning. It is necessary to remove top shoots growing deep into the crown and rubbing against each other. The growth of the current year is cut off by a third of its value. These measures will significantly lighten the crown. After harvesting, it will be possible to assess the condition of the tree, in terms of fruiting, and outline measures for its rejuvenation for the next season.

How to prune a yellow plum

There are quite a few varieties of yellow plum. There are no nuances of its cultivation, and its pruning is done in the same way as other plum varieties.

Pruning pruning

Columnar trees are becoming increasingly popular due to their small size and compact crown. They are also planted for decorative purposes. Columnar plum does not require crown formation, and only broken or dried branches have to be cut.

Pruning can also be purely decorative, it is carried out in order to maintain the shape of the crown. In this case, part of the crop is lost, but when growing a columnar plum for decorative purposes, this does not matter.

How to prune bush plum

If the plum crown is formed by a bush, it must also be cut off. In addition to sanitary pruning, during which dry and diseased wood is removed, thinning is carried out, during which all shoots growing deep into the bush are removed.

Be sure to remove the root shoots, which form quite a lot at the plum. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots located close to the surface. The shoots need to be cut near the root itself, digging up the topsoil. If you cut it too high, the situation will worsen and the overgrowth will become even larger.

Summer pruning

Summer pruning has a number of benefits. At this time, all the shortcomings of the crown are clearly visible: dry and broken branches, unnoticed during spring pruning, places of thickening, growing tops, and so on. And also shoots that have flaws in the bark, affected by diseases or fungus, are clearly visible.

Summer pruning for beginners – in the video at the link below.

Plum care after pruning

After trimming, all sections larger than 1 cm in diameter must be disinfected with a solution of 1% copper sulphate. This will prevent fungus spores from entering the wound. After that, the wounds are smeared with garden pitch or painted over with natural-based oil paint. Cut branches must be collected and burned.

Conclusion

Proper and timely pruning of plums can not only increase productivity, but also significantly extend the life and period of active fruiting of the tree. However, do not try to carry it out at all costs. If the deadlines are missed, it is better to refuse pruning and prune the plum next spring, otherwise the consequences for the tree can be catastrophic.