Plums are the underdog of the orchard. Honestly, everyone rushes to plant apples or peaches, but plums? They’re tougher, usually more productive, and they don't demand the constant chemical warfare that a fussy Honeycrisp apple requires. But here is the thing about how to grow plum trees: if you mess up the pollination or the pruning in those first two years, you’re basically just growing a very expensive shade tree that never gives you a single snack.
It's frustrating. You buy a sapling, stick it in a hole, and wait. Three years later—nothing. Or worse, the tree explodes with fruit so heavy the branches literally snap in half under the weight. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. Growing these things isn't just about digging a hole; it’s about understanding that a plum tree is a living, breathing, slightly temperamental creature that needs a specific kind of love to actually perform.
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Picking the Right Tree Is Half the Battle
Don't just walk into a big-box store and grab the first thing with a picture of a purple fruit on the tag. You’ll regret it. You need to know if you want a Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) or a European plum (Prunus domestica). They are totally different beasts.
Japanese plums, like the famous 'Santa Rosa' or 'Satsuma', are usually rounder, juicier, and they bloom early. That’s a gamble. If you live somewhere with late spring frosts, those beautiful blossoms will freeze, turn black, and die. No blossoms means no plums. European varieties, like 'Stanley' or 'Mount Royal', are tougher. They bloom later, they’re oval-shaped, and they’re usually what people use for drying into prunes or making jam because they have a higher sugar content and firmer flesh.
And then there's the pollination nightmare. Most Japanese plums are not self-fertile. This means if you only plant one, you get zero fruit. You need a "buddy" tree of a different variety that blooms at the exact same time. European plums are more likely to be self-fertile, but even they produce way more fruit if they have a partner. If you have a tiny backyard, look for a "multi-graft" tree where three different varieties are grafted onto one single trunk. It’s a space-saving lifesaver.
The Dirt on Dirt
Plums hate "wet feet." If you plant a plum tree in a spot where water puddles after a rainstorm, the roots will basically drown and rot. They want well-drained soil. They aren't super picky about pH, but they thrive in that 6.0 to 6.5 range.
When you dig that hole, make it twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. This is the biggest mistake people make. If you bury the graft union—that bumpy scar where the fruiting tree meets the rootstock—the top part of the tree might start growing its own roots, or the whole thing might just rot and die. Keep that bump at least two inches above the soil line.
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I don't usually recommend dumping a ton of fertilizer into the hole at planting time. It can actually burn the young, tender roots. Just use the native soil you dug out. Maybe mix in a little compost if your dirt is basically pure clay, but don't overdo it. You want the roots to venture out into the surrounding soil, not stay huddled in a "pot" of rich potting mix.
Sunlight and Airflow
Plums need sun. At least six to eight hours of direct, soul-crushing sunlight every day. If they’re in the shade, they get "leggy," meaning they grow long, weak branches reaching for the light, and they become a magnet for fungal diseases like brown rot. Airflow is just as important. You want a site that gets a breeze. Stagnant, humid air is the enemy of a healthy stone fruit tree.
Pruning: The Scariest Part of How to Grow Plum Trees
You have to be ruthless. I know it feels wrong to take a saw to a tree you just paid $50 for, but it’s mandatory.
Japanese plums grow like weeds. They are vigorous and messy. You generally want to prune them into an "open center" or "vase" shape. Imagine a martini glass. You want the middle of the tree to be empty so the sun can hit the center and the air can move through. This keeps the fruit from rotting on the branch.
European plums are usually pruned to a "central leader" shape, which looks more like a traditional Christmas tree with one main trunk going up the middle.
Prune in late winter before the buds break. If you prune in the fall, you’re asking for trouble because the wounds won't heal before the cold hits, and you might get winter kill. Also, keep an eye out for "suckers"—those weird little shoots that pop up from the base of the tree. They are coming from the rootstock, not the fruit tree you want. Cut them off immediately. They are parasites stealing energy from your plums.
The Pests and Problems Nobody Mentions
Let’s talk about Black Knot. If you see a weird, black, warty growth on your branches that looks like a cat did something gross on your tree, that’s Black Knot. It’s a fungus. It will kill the branch and eventually the tree. You have to cut it out at least six inches below the knot and throw the wood in the trash—don't compost it.
Then there are the birds. Birds love plums almost as much as you do. The second those fruits start to turn color, the crows and jays will move in. Netting is the only real solution, though it’s a massive pain to install.
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And don't forget about thinning. This is the hardest lesson in how to grow plum trees. When the tree is loaded with tiny green plums the size of marbles, you need to pluck half of them off. I'm serious. If you leave them all, the tree will be stressed, the fruits will stay small and tasteless, and the branches might break. Space them about four to six inches apart. It feels like a waste, but it results in much bigger, sweeter fruit.
Watering and Feeding
Young trees need about an inch of water a week. If you're in a drought, you have to help them out. A thick layer of wood chips or straw mulch around the base (but not touching the trunk!) helps hold that moisture in.
Once the tree starts producing—usually in year three or four—you can hit it with a balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 in early spring. Don't fertilize late in the summer. That encourages new, soft growth that will just get zapped by the first frost of winter.
Harvesting: The Payoff
Plums don't all ripen at once. You’ll be picking for a couple of weeks. A ripe plum should give slightly when you squeeze it gently. If it’s hard as a rock, leave it. If it falls into your hand with a tiny tug, it’s ready.
The taste of a sun-warmed plum straight from the tree is nothing like the mealy, sour things you buy at the grocery store. It’s an explosion of sugar and acid that makes all the pruning and the Black Knot battles worth it.
Actionable Next Steps for Success
To get started the right way, follow this checklist to ensure your trees actually survive their first year:
- Check Your Zone: Ensure the variety you choose is hardy for your specific USDA zone. A 'Santa Rosa' won't survive a Minnesota winter.
- Order Bare-Root: If possible, buy bare-root trees in the winter or early spring. They are cheaper and often establish better than container-grown trees.
- Soil Test: Spend the $20 to get your soil tested by a local university extension. It’s better to fix a pH issue before the tree is in the ground.
- Identify a Pollination Partner: If you pick a variety that isn't self-fertile, find its match immediately and plant them within 50 feet of each other.
- Sanitation is Key: Always clean your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol between trees to prevent spreading diseases like bacterial spot.
- Monitor Daily: In the spring, check the undersides of leaves for aphids. A quick blast with a garden hose can usually knock them off before they cause a full-blown infestation.
- Prepare for Year Three: Don't expect fruit immediately. Focus on structural pruning for the first two years to build a frame that can actually hold a heavy harvest later.
- Plan the Harvest: Have a plan for the fruit. A mature tree can drop 50-100 pounds of plums in a very short window. Have your jars or dehydrator ready.
Properly establishing a plum tree takes patience and a willingness to interfere with nature's messy growth habits. By selecting the right species for your climate and maintaining a strict pruning schedule, you can create a perennial food source that outproduces almost anything else in the backyard garden.