Growing Plum Trees

Who doesn't like to see a plum tree covered with blossoms during spring. Imagine planting this tree in your garden or backyard where you can enjoy the blooms of this tree at leisure. Apart from being a visual treat, it can offer you some juicy, fleshy and delicious plum fruits as well. Plum fruits are used for canning, to make jams and jellies, and also as a dessert. Growing plum trees is not a fussy task and with a little care, you can enjoy the benefits.

Choosing the Right Tree
As in the case of any other plant or tree, you have to be very careful regarding the selection of the plum tree to be planted in your garden. Select the right tree as per your needs. There is a wide range of plum trees and any of them can fit into your needs. However, if there is a space restriction, go for the dwarf fruit tree variety or free-standing fruit trees, which can grow up to 2.5 meters. There are also fan trained trees, which grow to a height of 2 meters and a width of 3 meters, but are not suitable for very small gardens. For larger gardens, bush-trained plum trees will be perfect. These trees are free-standing and grow to a height of about 4 meters. If you want really large plum trees, a half standard tree, which can grow up to 6 meters or standard plum trees, which can have a maximum height of 8 meters are the best options. Make sure that you choose a new variety with disease-resistant features which are best suited to your place. It is always better to buy different varieties to ensure pollination.

Planting Plum Trees
The preferable time for planting plum trees is between late autumn to early spring. October is considered to be best for this purpose. These trees like full sun, so make it a point to plant them in a place where they get good sunlight. The area should not be water-logged, but also make sure that there is a very less chance of the soil getting dried. Plum trees should not be planted near trees which absorb the moisture in the whole area.

The site for planting should be prepared a month before planting. You have to dig holes, preferably 2 feet deep and 4 feet wide, in a square shape. Try to add as much of organic material as possible. If the site was fertilized earlier for other crops, then there is no need to add any more. If not, then you have to add at least three handfuls of bone meal or any other fertilizer of your choice. No fertilizers should be added during the time of planting. After planting the tree, it should be supported with stakes for a period of at least two years. The stakes should be tied to the main stem of the tree with plastic ties, and should be checked regularly.

Growing Plum Trees
Growing plum trees is an easy task and all you have to do is take care of requirements like watering, pruning, fertilizing and pest control. Let us go through the various phases of growing plum trees.

• An important aspect regarding plum trees is pruning. Pruning fruit trees, if done rightly, can result in the proper growth of the tree and can encourage fruiting. The right time for pruning the plum tree is fall, after the harvesting. You have to remove the dead stems and those which are closely situated and blocking sunlight from reaching all branches.
• Nutrition is a very important for plum trees to produce fruits. You can either use a root feeder, which is directly absorbed by the roots or a fruit tree fertilizer, which can be dissolved in water and sprayed on the soil around the tree. Feeding has to be repeated on the onset of blooming, fruiting, and once when the fruits reach half their full size.
• Plum trees require regular watering, preferably every week or once in ten days. Use a slow-running hose or a root feeder sans fertilizer for watering. If there is not enough water, the leaves may curl up or turn brown.
• Pests, especially insects, can affect the growth of plum trees. You can apply a dormant oil spray during winters or in early spring, but during the season of fruiting, care must be taken to use food-safe pesticides only.

These simple guidelines can help you with the task of growing plum trees in your backyard or garden. Remember, growing a plum tree, or any other tree, takes time and needs patience and care. With these tips and instructions on growing plum trees, you will be able to enjoy the blooms and the fruit of the plum tree right in your garden.