In the spring, many of us buy those tried-and-true annuals that provide floral interest all summer long.Think geraniums, violets, marigolds, and of
09.06.2023 - 16:19 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren
How to Grow and Care for Plum Trees Prunus spp.I love fruit trees, but some years I stand underneath my apples full of codling moth larvae or my peaches that never fruited because a late frost killed all the buds, and I fantasize about mowing them down with a chainsaw.
Not plums, though. They’re my reliable, easygoing, happy-go-lucky companions.
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Plum trees come in teeny-tiny dwarf sizes and towering, 40-foot-tall options. Some grow sugary sweet, juicy fruits and others have petite, tangy ones.
In other words, if you want options, you’ve got options.
The showy spring display of pink, white, or purple blossoms is just a bonus. But for ornamental plums, it’s the main focus. That should tell you how pretty the blossoms can be on the fruiting types.
To help you grow bushels and bushels of flavorful fruits, here’s what this guide will cover:
Plums are broadly categorized as either Asian (P. salicina), European (P. domestica and P. cerasifera), or hybrid.
Some people add North American indigenous types, like P. americana, P. nigra, P.angustifolia, and P. maritima, to the mix.
The pruning requirements differ slightly depending on which type you’ve got, but growing each of these is otherwise similar.
Most plums aren’t self-fruitful, and this is where the species is important. A European plum can’t pollinate an Asian one, so if you want fruits, you usually need to grow two cultivars of the same type. Don’t worry, we’ll explain all that in a minute.
The exceptions are the few cultivars like ‘A. U. Amber’ and ‘Methley,’ which are self-fruitful – so don’t give up your plum dreams if you only have room for one tree.
Cultivation andIn the spring, many of us buy those tried-and-true annuals that provide floral interest all summer long.Think geraniums, violets, marigolds, and of
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