Don’t prune plums in winter as this increases the risk of silver leaf infection. For a free-standing plum tree, you will be aiming at creating a bush or pyramid shape. Cordon or espalier plums require different treatment. It is also possible to remove the central leader and grow the tree in an open bowl shape.
Watch a video on how to prune a greengage tree in open bowl shape.
Read more about some plum varieties:
Find more plum, greengage and damson varieties here.
Pruning plum trees after planting
- You will have planted in winter when the tree is dormant.
- In early spring (April), before bud break, prune the central leader down to about 60 cm/2 feet above the ground, ensuring that there are at least 3 buds below. These will form the main lateral branches.
Pruning plum trees, second year
- In early spring (April), before bud break, prune the central leader down to a height of about 18 inches, 45 cm, cutting above a bud.
- There should be at least 3 lateral branches. Ensure that they are growing outwards by at least 45° from the vertical, so that the final tree will have a vase shape. Tie down if necessary.
- Prune the laterals back to a length of about 10 inches/25cm.
Pruning established plum trees
- Prune every year in early spring (April), before bud break.
- Remove any suckers growing from the rootstock.
- Rub out any buds growing on the lower trunk.
- Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased wood, and dispose of it as appropriate, removing it from the garden.
- Cut back the central leader down to above a metre above the top lateral branch.
- Remove any weak, crossing or vertical branches.
- Prune branches that did not produce fruit the previous year.
- Trim one-year-old shoots back to six leaves length to stimulate the production of fruit bud for next year.
Watch a video on how to prune a plum tree..
Pruning a neglected bush plum tree
The objective is to open the centre of the canopy to enable the light to penetrate.
- Try to plan the cuts so that you remove a few complete branches. It is better to remove just 4 or 5 large branches, rather than lots of little snips here and there.
- This pruning should be done in April, but the operation should be performed over several years – on no account try to remodel the tree all in one year.
- Always seal large wounds with heal and seal.
- The tree will react to branch removal by producing lots of new shoots. These can be reduced in July by completely cutting out some of these shoots.
Pruning a poorly-cropping plum tree
It may sound drastic, but poorly-cropping plum trees often react very favourably to a treatment as set out below. This method must be seen as a last resort. Obviously improving microclimate and pollination are absolutely essential as methods to be tried first.
- In the first week of June, remove growth points of strongly growing new shoots.
- In the first week of July: cut back to five-leaf stage and remove growth points.
- In the first week of August: cut out small surplus branches.
- In the first week of September: cut the tree back – shorten the leader and all branches so that the entire tree can be handled easily – ready for lifting. Seal wounds.
- When leaf fall is complete: lift the tree. Dig it out by cutting vertically with your spade about 1 foot/30 cm from the trunk. Cut all the roots back to this length.
- Then plant the tree back in the same hole. Stake and tie the tree to stop rocking movements while roots regrow.
We recommend seeking expert advice for this procedure.