How Many Years Until a Plum Tree Bears Fruit? A Detailed Guide to Fruiting Time

The plum is a variety that loves fertilizer and does not tolerate waterlogging, and because of its very high yield, it is very common in our daily lives. In many rural areas, people grow plum trees at home. So how many years does it take for a planted plum tree to bear fruit?

1. How many years until a plum bears fruit

Generally, a planted plum tree bears fruit after 3-5 years, with a fruiting period of 15 years and a lifespan of 20 years. With good management, it can grow a little longer. Its fruit ripens between July and August, plump and round, delicate and translucent, beautiful in form, and sweet in taste, making it one of people's favorite fruits. It is now widely cultivated around the world.

2. Tips for increasing the fruit set rate of plum trees

1. Pollination during the flowering period

The quality of plum flower pollination directly affects the fruit set rate and the quality of the plums. The specific pollination methods are: first, spray the leaves once with a mixed solution of 0.1% borax and 0.1% ammonium molybdate, evenly wetting all flowers inside and outside the canopy, which can enhance pollen vitality, promote pollination and fertilization, extend the lifespan of flowers and pollen, and increase the probability of pollination and fertilization; second, carry out pollination, which can be done by manual point pollination, liquid spray pollination, blower pollination, and feather duster rolling pollination; finally, bee pollination, by placing bees in the orchard during the flowering period, as one box of bees can ensure pollination for one hectare of orchard.

2. Flower and fruit thinning

Because plum trees have a large number of flowers and a high fruit set rate, an appropriate amount of flower and fruit thinning can save the tree's nutrients, regulate the distribution of nutrients, improve the fruit set rate, and ensure fruit quality. Flower thinning is generally carried out during the full bloom period. When thinning flowers, remove the flowers at the base of the fruiting branch and keep the flowers in the middle and upper parts, preferably keeping a single flower. All flowers on the reserve branches should be completely removed. Flowers in the middle and lower parts of the canopy should be thinned less and kept more, while flowers on the outer and upper layers should be thinned more and kept less. Flowers on auxiliary branches and strong branches should be kept more, while flowers on skeletal branches and weak branches should be kept less. On a fruiting branch, thin the flowers at both ends and keep the normally developed flowers in the middle. For flowers on bouquet-like fruiting branches, keep the middle ones and thin the outer ones. Thinning young fruit can be carried out 1—2 weeks after the flowering period. Determine the yield per plant according to variety, tree age, tree vigor, and fruit size, and remove diseased and insect-damaged fruit, injured fruit, deformed fruit, upward-facing fruit, and fruit with unclean surfaces. Fruit thinning should be carried out from top to bottom along the branches and from the inside outward.