A Detailed Guide to Plum Tree Pruning Time and Methods

The plum is a fruit that tastes very sour. For many people, the first impression of eating a plum is a sweet-and-sour sensation, but once it ripens it no longer tastes very sour. Plums are the fruit borne by the plum tree. When growing plums, everyone will find that besides doing the routine watering and fertilizing for plums, we also need to carry out overall pruning work on the plum tree. Pruning is very important for the growth of the plum tree, so below Shuashuai will tell everyone how to prune a plum tree!

1. When to prune a plum tree

Each year the pruning of plum trees is mainly carried out in two seasons, and the two pruning methods are different; they are in summer and winter. Let's continue reading below.

1. Summer pruning

Pruning in summer requires three to five rounds of pruning in total. When pruning, we must first understand what our pruning targets are, because our first round is in early summer, that is, when spring is about to pass. The targets to be pruned in the first round are buds that have not grown in a good position, the weak buds among double buds, and ineffective branches. Things like these are all surplus branches, and cutting them off can bring a lot of nutrients to the other branches. The second round of pruning is when the flowers drop, and the third round of pruning is after the flowers drop; pruning can control the density of the branches.

2. Winter pruning

Winter pruning is only a supplement to the previous pruning, with no other purpose; it is simply to keep the growth of the branches balanced and to make the whole plum tree balanced.

2. Pruning methods for plum trees

1. Pruning when young

First is the plum tree in the initial stage of planting. At the beginning, the plum tree is in a vigorous growth period, and the growth speed and growth trend of the branches are very fast. The trunk part grows very quickly, so our pruning purpose is mainly to gradually steer it toward growing into a good tree shape. Because we need to ensure the early fruit yield of the fruit tree, our pruning intensity must not be too heavy, so that the branches can normally distribute nutrients to all parts and the whole tree can maintain balanced growth. In addition, we should cut off some one-year-old short branches, which allows more medium and short branches to grow out.

2. Pruning at the early fruiting stage

After the plum tree has been planted for two to three years, it will move from the young stage into the fruiting stage. At this time the yield can roughly be predicted. The purpose of pruning at the fruiting stage is to make the overall form of the plum tree grow better and to let the branches grow thicker and wider. Besides pruning, we also need to pay attention to environmental conditions. When pruning, try to shorten the scaffold branches, which can reduce the density of the branches.

3. Pruning at the full fruiting stage

After the fruiting stage comes the harvesting stage, so the purpose of our pruning at this time is mainly to improve the transport of nutrients. During the full fruiting stage, the plum tree's nutrient consumption is very large, so we should cut off some unnecessary branches as much as possible to reduce the occupation of nutrients and use more nutrients for the development of the fruit, so that the fruit grows larger and better. The main thing is to cut away the main and side branches, which can make the plum tree's branches grow better and can also reduce part of the nutrient consumption. The later the stage, the more it tends toward a perfect tree shape, promoting fruiting.

4. Pruning at the aging and renewal stage

Finally comes the pruning after the fruit is picked. At this time the tree is at the point of aging and declining; it will gradually shed its leaves, fruit yield decreases, and the branches become old and withered. What we need to do then is to ensure the branches can renew faster and grow new branches. This mainly involves pruning the trunk so that the trunk can grow new branches as soon as possible, promoting its fruiting ability and growing new fruit sooner.

The above is the time and methods for pruning plum trees. The purpose of pruning a plum tree is different at each stage, so the pruning targets are also different. If pruned well, the effect on its growth and development is very great. However, everyone should not prune excessively; control the number of prunings at each timing. To learn more related information, please continue to follow Qinnong Web!