Plum tree seedlings – the most popular varieties

  • Węgierka Zwykła (Common German Prune) – classic, sweet flavour; excellent for drying and plum jam.
  • Węgierka Dąbrowicka – early, productive, with a very good flavour.
  • Stanley – large, dessert fruit; tolerates transport and storage well.
  • President – late, very large, with firm flesh.
  • Opal – very early, juicy; good for small gardens.
  • Herman – early, regularly cropping, with a balanced flavour.
  • Čačanska Lepotica – productive, all-purpose, nicely coloured.
  • Amers – large, aromatic, popular for commercial orchards.
  • Valor – late, sweet, good for both mechanical and hand harvest.

Tip: some varieties are self-fertile (e.g. Stanley, Opal), but most crop better alongside pollinators with a similar flowering time.

Plum tree seedlings – rootstocks: the key to tree size and health

  • Myrobalan (cherry plum) – vigorous growth, high tolerance of poorer soils and periodic drought; may produce root suckers.
  • Węgierka Wangenheima (Wangenheim Prune) – medium vigour, quick to come into fruiting, well anchored.
  • St. Julien A – medium vigour, recommended for heavier, moister soils; stable cropping.
  • Pixy – a dwarfing/semi-dwarfing rootstock; makes pruning and harvesting easier in small gardens, needs more fertile soil and irrigation.

Fertilising plum trees – what’s worth knowing?

  • In spring, apply nitrogen fertilisers to stimulate the growth of shoots and leaves.
  • From late spring through summer, increase the share of potassium and phosphorus – they support fruit set and ripening, flavour and colour.
  • In autumn, use phosphorus-potassium fertilisers to prepare the tree for winter.
  • Regularly enrich the soil with organic matter (compost, well-rotted manure) – this improves structure and water retention.
  • Monitor the pH – plums grow best at pH 6.5–7.0; on acidic soils plan for liming.
  • Avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen in summer – it encourages lush growth at the expense of fruit quality and raises the risk of disease.

Pruning plum trees – how and when?

Aims of pruning:

  • maintaining an open, stable crown,
  • removing diseased and damaged shoots,
  • ensuring light reaches the fruit,
  • balancing the crop load and ensuring regular fruiting.

Timing and practice:

  • Early spring – light sanitary pruning (remove frost-damaged and broken branches).
  • Summer (July–August) and right after harvest – the best time for the main pruning of plums; it reduces “gummosis” and the risk of bark diseases.
  • Autumn/winter – avoid heavy cuts, especially on frosty days; wounds heal more poorly.
  • Train the crown as a spindle or an open form, with 2–3 tiers of branches; thin out the centre of the crown regularly.

Plum diseases and how to prevent them

  • Brown rot (Monilinia) – wilting blossoms and rotting fruit; prevention: thinning the crown, prompt removal of “mummies”, fungicide treatments during risk periods.
  • Plum pox (Sharka, PPV) – a virus causing deformities and spots on the fruit; prevention: healthy nursery stock, removal of infected trees, control of aphid vectors.
  • Silver leaf – silvery discolouration of leaves, dieback of branches; prune in summer, protect larger wounds with grafting paste.
  • Bacterial canker / bark necrosis – wounds, gum exudation; avoid pruning in unfavourable conditions, disinfect tools.

Pests:

  • Plum sawfly – mass dropping of fruitlets; use traps and treatments timed to the flights.
  • Plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana) – maggoty fruit; monitor flights (pheromone traps), apply treatments at the recommended times.
  • Aphids, spider mites – check regularly, support beneficial insects, and if needed use products recommended for plums.

Growing plums is a rewarding adventure and a sure source of healthy fruit. Match the varieties to the site and pollination, choose the right rootstock, look after balanced fertilising, prune at the right time and prevent disease – and the tree will reward you with abundant crops for many years.

Plum tree seedlings – a care calendar

Early spring (March – April)

  • Assess the condition after winter, remove frost-damaged shoots.
  • Gentle sanitary pruning; protect wounds >1–2 cm with paste.
  • Copper/control spray during periods of bark-disease risk.
  • Starter nitrogen fertilisation.

Spring (April – May)

  • Monitor aphids, sawfly and blossom diseases; treat if needed.
  • Water young trees during drought.
  • Top up phosphorus-potassium fertilisation.
  • Consider thinning fruitlets if flowering is very heavy.

Summer (June – July)

  • Summer thinning cut; remove water sprouts and crowding shoots.
  • Monitor brown rot and the fruit moth; treat according to forecasts.
  • Regular irrigation – limits fruit cracking during drought and after downpours.

Autumn (August – October)

  • Harvest at picking maturity (variety-dependent).
  • Autumn P-K fertilisation, orchard clean-up (leaves, fruit “mummies”).
  • Protect the trunk from animals, whitewash at the turn of autumn and winter.

Winter (November – February)

  • Check for mechanical and frost damage.
  • Avoid heavy pruning – postpone bigger work to summer.
  • Check trunk guards and rodent protection.