Julien A’ rootstock, or 1.8m (6ft) for ‘Pixy’, after which, shorten the central leader to 2.5cm (1in) or less each May, to keep the tree at the same height Repeat annually until the tree has reached 2.4m (8ft) on a ‘St.During April, shorten the central leader by two-thirds.Train and tie in the central leader to the stake.

Cut side branches back to a bud at 15cm (6in).Shorten new branches to 20cm (8in), cutting above a downward or outward-pointing bud Prune in the third week of July when the young shoots have finished growing.The pruning of a newly planted tree is the same as for apples and pears. Remember: carry out in April not winter to avoid silver leaf disease.Īfter the initial pruning, follow these steps: Julien A’ rootstocks are kept to 2.4m (8ft) and on ‘Pixy’ rootstocks to 1.8m (6ft). Pyramid plumsĪ pyramid plum tree is considerably smaller than a pruned a bush, and this makes it practical to net against birds. If the plum tree is still crowded, then further thinning can be done in July. Pruning is mostly limited to removing crossing, weak, vertical and diseased material. On established trees, rub out any buds developing on the lower trunk and carefully pull off suckers arising from the rootstock. This begins with the same formative pruning as apples and pears but, importantly, is carried out in early spring. The overall aim of pruning is to create an open-centred tree. Trees grafted onto ‘Pixy’ rootstocks will reach 3m (10ft), ‘St. Its ultimate size will depend on the rootstock it is grown on. The bush is perhaps the most popular method of training and pruning and creates an open-centred tree with a clear stem of 75cm (2½ft). Plums trained as cordons are gaining popularity too. There are three commonly used methods of pruning plums: bush, pyramid and fan. Malvern Autumn Show - 22–24 September 2023.RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show - 5–10 September 2023.RHS Garden Rosemoor Flower Show - 18–20 August 2023.RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show - 2–6 August 2023.RHS Flower Show Tatton Park - 19–23 July 2023.RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival - 4–9 July 2023.

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