Pruning Your Plum Tree: Tips and Instructions

You must prune a plum tree for it to stay healthy and produce quality fruit. Prune your plum tree annually for the first few years to encourage good fruit production and establish the ideal framework, which is usually a pyramid or standard shape. Pruning after that time will rid the tree of disease and dead wood. Knowing how much to prune is important, since too much can negatively affect the health and appearance of your plum tree.

The Ideal Time to Prune

Prune your plum tree in June—the growing season—when the chances of healing are quicker and contracting silver leaf disease are minimal. This fungal disease, once contracted, spreads through the entire tree, greatly reducing the size, quality and quantity of your fruit.

Prune on a dry day. Pruning in cold winter or damp weather increases the plant's chances of contracting disease.  

The First Year

Remove dead leaves and branches as well as anything that looks sick and is stuck. Cut the main branch of your tree no more than 3 feet above the soil for a bush, 2 feet if you want a pyramid shaped tree and 6 feet for a standard shaped tree. Make sure there are at least 4 or 5 budding branches under the cuts. You can remove 1 branch to ensure the remaining branches have adequate room and grow and receive good sunlight.

Make clean cuts using a sharp blade or a pair of shears. You may want to seal bigger cuts and wounds with a protective sealant to prevent silver leaf disease from entering the tissue.  

The Second Year

Prune again in June of the second year, cutting the main trunk just above the budding branch. Trim the remaining year-old branches just above healthy new buds, cutting to about 10 inches. Once again, make clean cuts, avoiding jagged ones.  

The Third Year

For the standard shape, do not cut the main trunk when you begin to prune in June of the third year. Instead, cut the stems from the main trunk until they are about 12 inches long, and cut back any stems growing off these to about 6 inches.

For the pyramid shape, cut the main trunk again to the first healthy bud, and cut back any new branch grown this year to 10 inches.  

A Mature Tree

After the third year, just cut off any dying or dead branches and dispose of them properly. The best way to do this is to burn them to avoid the spread of silver oak disease.

Remember to keep an eye on your tree to avoid unnecessary overcrowding of branches. If they need it, cut them in June. The branches needs adequate sunshine to bear healthy plums and should not have to fight for it. Also cut back any new growth that fails to yield fruit, ensuring a healthy crop the next year.