How To Prune Plum Tree

Learning how to prune plum tree is one of the most important skills you can master for a healthy, productive garden. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from the essential tools you’ll need to the precise cuts that will shape your tree for years of bountiful harvests.

Pruning isn’t just about control; it’s about encouraging strong growth and letting sunlight and air reach the fruit. Done correctly, it prevents disease and makes picking much easier. Let’s get started with the basics.

Why Pruning Your Plum Tree is Non-Negotiable

Plum trees that are left unpruned become a tangled mess. They produce less fruit, and what they do produce is often smaller and harder to reach. Thick canopies trap moisture, inviting fungal diseases.

Regular pruning solves these problems. It directs the tree’s energy into producing quality fruit on strong branches. It also opens up the structure, allowing light to penetrate and wind to circulate, which keeps the tree healthier.

The Best Time to Prune: A Seasonal Guide

Timing is critical for plums, which are prone to a disease called silver leaf. The golden rule is to prune in the growing season, not deep winter.

Early Spring (Ideal): Just as buds begin to swell but before full leaf-out. This allows you to see the structure clearly and the wounds heal fastest.
Midsummer (Good): After harvest, you can do light pruning to control size and remove any diseased growth. Summer cuts discourage vigorous new shoots.
Avoid Late Autumn & Winter: This is when silver leaf spores are most active. Pruning cuts made then are at high risk of infection.

Your Essential Pruning Toolkit

Sharp, clean tools make clean cuts that heal quickly. Here’s what you’ll need:

Bypass Secateurs/Pruners: For cuts up to about ¾-inch thick.
Long-Handled Loppers: For branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter, giving you more leverage.
A Pruning Saw: For larger limbs. A curved, tri-cut or razor-tooth saw works best.
Disinfectant: Rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution to clean tools between trees to prevent spreading disease.

This is the core process for maintaining a established plum tree. We’ll break it down into clear, managable steps.

Step 1: The Sanitary Check – Remove the Obvious Problems

Start by walking around your tree. Look for any branches that are clearly dead, diseased, or damaged. These should be your first cuts.

Dead Wood: Brittle, doesn’t bend, often darker or without buds.
Diseased Wood: Look for discolored bark, cankers, or fungal growth. Cut well back into healthy wood.
Damaged Branches: Broken or split limbs from weather or weight.

Step 2: Open the Center – Let the Light In

Plums fruit best on wood that gets plenty of sun. Your goal is to create an open, vase-shaped structure.

Identify any branches growing straight up through the center of the tree (water sprouts) or those crossing directly through the middle. Remove these completly at their point of origin. This creates an open bowl shape.

Step 3: Tackle Crossers and Rubbing Branches

Look for branches that are crossing over eachother or rubbing together. This friction creates wounds that let in disease.

Choose the healthier, better-positioned branch to keep, and remove the other. Always cut back to a side branch or the main trunk—don’t leave a stub.

Step 4: Manage Density and Height

Thin out areas where branches are overcrowded. Aim for branches to be spaced about 6-10 inches apart. This ensures each one has room to grow and get sunlight.

To control height, look for a taller, upright branch and prune it back to an outward-facing side branch. This will redirect growth outward rather than upward.

Step 5: The Final Shape – Encouraging Fruitful Growth

Plums fruit on young wood, often on spurs that are two or three years old. Your final touches should encourage this.

Shorten last year’s growth on main branches by about a third, cutting to a bud facing the direction you want new growth to go. This promotes branching and the development of new fruiting wood.

How to Make the Perfect Pruning Cut

A bad cut can harm your tree. For small branches, make your cut just above a bud that faces outward. Angle the cut away from the bud so water runs off.

For larger limbs, use the three-cut method to avoid tearing the bark:

Make an undercut about a foot out from the trunk, sawing halfway through.
Make a top cut a few inches further out, sawing until the branch breaks away cleanly.
Finally, remove the remaining stub by sawing just outside the branch collar (the swollen ring where branch meets trunk). Do not cut flush with the trunk!

Special Cases: Young Trees and Neglected Trees

Pruning a Young Plum Tree (Formative Pruning): In the first few years, you’re building the main framework. Choose 3-4 well-spaced, strong branches to be your main “scaffolds” and remove others. Tip-prune these to encourage branching.

Renovating an Old, Neglected Plum Tree: Don’t try to fix it all in one year. Spread the work over 2-3 seasons. Start with the sanitary removal of dead/diseased wood. Then, each year, take out a few of the oldest, thickest branches to gradually reduce height and open the center, rather than making hundreds of small cuts.

Common Pruning Mistakes to Avoid

Over-pruning: Never remove more than 25% of the canopy in a single year. It stresses the tree.
Leaving Stubs: Stubs die back and become entry points for rot. Always cut back to the branch collar or a side shoot.
Topping the Tree: Lopping off the top to reduce height causes a frenzy of weak, upright water sprouts. Use the height-reduction technique in Step 4 instead.
Using Dull Tools: This makes ragged cuts that crush the bark and heal slowly.

Aftercare: What to Do After Pruning

Your tree doesn’t need wound paint; in fact, it can trap moisture. The best aftercare is to ensure the tree is healthy.

Give it a good watering if the weather is dry. A layer of organic mulch around the base (but not touching the trunk) will help retain moisture and suppress weeds. Then, just let it’s natural healing processes do their work.

FAQ: Your Plum Tree Pruning Questions Answered

Q: Can I prune my plum tree in fall?
A: It’s not recommended. Fall pruning increases the risk of silver leaf disease infection as the tree heads into dormancy.

Q: How much should I prune off each year?
A: For routine maintenance, aim to remove no more than 15-20% of the total branches. For renovation of a neglected tree, stay under 25% per season.

Q: My tree didn’t fruit much this year—should I prune it differently?
A: Over-pruning can sometimes reduce fruiting, as can a late frost. Stick to the structural principles outlined; ensure the tree gets enough sun and water, and it should recover.

Q: What’s the difference between pruning plum trees versus other fruit trees?
A: The biggest difference is timing. Apples and pears are often pruned in winter, but plums must be pruned in spring or summer to avoid disease. Plums also bear fruit on younger wood and spurs, so the approach is slightly different than for, say, a peach tree.

Q: How do I prune a plum tree that’s gotten too tall?
A: Use the gradual height reduction method. Over several years, prune tall leaders back to a lower, outward-growing side branch. Avoid the temptation to just chop the top off flat.

With these steps, you have a clear path forward. Remember, pruning is an annual conversation with your tree. Each cut influences it’s future shape and harvest. Take your time, step back often to look at the overall shape, and you’ll be rewarded with a healthier, more manageable, and more fruitful plum tree for seasons to come.