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Plum tree pruning
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Created by Michael Noyce
It's best to prune plums each year in late winter before the buds break. You can do minor pruning now, but major pruning will redirect the tree's energy from fruit production to foliage growth, and may well reduce the yield for next season. For information on growing plum trees, including how to prune, see
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-stone-fruits-home-garden#general-pruning-guidelines-1137110
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-stone-fruits-home-garden#general-pruning-guidelines-1137110
Closed by Expert with status of Closed
Reopened by SYSTEM
The main risk is to fruit production next year, but pruning now also increases the chance of infection and the spread of diseases including fireblight. Here is a response I received from an expert at the U of Mn when I posed your question to her:
They should definitely NOT prune right now in the middle of summer.1) There are a lot of active disease spores in the air. Trunk diseases get introduced to pruning wounds. Once diseases are in there, they cannot be treated. You don't want to cause that problem.2) Pruning while the trees are actively growing will cause them to rapidly form new branches. That is bad at this point in the season. The trees are trying to STOP growing now, and prepare for fall and winter. If someone prunes them, which stimulates new growth to form, then the plants will be stressed and less healthy going into winter.
I know that different advice is out there about gardening issues, but I would fully support the expertise of U of Mn professors and horticulturists, and they're saying to NOT prune now.
Hope this helps.
They should definitely NOT prune right now in the middle of summer.1) There are a lot of active disease spores in the air. Trunk diseases get introduced to pruning wounds. Once diseases are in there, they cannot be treated. You don't want to cause that problem.2) Pruning while the trees are actively growing will cause them to rapidly form new branches. That is bad at this point in the season. The trees are trying to STOP growing now, and prepare for fall and winter. If someone prunes them, which stimulates new growth to form, then the plants will be stressed and less healthy going into winter.
I know that different advice is out there about gardening issues, but I would fully support the expertise of U of Mn professors and horticulturists, and they're saying to NOT prune now.
Hope this helps.
Closed by Expert with status of Closed
Reopened by SYSTEM
Closed by Expert with status of Closed