Plum – Water the plum tree

• Plum tree origin
• Plum tree care and location
• Pruning a plum tree
• Watering plum tree
• Fertilizing plum trees

Plum tree origin

The plum (Prunus domestica) is a deciduous, sparsely growing tree or shrub. Botanically, it belongs to the rose family and is a stone fruit. Its origin is not exactly known, but it is thought to be in Asia and the Altai Mountains. Damascus was the centre of the plum trade and the plum was probably brought to Greece by Alexander the Great. It came to Germany and France via the Romans. In Central Europe it was systematically cultivated in the times of Charlemagne.

In Germany, two thirds of the plum harvest is harvested mainly in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.

It is believed that today's plum is a natural cross between a blackthorn and a cherry plum. It reaches a height of between 6 and 10 m and forms a broad, round or pyramidal crown. The leaves are egg-shaped or elliptical and between 4 and 10 cm long. The upper side of the leaves is dark green and the underside is noticeably lighter and densely hairy.
The white to greenish flowers appear from April to May before or with the leaves and have a diameter of about two centimeters. The mostly blue-violet fruits are ripe from August. They are round to oval and have a clear core seam. The flesh is greenish-yellow to golden yellow.

Plum tree care and location

A sunny, warm and sheltered location offers ideal growing conditions for the plum tree to thrive. The plant is best planted in front of a house wall facing south to reduce the risk of late frost. Plum trees are very undemanding and like moist, humus- and nutrient-rich soil. They do not tolerate drought or waterlogging.

Pruning a plum tree

In the first few years, you should carry out training cuts and remove branches that are in the way of the side shoots growing outwards. Plum trees develop a narrow crown, so all shoots that grow into the interior of the crown or stand upright should be removed. The best time to do this is in mid-summer between the end of July and the beginning of August. Since the crown is easier to see without leaves, it is also a good idea to prune in late autumn or winter.

Watering plum tree

Due to climate change, it is getting hotter in our regions too, and longer dry periods are the result. This has an impact on the environment and especially on the trees. Depending on the location and the climatic situation, more frequent watering may be necessary than in previous years. The roots of young trees are not yet as branched in the soil, which is why they need to be carefully monitored and watered earlier than existing trees. Regular watering is a good idea in the first year to encourage rooting. From the second year onwards, no additional water is usually required, but it is recommended to water at least once a week during dry periods. Signs of drought stress are limp, hanging leaves, weak young branches, discolouring or drying leaves and early fruit drop. Now is the time to water the tree.

The water requirement of a plum tree depends on several factors such as the length of the dry period and the condition of the tree. Generally speaking, 75 to 100 liters can be estimated for young trees and 150 to 200 liters for older trees per watering. Watering plum trees is tree bath watering bags ideal. The drip irrigation continuously releases water into the soil and achieves even moisture. Attaching and filling the water bags is simple and straightforward. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with a zip. In the next step, fill the bag with enough water so that after further alignment no wrinkles are visible in the lower area and then let it fill up.
By filling a watering bag, young trees are provided with sufficient water. For existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two to three watering bags can be connected with a zip to water them.

Fertilizing plum trees

Go to the Fertilize Mature compost or manure is suitable for plum trees. Care should be taken to ensure that only untreated plants are used in the compost and that there are no residues of pharmaceuticals in the manure. A small amount of horn meal is recommended to increase the nutrient content of the soil.
An infestation by the plum moth can lead to significant crop losses. This can be recognized by the premature ripening of the fruit and its falling off the tree. The presence of reddish caterpillars inside the fruit can be identified if a gelatinous droplet is visible at the boreholes.