DIY Network

Plum Facts and Planting Tips Choosing and planting the right plum tree for your garden From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-104

Kelly Givens explains how to choose the perfect plum tree for your garden. She discusses the difference between self-fertile plums and those that need to be cross-pollinated; she also shows how to care for and plant bare-root fruit trees. As a bonus, she'll show how a camera can come in handy when you plant a tree!

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Overview and Plum Varieties

Plums do best with at least six to eight hours of full sun a day and are healthiest when planted in well-drained soils with a pH of from 5.5 to 6.5. If your soil needs amending, add a thick layer of organic soil conditioner over the top of the planting area and work it in well to a depth of about 10".

There are hundreds of varieties of plums. Plums range from honey sweet to decidedly tart tasting, and they ripen to a range of colors from red to yellow to purple. Plum trees are adaptable to a wide range of climates, so there's a plum tree for nearly every corner of the globe.

The three basic types of plums are European, Japanese and American.

• American plums are native plums that have small, tough-skinned fruit and are rarely grown in orchards.

• European plums are commonly grown in Northern climates. European plum trees often grow to be midsized, reaching 30 feet or more if left unpruned. Their fruit is usually blue-skinned and yellow-fleshed and is excellent for making jams and jellies.

• Japanese or Asian plum trees are typically best for warm, dry climates. They are small spreading trees that rarely reach more than 15 or 20 feet tall. Most of the store-bought plums you buy for eating fresh are Japanese plums.

No matter where you live, you can check with your local extension service to find out which varieties are best for your area. Plums need to be exposed to a certain number of hours between 35 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit to set fruit, and these "chilling requirements" will be just one of the factors your extension service will have considered in recommending a plum variety for your area.

Note on the Cooperative Extension Services

Dig a planting hole the same depth as the roots and as wide as the roots when they are fanned out. You can use the trowel to measure the hole as you dig.

You may have noticed that we often refer you to your local cooperative extension service for additional information. Why? Because extension service agents are local experts, the ones right in your own neighborhood. They understand your local climate and growing conditions better than anyone else.

If you don't know how to get in contact with your local extension service, here is a website that will help you easily locate the extension service nearest you: www. csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

Grafting

Almost all plum trees sold today are grafted. Grafted trees consist of two parts: the variety, which is the upper part, and the rootstock, which is the lower section. When orchard growers want to propagate a tree, they choose a rootstock for its size, cold hardiness and resistance to disease; then they graft the desired variety of tree onto the rootstock.

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