How to plant a plum tree in spring: a step-by-step guide

Planting plums in the spring is not difficult even for novice gardeners. The presented material is an intelligible and detailed guide, including simple techniques for planting and growing a plant, as well as caring for it. The collected advice from experienced gardeners will make it easy to understand agricultural technology, choice of variety and undesirable neighborhoods for plums.

Rules for planting and caring for plums in open ground

To get high yields, you must follow the rules of planting and growing plums. Growing a tree is not easy; it requires desire, patience and hard work.

Need to know:

• what dates are suitable for planting;
• how to prepare the soil to suit the plum tree;
• what size should the planting hole be;
• why it is important not to bury the root collar;
• how to properly grow and care.

Features of the plum root system

The plum root system has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when planting, growing and subsequent care.

• It consists of skeletal (up to 5–8 cm) and overgrowing (up to 0.3 cm thick) roots.
• Their bulk lies horizontally in the soil at a depth of 20–40 cm. Only individual roots penetrate 60–80 cm. Closer to the root collar they reach the surface of the earth.
• Skeletal roots provide the stability of the plum and its strong connection with the ground. Often the root system extends beyond the crown projection.
• Overgrowing roots ensure the absorption of mineral solutions from the soil. The growth of shoots, leaves and fruits depends on how developed this part is.
• Good development of the root system is facilitated by timely care: watering, correct fertilizing schedule, loosening the top layer of soil.
• Plum produces a large number of root suckers. This is one way to grow the variety.

What is the root system of a plum?

To successfully grow and care for a crop, you must have at least some knowledge of botany.

From school courses, everyone knows about the existence of two types of roots: taproot and fibrous, but in fact, the underground part of the tree is much more complex. Despite belonging to one of these species, their shape and direction of distribution can be completely different. All trees have a tap root, plums are no exception. But not only the main part is developed, but also the side part, which is more pronounced than the shaft.

How do plum roots grow?

To plant and grow plums, it is important for the gardener to know how the root part of the plant is located underground (both vertical and horizontal).

The underground part occupies the surface horizon of the soil layer at a depth of 15 to 60 cm. A small number of roots grow vertically and reach a depth of 1.5–2 m. If the tree grows in arid steppe regions, they sometimes penetrate to a depth of 4.5 m.

The horizontal roots of mature 30-year-old plums can be located at a 10-meter distance from the trunk. Their length is 2 or even 3 times the radius of the crown.

Root depth of cherries and plums

The root system of cherries penetrates to a depth of 40–60 cm, for plums this figure is 60–80 cm. In the garden they do not favor each other, they are adjacent at a distance of 5 m. The horizon of the underground part of cherries is from 15 to 30 cm, for plums the upper the roots are located at a distance of 15 to 40 cm. The structure of the roots of these plants is identical. The required depth of groundwater is also almost the same - 1.5–2 meters.

How to plant a plum

Many summer residents are afraid to root a seedling in the fall, fearing that it will not have time to take root and will freeze. This will not happen if you properly prepare the soil, choose a variety and apply fertilizers when planting plums.

Choosing the right variety

The success of the future harvest is largely determined by the compliance of the plum variety with the climatic conditions of its growth. It is worth giving preference to zoned varieties intended for cultivation in a specific region.

When choosing a tree for planting, take into account the following characteristics:

• maturation period;
• resistance to low temperatures;
• fruiting level;
• susceptibility to major diseases.

When growing one variety, only self-fertile plum varieties produce a high yield. For the rest, pollinating varieties are needed, for example Red Skorospelka. Plums from central Russia are distinguished by large, sweet fruits, good yields and resistance to frost.

Plum varieties for the central regions of Russia:

When to plant plums: spring or autumn

It happens that during autumn planting the plum does not have time to take root and later dies. In winter, it is difficult to monitor the further development of the plant and eliminate any problems that arise. When choosing a particular season for planting plums, they are guided by the climate of the region.

Dates for planting plums in spring

Experienced gardeners recommend planting plums in open ground in the spring, in April or early May. Although the threat of frost has not yet passed, the earth has warmed up and the root system will take root well. This plum will overwinter without any particular complications. It is important at this time to provide the plum tree with protection from the cold wind.The plant must be planted in a hole dug before winter and in prepared, fertilized soil. This will make growing and subsequent care easier.

Dates for planting plums in autumn

If you plan to plant plums in the fall, the best period for this is from September 20 to October 20 (deadline), a month before the onset of cold weather. At this time, the underground part of the plum is strong and is not afraid of damage, but it may not be able to withstand severe winter frosts. Therefore, the plum tree should be protected from winter frosts for the winter (mulched well, covered with spruce branches).

Planting in the southern regions is best done in the second ten days of October. The plum will have time to settle in the ground before the cold weather, the soil will firmly grip the roots, and the moisture will remove all voids. Winter in the south is warm, more like autumn, so the seedling will overwinter without any hassle, and most importantly, it will have time to adapt to the onset of hot weather.

In the northern territories, planting in the fall is risky and difficult. The plum tree will need additional care: it will be necessary to shovel snow onto it, whiten the trunks so that the bark does not crack. You can tie them with special material or paper, but this is expensive. Even if the trees have overwintered, they can be destroyed by spring floods. Therefore, the best time to plant seedlings in the north is spring. Growing and care in this case will not cause unnecessary trouble.

Is it possible to plant plums in summer?

Summer heat is destructive for trees with a shallow root system. Planting plum trees in late spring and summer is highly undesirable. If there are still reasons to do this, you must be prepared for the fact that there will be no harvest this year, and subsequent cultivation and care will be difficult.

Where is the best place to plant a plum tree?

When planting a plum, you need to fulfill the required conditions: choose the right place for planting and take into account its biological characteristics.

• Plum cultivation should be done in places where there are no cold eastern and northern winds, on gentle slopes.
• It cannot be shaded by tall trees and outbuildings.
• The main underground part of the plum tree is superficial, so it is important that groundwater does not come close to the top layer of soil where it grows.
• You should not plant plum trees in a low-lying area where a lot of water and snow accumulate.
• Plum loves fertile, light and neutral soil (pH 5.5–6). If the soil is acidic, it must be neutralized with dolomite flour or lime (every 4 years).
• When grown, pollinator varieties are placed at a distance of 3 meters from the planted plum.

Can plum grow in partial shade?

If the plum falls into the partial shade of a tree or fence for a short period of daylight, this is not bad. In summer, temperatures sometimes reach record levels, and solar fire can burn not only the leaves, but also the trunk of the plum tree. Then such protection is a real salvation for the plum tree. In winter, such care provides protection from the icy wind.

At what distance to plant plums from the fence?

Over time, the plum root system can begin to destroy nearby buildings, sometimes, unfortunately, strangers. Neighbors complain that the shadow from a plum tree planted close to the fence obscures their plantings, and the plum tree itself covers the area with leaves and fruits.For this purpose, there are sanitary norms and rules (SNiP) for optimal planting of trees and shrubs. The instructions clearly define the distance from the fence to a shrub or short tree (SNiP 30-02-97) of two meters, a tall one - 3 m. This is important both from the point of view of fire safety and for growing and care.

What can you plant a plum next to?

The ecosystem of garden plots is usually represented by a rich variety of varieties of fruit trees. To obtain stable yields, it is important that it is in balance, and to maintain it it is necessary to know the characteristics of each type of plant. Many trees secrete inhibitors - substances that inhibit nearby crops; some can even transmit diseases. Everyone has the power to create a garden in which the trees will be good neighbors, influencing each other favorably.

Is it possible to plant one plum tree?

Some plum varieties are self-fertile, but even for them a pollinator is desirable.

If it is not possible to grow another plum nearby, it is recommended to graft the desired pollinator variety into the crown.

Good neighbors for plums

• An apple tree gets along well with a plum. There are opposing opinions on this matter, but you can often see a plum and apple tree growing nearby and hear stories from experienced gardeners about the rich harvests obtained from such a neighborhood.
• Black elderberry saves plums from aphids.
• If space allows, then to increase the plum yield, it is worth planting a maple tree nearby, although it will have to be regularly trimmed.

Is it possible to plant a plum next to a cherry?

Plum and cherry get along well together and protect each other from diseases. They can be planted close, but so that the crowns do not touch.

How plum and cherry grow side by side

It is not recommended to grow plums between cherries and cherries. It is “friendly” with cherries, but not so much with cherries. Their rhizomes lie in the same horizon and, if the cherry is more powerful, it will displace the underground part of the plum from the humus into the infertile lower layers. This will cause the plum to weaken significantly. Plant them at a distance of 5 meters from each other.

The proximity of plums and currants

Black currants, like plums, do not like any kind of proximity. The currant will not fight for a place in the sun, since it feels good in the shade, but the underground part grows strongly and begins to fight with the root system of the plum. They will oppress each other, so growing and caring for them will be difficult.

The situation is better with planting red currants nearby - non-aggressive and easy-going. Its rhizomes are located at an average depth, so there will be no strong competition for nutrients.

Is it possible to plant a plum next to an apple tree?

The apple tree is a universal plant and gets along with almost all the trees in the garden, including the plum.

The neighborhood of plum and raspberry

Both plums and raspberries have shallow root systems, and there is a constant war between them for nutrient solutions. In terms of the speed of spreading throughout the garden, raspberries are a real aggressor; they can grow and feed everywhere and do great harm to the plum tree, intertwining with its roots and depleting the soil underneath it.

At what distance to plant a plum from a pear

The pear has a strong root system, a powerful crown up to 5 meters wide, and reaches a height of 15 m. The pear is perhaps the most light-loving of all fruit trees. The nearby plum will not withstand such power for long. In the struggle for the sun, it will fail, but thanks to the surface horizon of the roots, it will suck all the nutrients from the humus. And plums also tend to provoke diseases to which pears are prone. Planting these crops should be further away from each other, at a distance of 6 meters.

The neighborhood of plum and peach

Peach is a solitary tree and cannot tolerate any neighbors. This crop is delicate and requires care. She feels uncomfortable next to a plum tree, as both plants are susceptible to many diseases.

Compatibility of plum and honeysuckle

Honeysuckle grows well next to plum trees. The small shrub feels comfortable and is not afraid of light plum shade. Growing is possible at a distance of 2 meters from each other.

Is it possible to plant different varieties of plums side by side?

Many varieties of plums are self-sterile, which means that for pollination and getting a good harvest you will need one more, or better yet, several simultaneously flowering varieties of this crop.

What can you plant under a plum tree?

The plum tree trunk can be covered with lawn turf. Bentgrass, white clover, bluegrass or fescue are suitable. Under plum trees, it is favorable to grow bulbous plants, primroses, and celandine.

You can't plant it next to a plum tree.

Not all representatives of the plum flora are treated well.

• It does not like plums, pears, raspberries, and black currants; it does not get along well with sea buckthorn and cherry plantings.
• Growing next to birch (even decorative) is contraindicated. It will suck all the water out of the soil and the plum tree will die.
• It will not tolerate drainage adjacent to walnut plantings. This is a natural herbicide containing juglone, which, once released from the leaves into the ground, will destroy all vegetation under its crown.
• It is not allowed to grow anemone next to plums - weed, on which rust fungus develops. This mushroom has many homes and the next one could be a plum.

How to choose a plum seedling

In order for the seedling to take root well and turn into a productive plum, and caring for it is not problematic, you need to take care of the quality of the planted material before planting.

First of all, it is recommended to carefully examine the tree. Not worth buying if:

• shoots are damaged or broken;
• they are connected with wire and covered with mud;
• trunk damaged by hail;
• dried or rotten seedling with moldy areas;
• thickenings on the rhizome or brown spots similar to foci of black cancer were found;
• the grafting site is curved and crooked;
• roots are brown, drooping, dying;
• there are useless branches close to the ground;
• the standard has defects and splits.

One-year or two-year-old seedlings are suitable for planting (they will take root better).

When purchasing, be sure to inspect the root system. It should be of normal color and have a branched structure. They look at the aerial part: the better it is developed, the more roots there should be. An annual plant should have 3–4 skeletal roots 25–30 cm long and lateral shoots.

You also need to inspect the vaccination site:

• is it completely covered by bark;
• Is it too low (normally 10 cm).

Only if these rules are followed will planting and growing plums be successful, and care will be easy and enjoyable.

What kind of soil does plum tree like?

Plum is a moisture-loving tree. Its bark and wood do not retain water well, the roots are located in shallow, surface horizons where the water regime is unstable, so cultivation should take place in low areas where normal humidity can be maintained through irrigation. Overmoistening should not be allowed. The groundwater level should be no higher than two meters from the ground surface.

What fertilizers are applied when planting plums?

Every gardener can improve the composition of the soil in which he will grow plums. The planting site is dug up with a shovel full, while organic matter and minerals are added to it. They do this in mid-autumn, in October. The purpose of digging is to saturate the soil with oxygen.

For 1 sq. m. area contribute:

• mullein (3–5 kg), humus or compost (8–10 kg);
• superphosphate (40–50 g);
• potassium nitrate (20–30 g).

On highly acidified lands, liming is carried out using dolomite flour, ash or lime. 800 g of the substance are scattered over the surface per 1 m². 15 kg of humus, 200 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium fertilizer and 0.5 kg of lime per 1 m² are added to the loam.

How to plant plums in spring: step-by-step instructions

When planting (deep) plowing of the land, planting holes can be small in size - 60 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter, only for placing roots. In conventional, shallow cultivation, planting holes are dug to a depth of 70 centimeters and a diameter of about 1 m.

If the soil layer is fertile and saturated with air, contains a lot of humus, and is biologically active, then the plum will grow strong, with a powerful crown. This means that the distance between plums during planting should be a maximum of 5 m. If plums are planted on a hill in unenriched soil, the distance between them should be no more than 3 m.

When planting plants on a site, a certain algorithm of actions is followed:

1. If the seedlings were stored in winter storage, they are carefully released and placed in a liquid nutrient mixture of earth and mullein.
2. They dig a hole 70 cm deep and about a meter in diameter.
3. Drive a tall peg into the center of the hole to secure the tree.
4. A layer of soil is poured onto the bottom as a mound (the soil for planting plums is mixed in advance with humus and mineral fertilizer). The hill is made higher to prevent the seedling from sinking when the earth shrinks.
5. Assess the condition of the rhizome, trim the damaged roots to a healthy part of the plant.
6. The tree is placed so that its root collar is 5–7 cm above the ground surface. This is done using a level slate or the handle of a shovel placed across the hole.
7. Straighten the roots along the mound so that they do not rest against the side walls of the hole, but are located freely.
8. The rhizome is covered 10–15 cm deep and 3 buckets of water are poured into the hole. The earth will soften, and water slurry will fill the voids around the roots.
9. Fill the hole to the top and don’t water it anymore.After planting, the soil will sink along with the seedling, and the root collar will be exactly where it should be.
10. For convenience, two people sit together. One plants the seedling and straightens the rhizome, the other fills the soil.
11. Make a hole for watering. The top layer is airy and loose.
12. The plum is tied to a peg loosely, in a figure eight. They tie them tighter only after a month, when the ground finally settles.
13. If the peg turns out to be high, part of it is sawed off so that it does not interfere with the seedling (at the level of the lower skeletal branch).
14. Mulch the soil around (you can use peat).

Is it possible to bury the root collar of a plum tree?

Sometimes novice gardeners mistake the grafting site, located 15 centimeters above the rhizome, for the root collar. If a plum is planted in the ground to such a depth, it will not bear fruit well and may die.

To plant a plum tree correctly, you need to know: the root collar is the place where the trunk ends and the root begins. It is easy to spot by its color. Wipe the stem and the upper part of the rhizome with a damp cloth. The place where the color changes from green to brown will be the root collar. Deepening the cervix is ​​contraindicated. What happens in this case:

• when the soil comes into contact with the trunk, the latter becomes damp;
• the plant begins to rot gradually, it becomes lethargic and it seems that the seedling does not have enough moisture; after watering the situation gets even worse;
• the bark dies, metabolic processes are disrupted;
• the plum dies.

The nuances of planting plums in the fall

Plums are planted in the fall no earlier than September 15 and no later than the end of September. If autumn is very warm and frosts are not expected in the next month, the planting period can be extended until mid-October. The choice of planting material during the season is large and you can save on purchases.Planting is carried out according to the spring scheme, but no fertilizers are added to the soil.

Planting a plum with a closed root system in spring

Saplings with an open root system (ROS) are placed together with the remaining soil in a thick film, moistened and put up for sale. They are planted in the fall or dug in until spring.

Seedlings with a closed root system (ZKS) are sold in containers with soil (artificial soil). They cost more, but have their advantages.

• If a seedling with ACS is not intended for storage at all, then with soil it can be stored for a long time. A fairly mature plum is purchased.
• Trees with OKS are planted only at certain times, and plums with ZKS will take root well at any time of the year (except for hot summer days).
• When planted in open ground, the root system is not affected.
• Since the PCL is well developed, flowering and fruiting occur earlier.
• The seedling with ZKS is convenient for transportation.

Landing is simple:

1. They dig a hole slightly larger than a clod of earth in which the plant is placed. They do drainage.
2. Carefully place the rhizome with soil in the hole.
3. Fill the voids with earth mixed with fertilizer (superphosphate, ash).
4. Water generously for several days. Mulching.

Do I need to prune plum seedlings when planting?

When digging up a young plum tree in a nursery, the roots are injured and cut off. The communication between the nutritional systems of the root and the above-ground part is disrupted. To establish a normal ratio of plant parts after planting, branches are pruned. Moreover, the more roots are cut off, the more intensively the crown is cut off. It can be reduced by a third or even half.The side branches from above are pruned stronger than the lower ones, the weak ones are not pruned at all. Without proper care, the plum tree will not bear fruit abundantly.

How to feed a plum after planting

Plum care must be carried out correctly and systematically.

At the time of planting, the first fertilizing is carried out. Humus is added to the planting hole - 5 kg; peat in the same amount, superphosphate, ash.

It alkalizes the soil, especially acidic soil, which has a beneficial effect on cultivation.

In the second year, the plum is fed with carbamide (urea).

Young plums are fed 2 times a season - in mid-May and in June. Any type of fertilizing is used: granules are scattered (20 g of urea per 1 sq. m.) or foliar fertilizing is used. The solution is prepared in accordance with the instructions.

In the third year, the plum is fed: in early May - with urea (30 g of urea per bucket of water), in early June - nitrophoska (4 tablespoons of the substance per bucket of water), in early August, fed again with a mixture of potassium salt and superphosphate (2 tbsp. l per 10 liters of water) 3 buckets of the nutrient composition are poured under the plum.

With minerals, it is effective to use organic matter for growing and caring. In the third year after planting, a solution of mullein is added. It is infused for 10 days, diluted with water (0.5 liters of infusion per bucket of water) and poured under the plum.

Watering plum seedlings after planting

During the summer, plum care includes mandatory watering once a week. 30 liters of water are poured under one plum. In order not to wash away the humus, use irrigation for two hours.

If the summer is very hot and dry, the plum tree is watered more often; if it is rainy, it is watered correspondingly less often. In the second year of plum cultivation, irrigation and watering are carried out according to need and weather conditions.

A useful option for summer plum care is sprinkling.Young trees bask in the summer heat and warm autumn weather. Spraying in summer is carried out only in the evening. Sprinkling seedlings hardens them and prepares them for temperature changes. The shower starts in the evening and ends in the early morning. After watering, the tree trunk circle is mulched with sawdust, pine needles, and peat.

How to replant a plum

Often, due to redevelopment of the garden or an unsuccessful choice of planting site, the plum tree needs to be replanted. This must be done with minimal trauma to the plum. It is best to replant the plant before 4 years of age (good survival rate). For autumn transplantation, the pit is prepared 20 days before, for spring transplantation - in autumn. Drainage (expanded clay, broken brick) is poured into the bottom of the hole, then sprinkled with compost and earth on top.

When is it better to replant a plum tree: in spring or autumn?

The crop can be replanted both in spring and autumn, the main thing is that the plum has time to take root before the onset of cold or heat. In early spring, the growing conditions are changed in April, before the juices flow, but the earth has already warmed up. Later, transplantation is carried out from the end of September to October 20. Plum of winter-hardy species can be replanted as soon as the snow melts.

How to replant a plum tree in spring to a new place

The best time to transplant a plum is the beginning of spring, before the buds begin to grow, before the sap flows.

• First, a place is selected where the plum will be grown. It should be sunny, protected from the wind.
• If the plum is supposed to be transported far, the roots are wrapped in a thick film or matting. An adult plum is placed in a box made of boards.
• After transportation, the underground part of the plum is assessed. Everything that has rotted, dried out and broken off is removed, and the cut areas are treated with ash.
• If the rhizome has dried out, it is briefly placed in water.
• The root collar is not deepened during transplantation.
• The hole is filled with garden soil and watered, then mulched.

Transplanting a plum tree to a new location in the fall

The most suitable month for autumn plum transplantation is October. The air temperature at this time is already low, but the ground is not yet frozen, which means the plant has the opportunity to send out young shoots into the warm soil. Care includes mulching the tree trunk to protect the young root from the cold.

How to replant a young plum tree in spring

Before replanting, remove the top layer of soil within a radius of 30–40 cm from the trunk and fill the resulting groove with water to allow the earthen coma with roots to become limp. You can even slightly rock the young plum. After the soil has softened, if necessary, place a log under the root - a kind of lever - and pull out the plum. After transplanting, do not trample the soil, just water it with water. The tree is tied up and the soil is mulched.

How to replant an adult plum tree

A fruiting plum that is more than 7 years old is transplanted together with an earthen ball 70 cm high and 1 m in diameter. It is planted in a prepared hole at the same planting depth. Sprinkle it thoroughly with water, and when the soil settles a little, add more soil.

An adult plum is secured on both sides with ropes for stability. After this, the remaining space around the plum is filled with a nutrient mixture: 50% rotted manure, 20% sand and 30% top layer. The grooves are compacted and filled with water. The bases of the branches are tied with burlap and moistened with water for a month.

You can replant a plum without an earthen clod. A tree is placed in a dug hole, earth mixed with humus is poured onto it (carefully so as not to bend the roots), watered thoroughly and spacers are placed so that it does not fall.Subsequent care is mulching with a layer of 10 cm.

How to dig up a plum tree for replanting

The first step is to determine the size of the earthen ball dug out with the tree. If the plum is more than 5 years old, then the diameter will be approximately 1 m, if more than 10 - 1.5 m.

The next steps are:

1. To prevent the lump from crumbling, the soil around the plum is well shed with water (50 l).
2. Ringed with a ditch 70 cm deep.
3. An ax is used to cut off the roots that extend beyond the boundaries of the circle. You can use a hacksaw. The ends of the roots are cleaned with a knife and treated with varnish.
4. The plum is carefully pulled out of the ground by grasping the base of the trunk.
5. An earthen lump with a plum is packed in burlap or a large box and taken to a new planting site.

If the plum roots are large, dig until the tree is completely freed from the ground. Then place a log across the hole and try to pull out the barrel using a lever. Do not drag too much, act carefully. Try not to shed the soil from the roots.

Is it possible to replant a flowering plum tree in May?

Such a landing is permissible only if necessary. You can replant, but you shouldn’t count on fruits in the coming season. And if the roots are damaged, then in the next two years too.

Growing and caring for plums

In order for the plum to delight you with harvests, you need before growing:

• not only choose the right varieties, but also choose the types of pollinators;
• determine the correct planting location, timing, choose a good seedling;
• follow all the necessary techniques and agricultural techniques for caring for plums.

Plum feeding

The development of plums during cultivation is stimulated by feeding. For the first 2–3 years after planting, the plums will have enough substances added during planting.Then the fertilizers are alternated: a year the plum is fed with organic matter (infusions of mullein, bird droppings, slurry, compost, herbal green stuff), a year - with mineral salts (in April, before flowering, - 15-20 g of urea per 1 m², in May, after flowering, – 20 g of double superphosphate + 30 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m² of trunk circle). From inorganic matter, plums need phosphorus and potassium (for root development and the formation of beautiful fruits).

How to water a plum tree

In spring, there is enough moisture in the soil, and the plum tree does not need watering. She needs it during the period of fruit ripening, from June to August inclusive. Watering rate is 50 liters per 1 m². The wet care schedule is approximately as follows:

• immediately after landing;
• during the formation of the ovary and shoot growth;
• a week before harvesting;
• after harvest (if the summer is very dry);
• in October (if autumn is warm and there is a need for it).

In this case, it is necessary to follow some rules of wet care:

1. Plums are not watered just before the fruits ripen. Excess moisture will cause the peel to burst.
2. The soil should not be allowed to dry out; this is dangerous for the plum tree. Both the ovaries and leaves will fall off, and as a result the drainage may die.
3. The best care in hot weather is watering at the root.

Pruning plum

Trimming is carried out in March and early spring. Trees are formed in tiers (3-3-2 skeletal branches). The distance between branches is 15 cm, between tiers is 50 cm. The height of the trunk is 40 cm.

Developed branches of young plums more than 45 cm long are shortened by 1/4 of the length to stimulate the formation of shoots. During fruiting, the crown is cleared of dry and thickening branches.

• If the growth is weak (10–15 cm), then rejuvenating pruning is carried out on the 5-year-old side branch.
• Every year, in early spring and autumn, plum shoots are removed, cutting them down to the base of the root system.

Mulching

Mulching when growing plums is carried out to maintain the quality of the soil. It prevents the formation of an earthen crust and prevents moisture from quickly evaporating.

Mulch for plum care can be organic (sawdust, shavings, grass clippings, hay, pine needles, moss) and inorganic (newspapers and films). Its functions are as follows:

• insulates the entire underground part of the plant;
• reflects the sun's rays;
• prevents soil drying out by retaining moisture;
• prevents weeds from growing.

When grown, plum trees produce more adventitious roots if they are mulched. Before this type of care, fertilizing is carried out.

Mistakes that novice gardeners make

Even experienced gardeners make mistakes when planting and growing a plum tree, let alone beginners. There are a number of common mistakes that sometimes cannot be corrected, but can be prevented by knowing about them in advance. These errors are worth paying attention to.

• It is imprudent to buy trees for planting from cars at the market. Do not be tempted by the cheapness of the goods; high-quality goods are offered only in nurseries.
• The optimal planting time for plums is from September 15 to 25. There is no need to succumb to the general hype and buy planting material at the end of August. It is useless to plant such a plant in a permanent place. It can only be saved by hiding under a snow cover or in a cold basement.
• Fertilize the plum exactly according to the instructions. It will not withstand mineral aggression during maintenance.
• When planting a plum, you should not put fresh manure or a highly concentrated infusion of chicken manure in the hole.Organic matter with such a low degree of decomposition, when it gets into the soil, releases ammonia and a lot of heat. This depresses the trunk and burns the roots, making it difficult to grow.
• Do not water the plum often, but little by little. Such watering care forms an earthen crust and dries out the soil.
• Do not apply a thick layer of mulch immediately after planting, otherwise the bark will form a layer.

Conclusion

Planting a plum tree is not an easy process, but it promises results after 3 years of care. If grown and cared for correctly, a plum tree, which lives on average 30 years, will delight 25 of them with a rich and increasing harvest from year to year.

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