Some of us after getting a good plot of land want to plant some trees that have much more to give us in return after being planted. People often tend to do stuff like these when they retire. Having Plum trees in your backyard must sound pretty nice.
However, to know about all the nuances that it comes to when farming these trees, many of us have no clue. Fear not; we are here to help you go through this rigorous process.
With the help of our extensively researched piece here you will have all the information you need to decide if you want to get a plum tree or not.
After all, it all comes down to the fact of when they will bear fruits, and we are here to answer that along with other useful information. So, keep reading below to know more.
When do plum trees produce fruit?
After learning more about the plum trees the experts decided that these trees take at least four to six years after planting to give any sort of fruit. They will spend the next 15-20 years producing plum fruits. If we do not collect the fruits early in the season, the birds will get to them first.
The standard time for plum trees to bear fruits is not the same for every variant of the tree. The plum tree of different regions and variations bear fruit at different times.
Plum trees also produce different sizes of fruits as well. To learn more about the different kinds of plums and their different fruit-bearing timings, keep reading below.
Common Plum Tree:
These are the standard plum trees that are usually called the European Plum tree.
They can take at least 6 years before they start giving out fruits. After that, they will continue for a good number of years and keep bearing fruits.
Japanese Plum Tree:
This particular plum tree is called Satsuma Japanese plum tree. This plum tree does not fruit every year once it matures, which is a common trait among other variants of the plum tree.
The Japanese Plum tree bears fruits that are much firmer, larger, and rounder than the European plum tree. However, the Japanese plum also gives fruits from 6 years of age and so like the European one as well.
Cherry Plum Tree:
These are the smaller size plums that when compared with the regular plums like the European one, the cheery plums look very small.
They can be red and are scattered with light peach-colored speckles when they are ripe. The Cherry Plum tree generally gives fruits in about 3-4 years. Unlike the longer waiting time for the usual plum trees.
Dwarf Plum Tree:
After planting this variant of the plum tree we can expect it to give the fruit a year earlier than the rest of its cousins. The tree bears fruit around 2 to 5 years in time.
Things to know about plum tree fruiting:
Here are some small amounts of information that you may find useful before deciding on farming plum trees. Have a look at them and decide for yourself if having them is a good option or not.
The months of the year when plum trees produce fruit:
Plum trees that are of standard variety give fruits when the tree is at least 6 years age.
The tree does not bear fruits any earlier than that. Also, the fruits only bear during June and September.
They bloom during the late winter and continue until the early spring. This is almost the same case for all types of plum trees in different regions. However, the products can be different even if they bear fruit during the same time.
Some variations of the tree produce fruit sometimes sooner than the standard counterparts, like the Dwarf Plum tree.
Frequency of fruit production each year:
Even after starting to fruit from the age of 6 years. The plum tree produces for at least 15-20 years. However, this process is rather slow.
Because the tree does not bear fruit every year. The frequency is rather different in the different variety of species of the tree as well.
Amount of plums produced from a tree each year:
If the plum tree farm is a well-established one then it is expected to get at least 2 bushels of plums from late summer to fall from each tree.
The Plum trees that grow large can produce more fruits as they grow. A well-established tree will yield up to 2 bushels of plums from late summer into fall.
Plum trees produce more fruit as they grow large enough to support the extra weight.
What causes a plum tree not to bear fruit?
Sometimes plants do not give produce; there can be many different reasons as to why that can happen. They can lose their ability to produce fruits because of things that can intrude on their usual cycle. Here are some of those reasons discussed briefly below.
Co-Pollinator:
If there is a major lack of a co-pollinator then the trees cannot bear fruits. This is one of the bigger reasons why they might not get fruits in a certain season.
This is because the plum trees are not the kind of trees that can bear fruits by self-pollinating.
Thus, plums need the help of small critters like moths and bees as well as other pollinating insects. If there is a lack of these pollinators then it will be very difficult for the trees to bear any sort of fruits.
Too Cold:
There are times when the temperature can be detrimental to the trees in bearing fruits.
If for some reason the weather becomes freezing before the blooms open, then that will eliminate the flowers. Without flowers, the plums can’t bear any fruits whatsoever.
Nitrogen Fertilizer:
Sometimes when we take care of trees, we overdo it. This can also affect them by not bearing fruits when there is too much nitrogen. Because nitrogen promotes leafy growth and fewer fruits and vice versa.
Insects:
Generally, pesticides are harmful to trees and plants. So, therefore, sometimes we tone down on the amount of how much we use it.
However, this allows for insects to go rampant and sometimes chew the terminal ends, flowers, and also tips. This makes the plum trees not bear any fruits when the time comes.
Tips for encouraging fruiting on plum trees:
We already know that there are times when the plum trees will not bear any fruit from the above information. Many factors inhibit this process. Thus, we are here looking for ways that can stimulate the growth of the tree and bear many more fruits than usual.
Fertilizer & Irrigation:
We learned that giving the plum trees Nitrogen enriched fertilizers does not help them in bearing more fruits. It promotes growth yes and also enriches the leaves of the trees.
However, in order to get appropriate fertilizers for fruiting trees, we would need to look into a great source of phosphorus. Also, the plum trees must need good irrigation that will promote the bearing of more fruits.
Grass & Weeds:
It is rather a simple thing we need to do in order for the trees to increase the number of fruits they can give each year. We just simply need to get rid of the weeds and grass that might get in the way of the plum tree.
Prune:
Many people do not realize how much value this process is for fruit growth.
If we simply prune the trees when they are young, it will make them create a strong scaffold. Furthermore, the pruning also will not allow the tree to grow upward too much.
Suitable Location:
Plum trees are one of the least winter-hardy plants out there. Therefore, the location of where we plant the plum trees matter a lot.
For example, we cannot plant them in zones where the temperatures might fall as low as -15 F° or -26 C°. Furthermore, we should never plant plum trees where they will be shaded.
How do I know if my plum tree will fruit?
After planting the plum trees, we can expect them to give fruits in almost about 6 years. Some variations of the tree can sometimes give fruits even before that or sometimes later.
Once that time comes around, we can simply check to see if the trees have started to grow baby plums that appear on the trees.
Soon enough they get bigger and they will be ready for picking when we notice that they become in touch.
Final thoughts
Different variants of plum trees produce fruits at different times after they are planted. The regions and the species depend a lot on the fruit-bearing timings. However, the standard time for a standard type of plum, European plums, for example, will take 6 years to bear fruits after planting.