Plant a Plum Tree

Plant a Plum Tree this Winter

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Success with plums is as easy as following these steps

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There is no juicier fruit than a plum. Ranging in flavour from very sweet to tart, and in colour from deep purple to golden yellow, plums have been cultivated in South Africa since Jan van Riebeeck established a food garden at the Cape way back in the 1650s. And in spring they burst into spectacular white blossom, adding to the beauty of the garden.

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First considerations
The best time to plant a new plum tree is during the coldest months of July and August. Most plum varieties need to cross-pollinate with certain other varieties to bear fruit, so unless you have space for more than one tree you need to select a self-pollinating variety. If planting two or more trees, you need to space them at least 3-4m apart for easy access and optimal cultivation. (If you plan to espalier your trees, then space them 1m apart – we will cover this subject in a future issue.) Choose a sunny spot and make sure the soil is well drained. Plums tolerate a range of soils, from sandy-loams to clay-loams, but it is imperative that the soil does not get waterlogged. Needing at least 1000 hours of winter temperatures below 12.5°C, plums grow best in regions that experience cold winters followed by hot summers. This is why they do extremely well in the Boland.

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Choosing your trees
Select the varieties of your choice at a reputable nursery in your area. Look for one-year old grafted trees. The factors to consider are whether they need cross-pollinators, the colour you want and the fruiting periods: it’s always good to extend the bounty in your orchard by ensuring a selection of varieties that fruit over different periods. Early varieties produce fruit towards the end of November, and late varieties towards the end of February. A rule of thumb to apply when choosing cross-pollinating varieties is to note the colour of the fruits: seldom do two varieties of the same fruit colour cross-pollinate – a curious fact of nature. Below is a table to help you make your selection:

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