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Remove most of these branches, leaving about four strong shoots around the trunk at about a 45-degree angle from the trunk and evenly spaced in a north, south, east, and west direction.

If your nursery trees have a central stem greater than 1/2 inchĭiameter, they likely already have side branches.

Those shoots will develop into the four scaffold branches that

Toward midsummer, select four side shoots (young lateral branches), strong lateral shoots thatĪre spaced evenly around the main stem.

Primary or scaffold branches will develop 6 to 10 Use a clean, sharp, sterilized pruner, pair of loppers, or pruning saw. Prune these back to between 18 and 24 inches

Young nursery trees with thin trunks usually do not have lateral branches.

An overgrown, mature plum tree will produce limited amounts of smaller fruit. If you don't prune at all, plum trees get big and bushy. Don't prune too late in the growing season since this can cause new growth in fall, which will bring winter freeze problems next year.

But if older trees are getting too big for their space in your yard, summer pruning can be used to slow their growth. Pruning while the tree is dormant supports strong spring growth and doesn't damage the tree. New growth begins but after the coldest winter weather is over. When it comes to pruning plum trees to encourage growth, get out those pruners in late winter or early spring. The time of year for pruning plums depends on the reason for pruning. Some trees should be pruned to an open center form (Japanese plums), while others are naturally vase-shaped and require a central leader form (European plums). Proper pruning also opens the canopy to air and light. Fruit trees should be pruned every year to maintain an appropriate branching structure with healthy, fruiting wood.