Take care
Pits, leaves and stems contain cyanogenic glycosides — do not eat the kernel. Toxic to dogs, cats and horses, especially wilting leaves.
Plum
Prunus domestica
Start plum indoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 8 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 180 in (457 cm) apart.
Photo: Fir0002, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Stratified Seed Indoor Start
From seedRecommended from seed- Start indoors4 weeks before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off7 weeks after your last spring frost
- Plant out8 weeks after your last spring frost
- First harvestthe first crop about 3 years after planting
Stratified Seed Direct Sow
From seed- Sow outdoors1 week before your last spring frost
- First harvestthe first crop about 3 years after planting
Bare-Root Tree Transplant
TreeRecommended tree- Plant out4 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestthe first crop about 3 years after planting
Container Tree Transplant
Tree- Plant out4 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestthe first crop about 3 years after planting
Growing plum
- Spacing in the row
- 180 in (457 cm)
- Between rows
- 240 in (610 cm)
- Planting depth
- Plant at the depth it grew in the nursery, graft union 2-4 inches above the soil
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Years to first crop
- 3
- Mature height
- 12-15 ft
- Hardy to
- USDA zone 4
- Life cycle
- Perennial
Feeding
- How often
- Once a year, in early spring. Spread it under the canopy as buds swell; skip it if the tree is already making strong growth, and do not feed after midsummer.
Your plum, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.