Posted: Fri May 16, 14 12:03 pm Post subject: Problem plum - pruning advice needed
I bought a fan trained plum a couple of winters ago. It was an odd shape for a fan, in my uneducated opinion, when I bought it (mail order). Sort of wine glass shaped but with a few spindly outward facing side shoots and some stronger diagonal shoots across the middle. I wasn't really sure where to start. So I left it. This morning I've cut off the obvious forward facing growth. But now I'm stuck. What would you do with it? (I am aware it is not in a great position for fruiting - a bay one side and a guelder rose the other that actually overhangs it. However, it's my only option).
Ummm...what I would do...
..if you can bend the long branch on the left few inches lower..then you have some new shoots in the middle, shorten the bottom one of those (longer green one) down to four leaves....leave the middle one and train it to grow in same angle as the long one (to the left) and shorten the other green shoots down to 4 leaves too.
I you can bend the 'middle limb' (the one with those new green shoots) teeny bit to the right and fasten her there you have then good fan shape going on...and then you just have to keep those new green shoots shortened..down four leaves is always good measure with plums
..they should fruit for you next year!
It is better to prune plums during the summer; June-July to avoid the risk of silver leaf. I would leave the rest until then, and bend a few branches to tie in to get the shape you want. You will lose some fruit, but that is the best way.
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