Prunus domestica
Plum
Common names: European plum, Damson
Photo: YAMAMAYA · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The plum is a rewarding home garden tree that gives you basketfuls of sweet fruit from August. Robust cultivars such as the ‘Hauszwetschge’ bear reliably and suit cake, jam and fresh nibbling. Many cultivars are self-fertile, but a second tree raises the yield noticeably.
Care instructions
Plant it in autumn (October, week 42) or early spring in a sunny, wind-sheltered spot with nutrient-rich soil. Prune only sparingly and preferably in summer after the harvest, because plums close fresh winter cuts badly and then tend towards gummosis. Mulch the tree disc and water deeply in the first years when it is dry.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Feb–Apr
Pruning
Propagation
Methods
- Grafting
- Cuttings
- Layering
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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Varieties
8 varieties‘Anna Späth’
You’ll enjoy *‚Anna Späth’*, a late, self-fertile plum that produces large, dark blue fruit.
‘Auerbacher’
You will find *‚Auerbacher’* to be a robust, self‑pollinating house plum with medium‑sized, blue fruit and a fine coating.
‘Graf Althans Reneklode’
*‚Graf Althans Reneklode’* is one of the most refined Reneklodes with large, reddish‑purple fruits and especially fine aroma.
‘Große Grüne Reneklode’
The classic green plum and embodiment of the noble plums, small to medium‑sized, green‑yellow fruit with incomparable aroma.
‘Königin Victoria’
An old English connoisseur's variety with large, oval fruits in a warm yellow red with a red cheek.
‘Ontariopflaume’
An old, self-fertile variety with large, round to oval, greenish-yellow fruits.
‘Ruth Gerstetter’
Probably the earliest blue plum in the garden, ripe as early as mid to late July, long before most other varieties begin.
‘The Czar’
This early English plum gives you medium sized fruit with a blue bloom from the beginning of August.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Zwetschge, plum, mirabelle, greengage: who is who
All four are plums, yet shape, freestone quality and flavour tell them apart. How to recognise Zwetschge, plum, mirabelle and greengage and plant the right one.
Planting and pruning Zwetschge and plum
An airy crown is the best prevention against brown rot. How to plant and prune Zwetschge and plum correctly, without risking gummosis.
Plum Moth: How to Keep Your Plums Worm-Free
Wormy plums are almost always the work of the plum moth. Once you understand its two generations and flight periods, you can cut the damage sharply with a pheromone trap, a trunk band and autumn hygiene, entirely without chemicals.
Where to get this plant
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