There’s nothing better than biting in to a ripe British plum –
having the juice run through your hands as you nibble round the stone. Plums, particularly the Victoria plum, are
seen as quite British fruits and they make a great addition to any garden or patio.
Early Development of our Rivers Early Prolific Plum Crop
However they still need a bit of love and care to make sure that
you get lots of fruit from your trees. As plums tend to flower quite early in
the year versus other fruits it is important to choose a warm, frost-free
location for your tree to make sure that it isn’t damaged by any extreme cold
weather. It’s also a good idea to choose fertile, moist soil to grow the tree
in as they like to absorb up plenty of nutrients.
Handy Hint – to increase the nutrient content of your soil try
adding some Bonemeal when planting.
There are several varieties which will fare well in the British
climate; including Opal, Victoria, Czar and Marjorie’s Seedling. Victoria is
probably the easiest to grow and is a great option if you want flexibility in
the kitchen, as you can eat the fruit straight from the fruit bowl or cook with
it to make a delicious plum crumble.
However you may find that other options like Opal and Czar provide fully
flavored options. There is a range to choose from at the Fruit Trees Direct Website
Depending on the amount of space you have in your garden
Marjorie’s Seedling or Victoria may be the most suitable options as they are
self-fertile trees, meaning they do not need to be near another plum tree to
produce a good crop of fruit. Other varieties may need a pollination partner to
produce their fruit, which means you need at least 2 plum trees to make sure
you get a strong harvest.
Tips for growing plums
Given the early flowering nature of plum trees they are best
planted in sheltered areas to ensure that they escape any late frosts. They
should also be planted in well-drained but moist soils.
Handy hint – apply some very well rotted mulch to the soil once
the tree has established to improve the nutrient content of the soil and to
help keep the moisture in. It is important the mulch is well rotted so that it
has been drained of any initial toxins.
Add Bonemeal to the soil in the spring to increase the nutrient
content of the soil and then again in winter before the cold weather hits.
For young plum trees you may want to consider planting with a
stake and tie kit to make sure the tree is stable in the soil as its root
system gets established. You can find some to choose from here http://www.fruittreesdirect.co.uk/planting-essentials-c29
Plum trees are best pruned in early spring and then thinned as the
crop starts to produce to make sure that the fruits don’t get too heavy and
snap any weaker branches
In order to make your crop last longer it is a good idea to pick
some of the plums just before they are ripe and place them in to a cold storage
area (like a larder or basement) – this way they will last about another 3-4
weeks.
Handy Hint – Make sure when you pick the early plums that you
leave a little stalk on there to encourage them to ripen.
At the end of the season make sure any fruits left on the tree are
removed to prevent any disease spreading over the winter in to next season’s
crop
