How to Fertilize Plum Trees

Fertilizer is used to boost the soil's nutrient content. A lack of nutrients will cause poor growth, reduced fruit set and eventual death. If your plum tree is not producing new, green growth, is flowering but not producing fruit or if you have premature fruit drop, your tree is lacking nutrients. You can use commercial fertilizers as long as the nitrogen and potassium is balanced. 10-10-10 is the best fertilizer to use for plums. Organic gardeners can use compost or well rotted manure. Apply all fertilizers at the drip line, the line around the tree were the tips of branches reach. Roots used to absorb nutrients and water are located at the drip line.

Things You'll Need

• 10-10-10 commercial fertilizer, compost or rotted manure
• Mulch
• Rake
• Shovel

Instructions

1. Fertilize your plum trees in early spring, before buds leaf out.

2. Pull mulch away from the plum tree.

3. Apply compost, rotted manure or a commercial 10-10-10 fertilizer. For the compost and rotted manure: apply at the drip line of the tree to a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch. For the 10-10-10 commercial fertilizer, apply at the drip line of the tree at a rate of 8 ounces per year of tree age. Do not apply more than a pound of fertilizer.

4. Replace mulch around the plum tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply fertilizer in a circle around the tree at the drip line. In areas with rich loam topsoil, you will not need to fertilize.

• Too much fertilizer can cause excessive vegetative growth and no fruit production. Applying fertilizer in summer and fall can cause new growth that will not harden off before winter and may be damaged by cold temperatures.

References

• Fertilizing plum trees

Resources

• Fruit tree fertilizers
• More fertilizers