How to Buy Plum Trees
Plums are healthy, delicious fruits filled with antioxidants, fiber and vitamins. Adding plum trees to your orchard or garden, means you'll be enjoying juicy, fresh plums, or cooking up plum jam, plum pudding, or drying the plums into prunes.
Buying plum trees requires learning your climate zone, determining the type of plum you'd like to grow and identifying where best to purchase your plum trees. Once bought and planted, the trees will begin bearing fruit in 3 to 5 years; you'll keep busy trying out all those recipes you've been collecting.
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Things You'll Need
- Internet
- Garden supply catalogs
- Phone book
- Well-drained, fertile soil in a sun-filled location
Instructions
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Determine your climate zone (see Resources below). Plum trees require well-drained soil and sunlight and do best in the Northeastern region. If you live in a zone less conducive to fruit production, the National Gardening Association identifies American hybrid plum trees, as they are "a good choice for regional extremes."
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Identify how you will use your plum crop. How you plan to use the fruit will determine what type of plum tree to buy. The European plums, including the Stanley and Reine Claude varieties, are best for canning and table eating. The Shropshire and French Damson varieties are tart and well suited for jams and jellies and for use in recipes. Japanese plums, such as Methley, Shiro, Ozark Premier, Burbank and Elephant Heart are juicy but not as sweet as the European varieties. The Japanese varieties are a less hardy tree. American hybrid trees will also produce fruit.
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Purchase plum trees from a reputable seller. Search the phone book in your area for plant nurseries. If there are no local nurseries, you can order from either online nurseries or through catalogs. While you won't have the benefit of examining the plum trees before purchase, most on-line or catalog companies will replace your trees if they arrive damaged or diseased.
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Examine the tree before purchasing, choosing a 1 to 2-year-old healthy tree. According to Ohio State University Extension, "Desirable nursery stock for planting consists of trees 3 to 6 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 3/8 to 3/4-inch."
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Buy two trees, each of a different cultivar, as plum trees must cross-pollinate in order to bear fruit.
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Tips & Warnings
When purchasing plum trees, keep in mind that they provide excellent shade cover.
Make sure to prepare your site before buying plum trees.
Purchase in early spring after danger of frost has passed.
Plum trees are susceptible to black knot fungus (Dibotryon morbosum) and other conditions affecting fruit trees. Carefully examine trees before purchase, or immediately upon receipt if shipped.
