Plums are a different group of fruiting trees. We can find plums in most temperate regions of the world. There is a huge range of tree sizes, flavors, forms and colors. Plums Fruit is very good for health and it is very delicious fruit.
European plums are widely grown blue. Native Plums that are American are tart and small. Japanese plums are red and popular. Damson plums are dark blue and are a subset of European plums, which are commonly green. Prunes are a European plum fruit with an additional high sugar content (which allows plums to dry without fermenting at the pit). Cherry plums are wild plums or small native. Plumcots and pluots are hybrids between apricots and plums.
This fruit is so necessary for our body that cultivation is the most important part of growing the plum. However, we know that farmers require a lot of equipment for plum farming. Therefore we recommend the John Deere 5105 tractor for frequent farming.
Best Site and Climate for Growing Plums
- Plums grow in Zones 4 – 10. However, Contact the nearby Cooperative Extension Service for plum fruits varieties that thrive best in your region. A nearby garden centre will carry plum fruit varieties for your region.
- Plant plum fruits in full sun. Plums can withstand partial shade, but the yield will be less.
- Plums need well-drained deep soil that is moisture retentive. Prepare the planting site by working in an abundance of aged manure, aged compost, or commercial organic planting mix before planting.
- Farmers should prefer slightly acidic soil for farmers with a pH from 6.0 to 6.8.
- Do not plant plums in sandy soil or waterlogged. Plums do not like wet feet.
- Avoid the plums planting in low spots where there is cold air or frost in spring. Blooms are vulnerable to frost and should be protected.
- The best location for a plum tree is a northern exposure that stays cooler for a longer time in spring and encourages late bloom.
Choosing the Right Plum Tree
- There are various plum varieties. Contact the nearby Cooperative Extension Service for these plum varieties that grow best in your area.
- We can broadly divide the plums into three types: American, European and Japanese.
- American and European plums will grow anywhere apples grow.
- Japanese plums will thrive anywhere peaches will grow.
- European plums grow best in Zones 4 to 9. They are late blooming and are generally not damaged by frost. Plums can tolerate clay soil, but loamy soil is best. They originated in Europe. Subspecies of European plums are bullaces and damsons.
- Japanese plums are semi-hardy; they grow best in Zones 6 – 10; some plums will grow in zones colder than Zone 6. Japanese plums originated in China.
Plum Tree Pollination
- Damson plums and European plums are usually self-pollinating.
- American plums require cross-pollination.
- Japanese plums also need cross-pollination with few exceptions. (Self-fertile Japanese plums produce a larger crop when planted with a pollinator)
- American and Japanese hybrid plums generally require cross-pollination by a Japanese or American variety.
- Farmers must flower two plums at the same time for cross-pollination to occur. Some plums grow early in spring, and other plums grow in mid-spring, and still, other plants grow late in spring. Late and early flowering cultivars will not cross-pollinate because the plum flowers are not open simultaneously.
- During the flowering of plums, contact the nearby Cooperative Extension Service for a list of recommended varieties.
- Suitable pollinators should grow within 100 feet of each other and flower at the same time. A good strategy is to plant two-three diverse varieties of either American, European or Japanese plums to ensure pollination.
Plum Tree Root stock
Plum rootstock will determine the height of the tree. Dwarf plums flowering 8 – 10 feet tall; semi-dwarf plums 10 – 12 feet tall; standard plums fruit can grow to 20 feet tall or more.
The fruiting stems or wood of a plum tree are commonly grafted onto a rootstock suitable for the soil it will grow in and can withstand usual diseases. Growers choose the rootstocks that are suitable for the area where a tree will be sold.
Here are popular plum rootstocks: ‘Myrobalan’ (can produce a tree 20-feet tall): ‘Nemaguard’ (Requires well-drained soil and resist soil pest); ‘Pixie’ (dwarfing rootstock that produces trees about 10 feet tall); ‘Mariana’ (produces semi-dwarfing trees and tolerates moist soil).
Plum Tree Yields
- Dwarf plums can produce 30 – 50 pounds of fruit each year.
- Semi-dwarf plums can provide 75 – 100 pounds of fruit each year.
- Standard trees give 100 – 150 pounds of fruit each year.
Planting Plum Vegetables
- Plant the plum bare-root trees in early spring as soon as you can use the soil while the trees are still dormant.
- Plant container or bolted and Bur-lapped trees in spring or early summer before dry, hot weather arrives. In mild-winter regions, farmers can plant plum trees in the fall.
- Prepare the planting site in the complete sun that is protected from the prevailing wind or wind.
- Work the well-rotted manure or compost into the soil.
- Again dig a pit half as deep and twice as wide as the roots of the tree. Pour one cup of all-purpose fertilizer into the bottom of the hole.
- Attach a tree stake (or support wire for a fan) before planting. Drive the stake in the ground at least 2 feet deep to the edge of the hole.
- Set the plum plant in the hole so that the soil mark on the stem from the nursery pot is at surface level or an inch or two deeper than the surrounding soil. Remove all twine and burlap from bolted and Bur-lapped trees. Spread the roots in all directions.
Plum farming requires the most important equipment, which plays a major role in agro-processing. Equipment, harvesters and tractors are the main sectors in plum cultivation; Hence, we suggest the New Holland 3630 tractor.
For the above knowledge regarding plum farming in India, stay tuned with us.
