How to Grow Plum Trees in the UK

Plum trees are one of the most rewarding fruit trees you can grow in a UK garden. A grown-up Victoria often gives more plums than one household can eat, with plenty left over for jam, crumbles and the freezer. The family includes dessert plums, cooking plums, damsons, gages and mirabelles, so you can be picking from late July right through to October.

Plums have a big plus over apple trees and pear trees. Most popular varieties are self-fertile, so one tree on its own will fruit. Victoria is the nation’s favourite for good reason. It crops heavily, copes with most soils, and the fruit is good for eating and cooking.

Which rootstock should you choose for a plum tree?

The rootstock decides how big your tree gets. Every plum you buy is a named variety grafted onto a rootstock, and you can’t change it later, so choose with care.

Pixy suits most gardens. It’s semi-dwarfing, and the RHS plum growing guide gives a bush height of 3-4m. VVA-1 is a newer option of around 3m. Trees on Pixy fruit within 3-4 years and are easy to pick, prune and net. Pixy is great for small gardens, patios and growing in containers. The catch is that Pixy trees need a stake for life.

St Julien A makes a bigger tree of about 4.5-5m. It suits medium to large gardens where you want bigger crops. It’s sturdier than Pixy, copes with heavier soils, and only needs staking for the first few years.

Brompton makes a full-sized tree of over 4.5m. It’s for orchards and big gardens only. Trees take longer to fruit and are hard to pick and prune at height.

Best plum tree varieties for UK gardens

Victoria, Czar, Opal, Marjorie’s Seedling, Cambridge Gage and Merryweather damson are all reliable here. Choose by flavour, when they ripen and how you want to use them.

Victoria

Victoria plums, Cambridge Gage and damsons, showing the range of plum types.

Victoria is the UK’s favourite plum, an old English variety with yellow flesh and red-flushed skin. It’s sweet enough to eat off the tree and firm enough for cooking, jam and bottling. It’s self-fertile and crops heavily, sometimes too heavily, so thin the fruit in June to save the branches. It ripens in late August to early September.

Czar

Czar is a cooking plum with dark purple skin and golden flesh. It’s self-fertile, very hardy and copes with colder, more exposed gardens than Victoria. Choose it if your garden is high up, faces north or gets regular late frosts. It’s too sharp to eat raw but makes superb jam and stewed fruit. It ripens in early to mid-August.

Opal

Opal is a self-fertile dessert plum with reddish-purple skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It’s the earliest here, ripening from late July. It tastes wonderful fresh, stays fairly compact and crops well even in cooler summers. A great pick for dwarf fruit trees in small gardens.

Marjorie’s Seedling

Marjorie’s Seedling is a late plum, ripening in late September to early October, a good month after Victoria. The fruit is large and dark purple, good for cooking or eating when fully ripe. It’s self-fertile and vigorous. Choose it for plums when the rest of the garden is winding down.

Cambridge Gage

Cambridge Gage has small, round, green fruit with a rich, honey-sweet flavour that many people think is the best of any plum. Gages need a warm, sheltered spot to ripen well. It’s only partly self-fertile, so it crops better with another plum that flowers at the same time nearby. A south-facing wall suits it best.

Damson Merryweather

Merryweather is the most popular damson, with large blue-black fruit in September. Damsons are too sharp to eat raw but make the best jam and damson gin. It’s self-fertile, very hardy and copes with windy sites that would upset dessert plums. It even makes a pretty hedge, with white blossom in spring.

Variety comparison table

How to plant a plum tree

Plant bare-root trees between November and March, while they’re dormant. Pot-grown trees can go in any time, but autumn to early spring is still best.

Choosing the right spot

Planting a bare-root plum. Put the stake in before filling the hole so you don’t spear the roots.

Plums need at least 6 hours of sun a day. They flower early, so pick a sheltered spot away from frost pockets. Avoid the bottom of a slope, a dip, or a spot next to a hedge that traps cold air. Cold air sinks and frost collects in the lowest part of the garden.

South or west-facing spots are ideal. A warm wall is perfect for fan-trained trees and for gages, which need extra warmth.

Soil preparation

Plums like moist soil that drains well. They cope with clay better than most fruit trees, but waterlogged ground rots the roots.

1. Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots and the same depth
2. Fork over the bottom to loosen it
3. Mix the soil you dug out with a bucket of garden compost or well-rotted manure
4. Knock in a stake before planting (Pixy trees need it for life)
5. Set the tree so the graft union (the knobbly joint near the base) sits 5-8cm above the soil
6. Fill in and firm gently with your heel
7. Water well, two or three full watering cans
8. Spread a 10cm mulch of compost or bark in a ring, keeping it 10cm away from the trunk

Planting distances

Allow 3-4m between trees on Pixy, 4.5-5m on St Julien A and 6m or more on Brompton. A fan on a wall needs 3.5-4m of wall space.

How to train and prune plum trees

Prune young plum trees in early spring as the buds open, and older trees in summer. Never prune in winter. That’s when silver leaf disease spreads its spores, and the RHS treats September to May as the risky period. Any cut then is an open door for infection. Silver leaf kills the branches it gets into, and there’s no cure.

Summer pruning (June to August)

A plum fan on a warm wall. Plums take really well to fan training.

Prune established trees between June and August, while they’re growing strongly. Summer cuts heal over fast.

• Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches first
• Cut out branches that cross or rub
• Open up the middle so light and air get in
• Shorten new side shoots to 6 leaves to encourage fruit buds
• Pull off suckers growing from the base rather than cutting them

Use clean, sharp secateurs for small stems and a pruning saw for anything thicker than 2cm. Cut just above an outward-facing bud, or flush with the parent branch.

Fan training against a wall

A fan is the best way to grow plums in cooler parts of the UK. A south or west-facing wall soaks up heat in the day and gives it back at night. That helps the fruit ripen and gives the early blossom a little frost protection.

Start with a one-year-old tree (a maiden) or a part-trained one. Cut it back in early spring as the buds open, then tie two strong side shoots out at about 45 degrees along wires. In later years, tie in new branches to fill the fan evenly, using wires 15cm apart. Our guide to training fruit trees as espaliers and fans shows how.

Protecting plum blossom from frost

Keep trees out of frost pockets and throw fleece over small trees on frosty nights. Plums flower in March and April, before apples, so the blossom often meets late frosts that can wipe out a crop. In cold areas, a late-flowering variety such as ‘Blue Tit’ helps.

How frost damages blossom

A few degrees of frost can kill open blossom. It’s easy to miss. The flowers look fine, but the centre turns brown or black, and those flowers can’t set fruit. A whole tree’s blossom can go in one cold night.

Frost protection methods

Fleece is the most practical cover for small trees and fans. Use a thick horticultural fleece or a double layer. Drape it over in the evening when frost is forecast, and take it off in the morning so bees can get to the flowers.

Avoid frost pockets. Don’t plant at the bottom of a slope, in a hollow, or where walls stop cold air draining away. Cold air flows downhill like water.

Use a warm wall. Fans on a south-facing wall benefit from the heat the wall gives off overnight.

If you grow other fruit too, our monthly harvest guide helps you plan your picking.

Throw fleece over small trees on frosty evenings, then take it off in the morning. The bees need to reach the flowers during the day.

Month-by-month plum tree calendar

Thinning plum fruitlets

Thin plums in early summer to one fruit every 5-8cm, because trees like Victoria often set far too many. An unthinned tree gives lots of small, bland plums, and heavy branches can snap or even split from the trunk.

Thin in early June, when fruitlets are about the size of a hazelnut.

1. Take off damaged or misshapen fruitlets first
2. Thin the rest to 5-8cm apart, or a pair every 15cm
3. Remove the smallest and keep the biggest
4. Prop up heavy branches with a forked stick

The fruit that’s left grows bigger and tastier, and the tree has energy left for next year’s buds.

Thin to one fruit every 5-8cm when they’re about hazelnut size. You’ll get bigger, tastier plums and fewer snapped branches.

Why is my plum tree dropping fruit?

Some fruit drop in early summer is normal. Trees shed extra fruitlets in what gardeners call the June drop. Heavy or repeated drop usually means dry roots, and the RHS notes that a lack of water makes young fruit fall. Trees on walls and in pots are most at risk. Water deeply in dry spells and mulch every spring. Fruit that drops in July or August with a pink caterpillar or a tunnel near the stone has plum moth. A cold, wet spring can also mean poor pollination, so tiny fruitlets fall soon after blossom.

Why are my plums splitting?

Plums split when heavy rain or a big watering follows a dry spell near ripening. The fruit swells faster than the skin can stretch. Split fruit attracts wasps and brown rot, so pick it quickly. Keep the soil evenly moist in late summer, especially for young, wall-trained and potted trees, and mulch to hold moisture. Pick ripe fruit before heavy rain if you can.

Should you feed a plum tree?

Most established plum trees in decent soil need little or no feeding. The RHS suggests a general organic fertiliser in early spring only if crops are poor or the leaves look hungry. Use the rate on the packet and spread it over the root area, not against the trunk. Too much feed gives lush shoots instead of fruit. A spring mulch of compost or well-rotted manure does more good for most trees. Trees in pots are different: give them a high-potash liquid feed every fortnight from April to August.

Pests and diseases of plum trees

Plum moth

Plum moth is the most annoying plum pest. The caterpillar feeds inside ripening fruit, leaving droppings and a reddish tunnel around the stone. The fruit may drop early or look fine until you cut it open.

Hang a pheromone trap in the tree from late May. It catches male moths, shows you when they’re flying and can cut mating on a lone tree. Sprays for home gardeners are very limited, so only use a product whose label allows use on plums, at the timing given. Pick up and bin fallen and damaged fruit.

Wasps

Wasps go for ripe plums from August, hollowing out the fruit. Thin-skinned Victoria is a favourite. Hang wasp traps in the tree from early August, pick ripe fruit promptly, and clear fallen fruit every day.

Silver leaf disease

Silver leaf is the most serious plum disease. The fungus gets in through cuts and wounds, and the leaves take on a silvery sheen. Cut a branch and look for dark staining in the wood. If there’s none, it may be “false silver leaf” from cold or drought. Infected branches die back, and the whole tree can die if it spreads. In summer, cut out infected branches 10-15cm beyond where the staining ends. Clean your tools and bin or burn the prunings, never compost them.

The RHS silver leaf guide has more on spotting and managing it.

Brown rot

Brown rot turns fruit soft and brown with rings of grey-white fungus. It spreads fast in warm, damp weather. Remove infected fruit straight away. Don’t leave shrivelled fruit on the tree over winter, as it carries the disease into next year. Keep clearing fallen fruit through the harvest.

Soft brown fruit with rings of grey-white fungus is brown rot. Pick it off straight away and clear fallen fruit, so it doesn’t carry over to next year.

Bacterial canker

Bacterial canker causes sunken, oozing patches on branches and trunk, dead buds and small holes in leaves. It gets in through wounds in autumn and winter. Prune older trees only in summer, and cut cankered branches back to clean wood.

Common mistakes growing plum trees

Pruning in winter

This is the big one. Winter cuts let in silver leaf and bacterial canker. Prune older trees in summer and young trees in early spring. If a branch breaks in a winter storm, wait until summer to tidy it with a clean cut, unless it’s small enough to snap off by hand.

Planting in a frost pocket

Plums flower earlier than most fruit trees. In a hollow or at the bottom of a slope, frost kills the blossom most years, so you get flowers but no fruit. Choose a sheltered, slightly raised spot where cold air drains away.

Failing to thin fruit

An unthinned Victoria can set so much fruit that branches snap, damaging the tree for good. Thin to 5-8cm apart in early June.

Ignoring fallen fruit

Fallen plums spread brown rot, harbour plum moth and draw in wasps. Clear them daily during harvest. Compost only clean, sound fruit, and bin anything rotten or damaged.

Choosing the wrong rootstock

A plum on Brompton in a small garden soon outgrows its space and becomes hard to pick and prune. Choose Pixy or VVA-1 for small to medium gardens, which keep the tree to about 3-4m, or less when trained.

Harvesting and storing plums

Plums are ready when they come away with a gentle twist. They should feel slightly soft, have a dusty bloom on the skin and smell sweet. If you have to tug, they’re not ripe.

Harvest timing by variety

Picking Victoria plums. They’re ready when they give a little to a gentle squeeze.

Storage

Fresh plums keep for about a week in the fridge. Lay them in a single layer on a tray rather than piling them in a bag. For longer, halve and stone them, freeze them spread out on a tray, then bag them up. Frozen plums are perfect for crumbles, jam and baking all winter.

Damsons make classic damson gin, damson jam and damson cheese, a firm preserve you can slice. They’re a lovely way to use up a big crop.

Frequently asked questions

Are plum trees self-fertile?

Most popular UK plums are self-fertile. Victoria, Czar, Opal, Marjorie’s Seedling and Merryweather damson all fruit without a partner. Cambridge Gage is only partly self-fertile and crops better with another plum nearby. Even self-fertile trees often crop a little better with a neighbour.

When do you prune a plum tree?

Prune older plum trees in summer and young ones in early spring. Spring is when the buds open. Avoid autumn and winter, when silver leaf spores are about. Summer cuts heal quickly. Take out dead, crossing or damaged branches and keep the middle open.

How long before a plum tree fruits?

On Pixy rootstock, expect fruit 3-4 years after planting. Trees on bigger rootstocks such as St Julien A take a year or two longer. First crops are light and build up as the tree grows.

What is the best plum tree for a small garden?

Victoria on Pixy rootstock is a great small-garden choice. It reaches about 3-4m as a bush, less if trained, needs no partner and gives heavy crops. Opal on Pixy is another good pick and ripens earlier, in late July. Both grow well in big pots.

Why is my plum tree not fruiting?

A late spring frost is the usual culprit. Plums flower in March and April, and frosted blossom can’t set fruit. Other causes are too much shade, dry roots while fruit is setting, bullfinches eating buds in winter, or a variety like Cambridge Gage lacking a partner.

Can you grow plum trees in pots?

Yes, choose a tree on Pixy rootstock. Use a pot of at least 50 litres with drainage holes and fill it with John Innes No.3. Water daily in summer and give a high-potash liquid feed every fortnight from April to August. Repot every 3-4 years in fresh compost.

What is the difference between a plum and a damson?

Damsons are smaller and much sharper than dessert plums. They’re too tart to eat raw but make wonderful jam, gin and damson cheese. The trees are tougher too, coping with windy sites and poorer soil. Merryweather is the most popular UK damson.

Related guides

For more on damsons, see how to grow damsons in the UK, covering Shropshire Prune, Farleigh and Merryweather. For the sweetest plum of all, how to grow greengages in the UK covers Cambridge Gage and the Reine Claude types. Once the harvest is in, our drying stone fruit guide and freezing fruit guide show you how to keep it.