The more branches on a plum tree are pruned, the more the tree fattens – it goes into growth and not into fruiting. On February 27, the author of the Ukrainian YouTube channel “Blagosad” spoke about how to properly prune a plum in early spring.
The gardener advised leaving long, thin shoots during pruning, as they are better loaded with fruit buds. Such branches are pruned once every two years – this reduces fattening and stimulates fruiting.
Be sure to cut:
- shoots growing inside the crown;
- crossing branches;
- strong vertical fat shoots;
- extra branches from “splits”.
Important Tips
- Of the three branches that grow in the same direction, leave one long, shorten one by half, and remove one.
- The more fruit load, the less the tree fattens.
If the tree is already neglected, leave long shoots as much as possible and gradually transfer growth to fruit load. Don't try to fix everything in one season.
The gardener recalled the main principle of pruning – to remove thickening, but to preserve long fruit-bearing extensions of the branches.
