Site Selection
Plum trees do well in a clay
loam or sandy loam soil with at least one meter of soil below. A
wet or hard grey soil is undesirable as the roots will suffer and die back
can occur.
North or east facing slopes
are ideal location for early blooming trees because delayed flowering time
will aid in avoiding early frosts which can kill flowers. This type
of orientation can also help prevent sunscald.
Micro Climate
Providing a shelterbelt on
all sides of the orchard is essential in trying to modify your growing
environment by reducing the flow of harsh winds. Shelterbelts also trap
snow cover and can provide greater protection to the roots, as well as
providing added moisture in the spring.
PFRA SHELTERBELT CENTER - Ideas and Tree Sources For Shelterbelts
Planting & Establishing
Work the soil the year before
planting trees. Plant a green crop and till into soil which helps
make sure the area is weed free. Plant trees at 2-4 meters apart
in rows depending on the system and which root stock used.
Young fruit trees will need
irrigation for the first 3 years until they have established a proper root
system.
Pruning & Training
Pruning in northern areas
should be done in late winter or early spring in order to avoid winter
injury. Summer pruning makes the tree vulnerable to diseases.
One year trees should be headed back in the spring to encourage production
of a strong and healthy main branch which will act as the central leader.
The central leader system should be maintained each year by removing competitive
leaders and excessive side branching. Removal of dead/disease wood
and crossing branches is very important in maintaining a healthy and productive
tree. Water sprouts should also be removed at base of tree because
they are highly susceptible to fire blight invasion. If training
to a trellis system, follow the trellis pruning system.
Pollination
The majorities of prairie
grown plums are self-incompatible or have low fruit production if not cross
pollinated. This is overcome by having more than one plum tree cultivar
in a planting area. Another way is to graft a suitable pollinator
cultivar onto the existing tree. The hybrid plums are especially
poor pollinators and should always be planted with a native cultivar.
More
Information On Plum Pollination
Fire Blight:
All members of the sub-family Maloideae are susceptible to fire
blight, although plums are not highly vulnerable.
Blighted leaves will turn
brown and die but remain attached to twigs. The twig may curl downwards
producing a “shepherd’s hook”, and may release a clear amber liquid. Symptoms
usually appear in spring caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora.
Bacteria can spread by wind, rain, insects and contaminated pruning tools.
Control: Prune
back infected branches to 25cm past the diseased wood. Branches should
also be burned or buried immediately. Pruning tools should be dipped
in Lysol or bleach after each cut is made to avoid the spread of infection.
Other Posible Diseases:
Plum Pox virus, Brown Rot, Plum Curculio (maggot)
Disease
Links
Harvesting and usage
Harvesting plums depends
on the maturity time of the cultivar. It can also be a matter of
personal taste. The timeline for harvesting is generally between
mid-August and late September. If plums are to be shipped to market,
they should be picked slightly earlier and left unwashed. Fresh plums
may be left on tree until ready for home usage. They are suitable
for eating fresh, making pies, sauces, jellies or any recipe calling for
plums.
Recommended Cultivars
There has been extensive
research and breeding that has gone into producing winter hardy plum species
for the prairie climate. The following is a list of University of
Saskatchewan recommended cultivars:
Table 1: Proven Prairie Cultivars
| Native:
Prunus nigra |
Japanese:
Prunus salicina |
Hybrids:
P.nigra x P.salicina |
| ‘BOUNTY’
Dark red, 3.8cm, egg shaped. Matures: Mid-August |
‘IVANOVKA’
Green w/ red/purple molting. 3.8cm. |
‘PATTERSON PRIDE’
Deep red. Up to 5cm. Matures: Mid-September |
| ‘DANDY’
Yellow w/ red blush. 3.8cm. Matures: Late August |
‘PTITSIN’ #5,
#9, #10
Greenish-yellow, 3-8cm |
‘PEMBINA’
Red. Up to 5cm. Superior quality. |
| 'Assiniboine'
Thin skin, yellow flesh. Very productive and excellent pollinator. |
‘BROOKRED’
‘BROOKGOLD’ ‘FOFONOFF’ Varieties not fully tested |
‘ACME’
‘ELITE’ ‘PRAIRIE’ Dark red. Up to 5cm. Matures: Mid-September. |
This Web Page was composed
as a Term Project by a Student in Plant Science 490.3 at the UofSDone By:
Owain Van Vliet Email
On: December 1st 2002