Plum Growing Guide
Plum is a great next step in your growing journey. Follow this guide from planting to harvest and you'll do great.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Tree Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant a bare-root grafted tree while dormant. Choose self-fertile or a matched pollination pair, and a rootstock to suit your space. Stake for the first few years.
Grown as a grafted tree. Some plums are self-fertile (one tree fruits), others need a compatible partner — check the label. Prune plums in SUMMER, not winter, to avoid silver leaf disease, which enters through cold-weather cuts.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
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Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Plum?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Plum Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Plum's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
400 cm
Plant Spacing
500 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
Yes – Fan.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plums want full sun and shelter (early blossom).
- 2The key rule: prune in summer, never winter, to keep silver leaf out.
- 3Thin heavy crops so branches don't snap, and remove any mummified fruit to stop brown rot carrying over.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
450 cm
Mature Height
400 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pick when fully coloured and softening, with a dusty bloom; eat soon
How to Harvest
- 1Pick when the fruit is fully coloured, slightly soft, and parts easily from the spur — the natural waxy 'bloom' on the skin is a good ripeness sign.
- 2They ripen over a couple of weeks; dessert plums don't keep, so eat or preserve fast.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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