Plum
Prunus domestica
A fruit, planted at any time of year.
In September: pick the plums. It can be planted now.
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Plum, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant a pot-grown plum. | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Plant a bare-root plum. | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none |
| Prune the plum while it is in growth. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | usual | usual |
| Thin the fruit on the plum. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none |
| Pick the plums. | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Planting
Plant a pot-grown plum at any time of year, 3 to 5m apart depending on the rootstock. Strong source: RHS.
Plant a bare-root plum November to March, 3 to 5m apart depending on the rootstock. Strong source: RHS.
Prune the plum while it is in growth
Prune on a dry day, with dry weather forecast for at least the next two days.
Usually April, and July to August. Strong source: RHS.
Thin the fruit on the plum
Leave one fruit every 5 to 8cm, or a pair every 15cm.
Usually June to July. Strong source: RHS.
Pick the plums
Usually July to September. Moderate source: Keepers Nursery.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
What not to do
Don’t prune plums in winter
Winter pruning raises the risk of silver leaf, a disease plums are prone to.
October to March. Strong sources: RHS and Gardeners’ World.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Plum” comes from.