When is the best time to prune red leaf plums?

Pruning of red leaf plum

Pruning red-leaf plum trees can improve ventilation and light conditions inside the tree, expand the crown upward, evenly distribute the main and side branches, balance the tree, and enhance the overall ornamental value.

Pruning time for red leaf plum

Red leaf plum is suitable for pruning during the winter dormancy period. At this time, its growth rate slows down and pruning will cause less damage to the plant. It can resume growth faster in the spring of the following year. Red leaf plum can be pruned in small amounts several times a year.

Propagation of Red Leaf Plum by Pruning

Red leaf plum is suitable for pruning propagation in autumn, around November to December, and it is best not to exceed December at the latest.

Pruning method of red leaf plum

When pruning red-leaf plum, the main method is to use a sparse layered pattern. From bottom to top, the main branches will gradually decrease, generally 3-4 layers. The first layer consists of 3-4 close main branches, the second layer consists of 2-3 main branches, and the third layer retains 2-3 main branches. After that, each layer retains 1-2 main branches.

After the red-leaf plum is planted, the trunk should be shortened when it grows to 1 meter, and the strong buds should be left at the cut ends. When the side branches grow to 20 centimeters, 3-4 strong branches should be retained as the main branches and pinched. In the second growing season, the overgrown branches should be pruned, dense buds should be removed, and cross branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, etc. should be cut off. When pruning in winter, strong branches should be pruned lightly and weak branches should be pruned heavily.

Precautions for pruning red leaf plum

The red-leaf plum tree is relatively short, but has luxuriant branches and leaves. It is suitable to cut the trunk with 9 buds above 40 cm in the winter after transplanting. The next year, use 60 to 100 cm as the shaping zone, retain 5-6 strong branches, and then thin out the rest. It is suitable for cluster planting or piece planting to enhance the overall ornamental effect, and it takes more than 4 years of maintenance to take shape.