Buying plum trees requires an appreciable level of understanding about species, costs, and more.
Fruiting trees requiring minimal care are among the favorites grown by gardeners. Plum trees belong to this category and consist of several varieties, some of which will be mentioned here.
How to Buy Plum Trees
This article looks at all the critical aspects of plum trees you should know about. With this knowledge, you can choose better what variety to buy and which is best supported by your hardiness zone.
By the end of this article, you should have all the information necessary for better purchase decisions.
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About Plum Trees
It’s pretty difficult to point out the native areas plum trees belong to. This is because they’re almost tied to every region of the world.
They also produce fruits that come in various shapes, colors, and flavors. Plum trees that enhance a landscape need to be well taken care of.
While particular plums are considered trees, others are shrub-like.
You’ll need to know the particular variety that best serves your needs. The basic requirements for plum tree growth are total sun exposure, well-drained soils, and a soil pH range around 5.5 to 6.5.
Plum trees are broadly categorized into European, Japanese, and American hybrids.
You’ll find the European type growing excellently in most zones across the U.S, while the Japanese variants do well wherever peach trees are grown.
Plum trees mainly reproduce between the periods June and September.
As fruiting plum trees develop, more fruits are produced. Plum trees are susceptible to diseases and pests, especially those affecting fruits, foliage, and stems.
Guide to Buying a Plum Tree
You’ll need to figure out many things to buy a plum tree. These include the cost factor, the different species or varieties, and where to buy them.
Other vital considerations include differentiating between plums, damsons, and gages and finding the best variety for your location.
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Cost Factor
The cost factor is a primary consideration for most buyers.
Here, the cost needs to be figured out. Certain plum varieties can be bought for as little as $4, while others will go as much as $60 or more.
This is mainly due to the variables involved and other factors like size and purchase volume.
A visit to your local nursery will show a variety of plum tree sizes. The smaller sizes tend to cost less than larger ones for obvious reasons.
You may pay as little as $4 or higher for certain plum species. Some species will attract higher costs than others, irrespective of whether they’re the same size.
How many plum trees do you need? This will determine your eventual costs. It’s common to find significant discounts given for bulk plum tree purchases. Fewer purchases don’t attract as many discounts.
Where you buy your plum trees from is likely to impact costs. When shopping for these trees from different nurseries, you’re likely to notice variations in price from one greenhouse to the next.
This is why it’s best to make as many inquiries or findings before buying.
You’ll likely incur more costs when buying online as the shipment is considered. However, not all nurseries charge for shipments. This depends on the volume of purchase too.
Before making a purchase, you’ll need to find out what your nursery offers.
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Different Plum Species
Plum trees come in different species or varieties.
Some of the most popular types include the Stanley prune plum, Shiro plum, spring plum, sprite cherry plum, and the spring satin plumcot tree varieties.
You may also buy the Morris plum, Santa Rosa Plum, Ozark Premier plum, or the Mount Royal Plum tree variants.
Other plum tree species include the Ruby sweet plum, Methley plum, Italian plum, flavor queen, dapple dandy pluot, flavor king pluot, and 5-N-1 plum.
The bubblegum plum, Burbank elephant heart plum, alderman plum, Victorian European plum, premier beach plum, and the early Laxton European plum are some to try out.
You can also choose other varieties such as the Mirabelle de Nancy European plum, Reine de Mirabelle European plum, krymsk plum rootstock, dabble dandy pluot, thundercloud flowering plum tree, Imperial Epineuse European plum, and the emerald beauty Asian plum.
There are lots and lots of other plum tree varieties you can select from. It’s necessary to do your research to determine which variant best fits your needs or requirements.
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Where to Buy Plum Trees
Having decided on which plum tree to buy, the next step should be identifying where to get your trees. The usual locations are nurseries and garden centers.
These have a rich collection of all sorts of trees and plants. You can also save yourself the stress of going to a nursery by simply visiting an online nursery.
There’s added convenience when shopping online for your plum trees. However, the difference when compared to going to a nearby nursery is that shipping costs may apply.
It doesn’t apply every time, as some nurseries may offer free shipment.
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Differentiating between Plus, Damsons, and Gages
Often, buyers confuse plums with damsons and gages due to the striking similarity.
Although all belong to the same family, plums tend to be larger and soft-fleshed compared to the others. Plums are easier to grow too.
Gages, unlike plums, are smaller, sweeter, and rounder but have much higher sun requirements than plum trees. On the other hand, Damsons can be differentiated from plums by their tart flavor.
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Finding the Best Variety for your Location
One of the things you’ll have to figure out is how to find the best plum tree variety.
Here, certain species are considered more popular than others. Examples include the Mirabelle golden sphere, Jubilee, old greengage, and opal.
Also, understanding the hardiness zones required for growing plum trees is essential. Many plum tree species will do well in zones 5 to 9. You’ll have to determine precisely what zones support which plum tree species.
Buying plum trees isn’t complicated if you know what to do. So far, we’ve shown you the different aspects to consider when shopping for your trees.