Growing Plums on an Allotment

⚠️ Important first step – check your allotment rules.
Many allotment sites do not allow permanent fruit trees to be planted in the ground, or they restrict size, spacing, or require trees to be grown in containers only. Always check your tenancy agreement before planting a plum tree.

Plums are a highly rewarding fruit crop, producing heavy harvests of sweet, versatile fruit when grown correctly. On allotments, success usually comes from dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks, trained forms (cordons, fans, espaliers), or large containers to keep trees manageable and compliant.

This guide explains how to grow plums from seed, plug plants (young grafted trees), or container trees, when to plant, spacing, watering and feeding, pests and diseases, container vs ground growing, and proven ways to improve yields.

🌳 1. Types of Plum Trees for Allotments

🍑 Plum & Gage Types

• Dessert plums – sweet, eaten fresh

• Culinary plums – cooking and preserving

• Gages & damsons – smaller fruits, very flavoursome

🌱 Rootstocks (Very Important)

• Pixy – very dwarf (excellent for containers)

• St. Julien A – semi-dwarf (often the best allotment choice)

• Myrobalan – vigorous (usually too large for allotments)

👉 If space or rules are tight, choose Pixy or St. Julien A.

🌿 Space-Saving Tree Forms

• Bush – compact, free-standing

• Fan-trained – ideal against fences

• Espalier – flat and decorative

• Cordons – narrow, space-efficient

🌰 2. Ways to Grow Plums

🌱 Plug Plants / Grafted Trees (Recommended)

Young trees grafted onto known rootstocks.

Pros

• Predictable size

• Known fruit quality

• Crops in 2–4 years

Cons

• Higher upfront cost

🌰 From Seed

Pros

• Cheap

• Educational

Cons

• Very slow to fruit (5–10 years)

• Unpredictable fruit quality

• Often unsuitable for allotments

👉 For reliable results, grafted trees are strongly recommended.

🗓️ 3. When to Plant Plum Trees

Bare-Root Trees

• Best time: November–March (dormant season)

Container-Grown Trees

• Plant anytime: Autumn–spring (avoid frozen or waterlogged soil)

Autumn planting gives the best root establishment.

🌾 4. How to Grow Plums in the Ground (If Permitted)

Soil & Position

• Fertile, free-draining soil

• Sunny, sheltered position

• Avoid frost pockets (plum blossom is frost-sensitive)

Spacing (Depends on Rootstock & Training)

• Dwarf (Pixy): 2–2.5m

• Semi-dwarf (St. Julien A): 3–4m

• Cordons: 75–90cm

Install supports at planting time.

🪴 5. Growing Plums in Containers (Often Best for Allotments)

Container-grown plums are ideal where trees are restricted.

Container Guidelines

• Minimum size: 60 litres (bigger is better)

• One tree per container

• Loam-based compost with good drainage

Container trees:

• stay smaller

• warm up earlier

• need regular watering and feeding

💧 6. Watering Plum Trees

Young Trees (First 2–3 Years)

• Water weekly in dry weather

• Crucial during flowering and fruit swelling

Established Trees

• Water during prolonged droughts

Container trees may need watering several times a week in summer.

🌿 7. Feeding Plum Trees

Plums are moderate feeders.

Feeding Schedule

• Mulch with compost or manure in spring

• Optional balanced feed in early spring

• Avoid excess nitrogen (causes leaf growth, fewer fruits)

Container-grown trees benefit from monthly liquid feeds.

✂️ 8. Pruning Plum Trees (Timing Matters)

⚠️ Never prune plums in winter (risk of silver leaf disease).

Summer Pruning

• July–August (after fruiting)

• Controls size

• Improves airflow and light

Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches only.

🐛 9. Common Pests & Diseases

Plum Moth

• Maggots inside fruit

Control

• Pheromone traps

• Remove damaged fruit

Aphids

• Curling leaves, sticky residue

Wash off early or encourage predators.

Silver Leaf Disease

• Silvery leaves, branch dieback

Prevention

• Summer-only pruning

• Sterilise tools

Frost Damage

• Blossom killed by late frosts

Grow in sheltered positions or near fences.

🍑 10. Pollination & Fruit Set

• Many plums are self-fertile

• Yields improve with another plum nearby

• Allotments often already have pollinators

Good pollination = heavier crops.

🌾 11. Improving Plum Yields 

• Choose dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks

• Water consistently during fruit swelling

• Thin fruit in early summer

• Summer prune correctly

• Protect blossom from frost

Fewer fruits = bigger, sweeter plums.

⚡ Quick Plum Growing Tips

• Always check allotment rules first

• Containers solve many restrictions

• Thin fruit early to prevent branch breakage

• Summer pruning only

🧠 Key Plum Principles

• Check allotment rules first

• Rootstock choice controls size

• Summer pruning prevents disease

• Containers are often ideal

Photo by Kathleen Culbertson on Unsplash