Plum 'Opal'

Plant the plum tree in a sunny border in any well drained soil. Prior to planting, incorporate plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole. Fruit trees should be fastened to a stake to prevent them from rocking in windy weather. Drive the stake into the ground prior to planting. Staking after planting may result in damage to the root ball of the tree. Plant fruit trees at the same soil level as they were in their original pots and firm them into the ground. Fasten the tree to the stake using a tree tie, and water well.

These plants are lifted from the nursery field when dormant, and sent to you in late autumn or spring for planting. They often look dead on arrival, but they are just resting in the dormant period and will establish quickly for a strong start in the garden come spring. Set out in prepared soil in holes wide enough and deep enough to lay out the roots. Tread down the planting soil to knock out air pockets. Water well to settle. Apply a mulch to protect roots from cold temperatures. If conditions prevent immediate planting, set roughly into loose soil or a pot of compost (‘heeling in’) to protect the roots. Set these at the same level as they were in the nursery field – you should see a soil line at the base of the stem. Stake trees, taller shrubs and roses to prevent root disturbance.

In spring, while the ground is moist, apply a mulch of well rotted manure or garden compost to the base of the tree. This will help to retain moisture throughout the summer.Feed and water plum trees regularly throughout the summer, particularly during their first two years. Fruit trees do not suffer weed competition well. Keep weeds and grass clear from within a 30cm radius of base of the tree. Thin out fruits by up to 75% to reduce the weight on the branches and produce the best quality, largest plums.Pruning plum trees should be undertaken in early summer to avoid the risk of bacterial infection. Immediately after planting cut back the central stem by about a third to encourage side branches to grow from the main stem. For the following 3 years, prune only the tips of the remaining main branches by one third. Aim for about ten main branches which will form the frame of your tree, with fruiting sub branches growing off of them. From the fifth year, some sub branches can be pruned out at the union where they join the main branch, to allow new sub branches to take their place.

Seeds and garden supplies will normally be delivered within the time period stated against each product as detailed above. Plants, bulbs, corms, tubers, shrubs, trees, potatoes, etc. are delivered at the appropriate time for planting or potting on. Delivery times will be stated on the product page above, or in your order acknowledgement page and email.

Orders for packets of seed incur a delivery charge of £2.99.

Orders which include any other products will incur a delivery charge of £6.99.

Where an order includes both packets of seeds and other products, a maximum delivery charge of £7.99 will apply - regardless of the number of items ordered.

Large items may incur a higher delivery charge - this will be displayed in your shopping basket.

Please see our Delivery page for further details, and more information on different charges that may apply to certain destinations.

For more information on how we send your plants please visit our Helpful Guide on plant sizes.