Mirabelle plum tree: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you plant a mirabelle plum tree?
Choose a sunny position sheltered from strong winds, with fertile, well-drained soil. Plant a bare-root mirabelle plum tree during dormancy, from late autumn to early spring, avoiding frost and waterlogged soil. For a potted tree, also favour mild conditions and monitor watering more closely if planting later.
Remove weeds and dig a hole wide enough for the roots or rootball. Set the tree without burying the graft union. Spread bare roots without folding them, backfill and firm gently. Water to settle the soil around the roots.
Keep the soil sufficiently moist while the tree establishes. Mulch can limit drying out and competition from weeds, but leave the trunk clear. If a stake is needed, secure it without damaging the trunk and check the ties regularly.
Before choosing your tree, compare varieties for flowering time, ripening time and suitability for local conditions; also check self-fertility or the need for a compatible plum pollination partner flowering at the same time. Ask for the rootstock’s name: it influences vigour and mature size. Choose it for your space, intended tree form and soil, with the nursery’s advice. For example, St Julian A is more vigorous than Pixy; low vigour does not make a tree suitable for every soil or remove its care needs. Allow room for your chosen variety and rootstock combination rather than relying on severe pruning to contain an oversized tree.
How do you prune a mirabelle plum tree?
How to care for this plant
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Maintain the mulch
Check the ground cover around the base. If the mulch has thinned, top it up on moist, well-drained soil after removing competing weeds. Keep the trunk, crown and graft union clear; add nothing if the existing layer is sufficient.
When do you harvest mirabelle plums?
