When to move a young plum tree

[Martin H]

I planted a young plum tree the winter before last, but I'm re-doing the garden design and it's now in the wrong place.

When is the best time to move it?

Usually I would move a deciduous tree any time between November and March, but I know plums are "funny".

Also I want to trim back some of this season's growth, can I do it before moving it?

Thanks for any advice!

[orangepippin]

The best time to move it is when it is fully dormant, December onwards, during a period when the weather is mild and quiet. Try to dig out as much of the roots intact as possible. Since you will inevitably lose some of the root, you will need to do more than just trim back this season's growth, you will need to prune it quite hard to maintain the balance between top and roots - otherwise in the spring the top of the tree will demand more water and nutrients than the root system can cope with.

[Martin H]

Thanks, op. I'll do as you say, accept the risk of silverleaf infection just this once and cut it back hard when I move it.

[FB.]

Thanks, op. I'll do as you say, accept the risk of silverleaf infection just this once and cut it back hard when I move it.

You could move it, then wait until the usual time in late winter/early spring before pruning it. If there aren't any leaves there aren't many demands on the roots.

[pigletwillie]

I moved a victoria plum 3 years ago. It was a four year old bare rooted tree that had been in situ for a further 3 years. To lift it I had to cut the substantial tap root and really didnt expect it to survive.
Survive it did. It went into a well prepared hole with lots of blood fish and bone and growmore and the only pruning done was to tidy up a couple of broken branches.

In the first summer after transplanting I ensured it was always well watered and it survived and suprisingly offered up 3 plums. The two following years (this included) it has fruited very well.

Rather than pruning try festooning, this reduces the vigour considerably and negates any risk of silver leaf.

[FB.]

I had to cut the substantial tap root and really didnt expect it to survive.
Survive it did.

From what I've seen and heard, the Leicester area has a really good soil, climate and rainfall balance which all kinds of fruit trees really like. That will have helped in your case - assuming you were in the Leicester area at the time.

[pigletwillie]

I was and still am. My soil is horrid clay and the sub soil is blue marl. Fifteen years later and its been improved beyond belief. Just dont let it dry out.

[FB.]

I was and still am. My soil is horrid clay.

I would gladly swap your soil for mine.
My clay content (and hence water retention) is very low - soil is mostly fast-draining sand and gravel (with a bit of chalk to add toxicity).
Just a couple of days after rain the moisture has all drained away - and we're the driest part of the UK so we don't get much rain to begin with - so the soil spends most of the summer bone dry and all the nutrients quickly wash away.
Nearly every summer is like having a severe drought.

This picture is what it looks like from about May to September - the lawn only needs to be mown a couple of times per year because it's mostly dead until about October when the autumn rains, mists/dew and cooler temperatures allow the soil to stay damp. Notice that even the weeds don't grow in the lawn!

[BUFFS]

I had to move a 3yr resident Victoria plum last year due to mobility issues(needed to make a path to be able to get around that side of the garden) so I built up a ring of turves around it the day before and then poured 4 bucketfuls of water around the tree, I let it soak in overnight and lifted it(18ins all round and dug deep) and repositioned it in its new home, this was in the august and it doesn't seem to have realised that it has been moved, but in that way we are lucky ,black loam and Scottish weather(cold rain or warm rain, depending on the season) so I rarely have to water anything, so the weather is useful for something.....

[FB.]

A fork is one of the best tools for 'lifting' trees because it is less likely to sever roots. It also makes it easier to gently loosen the soil.
If I have to move a plant that's several years old, I start with the fork about two feet away from the trunk and go round in a circle gradually (gently) loosening the soil and eventually work inwards until I can get underneath the tree to lever it out.
Trees which have grown well may have roots so large that loppers will be needed, but try to save as much of the root system as possible.