Opal Plum Tree

Important! Upon Arrival:

Keep moist and cool. Fruits and berries are shipped in dormant form so they can be transplanted out once the soil can be worked in the spring. Light frosts will not damage the plants as they are in the resting stage. If you are unable to plant immediately, the plants can be stored for a short period of time. This should be a dark, cool (but not freezing) location such as an unheated garage, fridge or a cold cellar. Ideally they would be stored as close to 2°C or 35°F as possible. They should also be kept moist, but not wet, until they are planted. We DO NOT Recommend planting them in pots until the weather is warmer. A tree that breaks dormancy and begins growing in a pot will suffer from terrible transplant shock when replanted in the permanent site.

Planting:

An ideal planting day is calm, overcast and even drizzly. If the weather is very warm and breezy it is better to delay until late afternoon if possible. You can temporarily mound soil or compost over the roots and pull out one at a time when ready to plant. Or use a tub with enough water in it to cover the roots with your trees standing in it. Soaking the roots before planting is beneficial, but DO NOT exceed 24 hours or they will drown. Pear tree roots, in particular, will benefit as they do not have many fine feeder hairs.
Plant trees 5-6 meters (15-18 feet) apart in the spring in a full sun location with good air circulation and drainage. For best results, two varieties should be planted to ensure successful pollination and fruit production.  Dig a hole large enough to accommodate all of the roots without bending (approx. 18 inches). Place the tree in the hole with the graft union about three inches above the soil surface. You should be able to see the soil mark on the trunk where the tree has been taken out of the ground, it should be planted no deeper than this. Mix compost with the soil to fill back in the hole once the tree is set in place, and lightly firm to ensure good soil root contact. Water surrounding the tree to ensure good root establishment. Dormant trees should usually not be watered again until they leaf out. Too much water in dormancy can reduce root development or even drown the tree. After leafing out, your tree should receive a good soaking twice weekly: 15 – 20 litres. Adjust accordingly to rainfall and soil type. Mulching is very helpful to retain moisture. Trees should be supported or staked for better growth, especially in the first season (permanently for dwarfs). If you are training your tree to a central leader, a stake is needed to keep the leader straight.

Problem Soil:

Clay and soggy soil can be a major problem. If planting in heavy soil is your only option, you may want to dig only a shallow hole and place some loose, sandy topsoil into it approximately 4-5” thick. Set the roots on this topsoil layer, mound soil 6- 12” above the original soil surface over the entire area of the planting hole. The soil mixture for the mound should be a higher percentage of compost to provide good drainage and fertility. Cover the mound with mulch so it won’t dry out too quickly.

Growing:

You may need to stake the tree by using ties that will not girdle or scar the tree’s bark. Using two stakes to ensure that the tree will grow in an upright position for the first two years will be sufficient, after this time the stakes can be removed.  You can fertilize the tree with a 17-17-17 a few weeks after planting, do not fertilize right after planting as this may cause burn to the roots.

Pruning in Year Two and Beyond:

Summer pruning in July-August slows the growth of the limb being pruned and causes some of the buds to change from vegetative buds into fruit buds for the next season. Any pruning done before the tree starts to bear should only be to train the tree for its proper desired shape.

Orchard Aftercare:

We cannot stress enough the importance of grass and weed control on young trees. Grass can rob young trees of nutrients as they struggle to become established and grow. Also, tree roots are prevented from moving into soil that is controlled by grass roots. Trees are stunted by the competition and the results are apparent for several years, if not longer. Prevent this from happening by following these instructions:
Mulch offers such a great advantage that it would be a mistake not to use it with your orchard and berry plants. In addition to enhancing the structure of the soil and providing fertility as it rots, it suppresses weeds and grasses that steal soil nutrients, prevents erosion from wind and rain, keeps soil cooler, helps delay spring bloom in cold climates, and helps retain soil moisture. It also encourages earthworms along with other soil organisms and protects against rapid freezing and thawing of the ground.
Spread mulch of deciduous (trees that lose their leaves) wood chips around the tree, not thicker than 2” thick and about 2-3 feet out. Spoiled hay, shredded leaves, shredded bark, composted manure etc. also work great.
Avoid mounding it up against the trunk, as it attracts rodents and the trunk area beneath the mulch remains too moist, rotting the trunk’s bark. For that reason some people keep the mulch back from the tree 6”-10” and use pea gravel in the space to keep weeds down.

Preparing for Winter:

We recommend protecting the graft for at least the first few winters. You can mound up some sand or soil around the base of the tree so that the graft is buried. The graft should be uncovered again in the spring. You could cut the bottom out of plastic 10 gallon pot and places it around the tree when he plants it. He leaves half the height of the pot above the ground level and fills that portion with peat moss.
In the fall rake the mulch back 6-8” to discourage rodents from setting up their winter home near the tree’s trunk.
If you are using tree guards, we recommend removing them for the summer. Leaving the guards on creates a damp environment in behind the guard and the tree trunk. This can cause cankers and other health issues. In addition, earwigs and other bugs make their home behind the guard.
Your tree needs to be protected from wildlife. The most fool-proof method is creating a cage around each tree using a wire mesh that is ideally 6ft/2m high. A couple of stakes will stabilize the cage.

Tips for Reducing Pest and Disease Pressure:

Orchard Hygiene. Clean away last year’s fruit tree leaves, fallen and mummified fruit which may harbour the spores for next year’s fungus infections. Unless your composter is “hot” enough to destroy disease pathogens, bury or bag and remove each season’s leaves and wasted fruit. When thinning, pick off bitten fruits e.g. curculio-bitten fruits have crescent-shaped wounds. Pick up fruit drops because they are likely pest-bitten fruits that harbour worms. Each fruit you pick up now means one less pest for next year.
Break the Fungus Cycle. Scab fungus overwinters in the soil under the tree and relies on raindrop spray to launch it back onto the tree come spring. Interrupt this cycle and bury the spores by laying new straw, wood chips or mulch under your dormant trees.
For Bacterial Canker on cherry and plum trees, use a sharp knife to cut out the infected tissue. Removed all the dark coloured cambium until healthy tissue appears.
Black Knot in plums. When Black Knot infects a small branch, cut away the branch 5 inches below the knot. Where infections occur on larger branches or trunks, excise infected tissue down to healthy wood. Burn or bury prunings away from the area to prevent reinfection. Sterilize cutting shears to limit the spread of the disease. Severely infected trees should be removed entirely.
Sticky Barriers. Paint a ring of Tree Tanglefoot or Sticky Stuff SKU 735-9108 a few feet up the trunk to block ants, Gypsy moths, tent caterpillar larvae, canker worms, and other crawling insects.
Good Sun Exposure and Air Movement will significantly reduce disease pressure. Space and prune fruit trees accordingly.