How to grow Plum in New Zealand
Plums are among the easiest stone fruit to grow in New Zealand and crop with little fuss once established. Japanese plums such as Santa Rosa suit warmer districts, European types such as Damson and Greengage prefer colder winters, and Kiwi favourites like Black Doris and Billington sit in between. Plant a grafted tree in winter, and check whether your variety needs a pollinating partner.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Plum in New Zealand
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | June to August | |
| Auckland | June to August | |
| Waikato & Bay of Plenty | June to August | |
| Central North Island | June to August | |
| Wellington & Lower North Island | June to August | |
| Nelson & Marlborough | June to August | |
| Canterbury | June to August | |
| Otago & Southland | June to August | |
| Central Otago | June to August |
Where to plant
Choose a sunny position away from strong winds, with deep, fertile soil. Plums cope with wetter ground better than other stone fruit, but they still get root rot in waterlogged soil, so avoid hollows where water sits. On clay, dig in compost and gypsum before planting.
Plums flower early in spring, so a frost pocket can wipe out the blossom. A gentle slope or a spot near the house gives some protection.
- Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty: choose Japanese plums and crosses, which need less winter chill. Look for trees labelled low chill.
- Waikato, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough: most plums do well, including Black Doris, Omega and the Japanese types.
- Canterbury, Otago, Southland and Central Otago: the cold winters suit European plums such as Damson, English Greengage and Victoria, as well as most crosses. Plant where late spring frosts drain away from the blossom.
Choosing a variety
Buy a grafted tree, usually about two years old. Plum seedlings are slow and do not come true to the parent.
- Self fertile, so one tree will crop: Santa Rosa (a Japanese plum with tangy yellow and pink flesh), Billington (dark red fruit around Christmas), Hawera (a New Zealand selection with firm dark red flesh) and Damson (small tart fruit for bottling, best in colder areas).
- Omega is partly self fertile and crops better with a partner.
- Black Doris is a popular all-purpose plum with purple-black skin and dark red flesh, and a classic for bottling. Check the label for its pollination needs, or plant it with another plum that flowers at the same time.
- Dwarf varieties suit small gardens and pots.
How to plant
- Dig in compost or sheep pellets over a wide area before planting.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper. Tease out circling roots on a bagged tree, or spread out the roots of a bare-root tree.
- Set the tree at the same depth it grew in the nursery, with the graft union above the soil, and backfill, firming gently.
- Make a ring of soil around the root zone to hold water, water in well, and stake if the site is windy.
- Mulch with bark or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
- In the first year, pick off any fruit that sets so the tree puts its energy into roots and branches.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply once or twice a week through dry spells in spring and summer, especially while fruit is swelling. Avoid overwatering, which can split maturing fruit.
Feed in spring and again in summer with a fruit tree fertiliser, which supports flowering and fruiting.
Pruning and care through the year
- Prune once a year in late summer, after harvest, to an open vase or fan shape. Pruning in dry weather at that time lets cuts heal quickly and lowers the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker, which enter through wounds in cool, wet weather.
- Plums fruit on spurs on wood that is one to three years old. Shorten weak laterals, cut back laterals that have fruited, thin vigorous shoots by about a third, and remove dead, diseased or crossing wood.
- Thin heavy crops so the fruit is not touching, which gives bigger plums and less brown rot.
- Net the tree as the fruit colours, as birds love ripe plums.
Harvesting
Plums ripen from December to March, about 20 weeks after the fruit sets. Pick when they are well coloured, slightly soft and fragrant. Plums picked ripe are sweetest, so taste one before picking the whole tree. Handle gently to avoid bruising the fruit and damaging the fruiting spurs.
Ripe plums keep for two to three weeks in the fridge. Surplus fruit bottles, freezes and makes excellent jam.
Growing in pots
Choose a dwarf variety and a self-fertile one if you only have room for one tree. Use a pot at least 60 cm wide with a quality potting mix, in full sun. Water deeply two or three times a week in the growing season and feed through spring and summer.
Companion planting
Under a plum tree, companions are mostly about keeping the soil covered and bringing in pollinators and helpful insects at blossom time.
Good companions
- Comfrey Its deep roots and big leaves make a good mulch or liquid feed for fruit trees.
- Nasturtium A ground cover that keeps the soil shaded and draws aphids.
- Chives A low edging plant whose flowers bring in bees.
- Garlic Fits in a sunny spot under young trees and is out of the ground by summer.
- Marigold Brings in hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to plum.
- Walnut Walnut roots and leaves release juglone, which holds back many plants nearby, and a big walnut shades out smaller trees.
Pests and diseases
Birds and brown rot cost home gardeners the most plums. Silver leaf and bacterial canker are the serious tree diseases, and good pruning timing helps with both.
Pests to watch for
- Birds Pecked, half-eaten fruit on the tree as it ripens. Net the tree.
- Leafroller Leaves rolled or webbed together with a small green caterpillar inside, and grazed patches on fruit.
- Aphids Curled new leaves with clusters of small insects underneath in spring.
Diseases to watch for
- Brown rot Fruit turns brown and soft with grey-brown powdery spores, then shrivels on the tree. Blossom can brown off in wet springs. Remove rotten and mummified fruit.
- Silver leaf Leaves take on a silvery sheen, branches die back, and cut wood shows a dark stain. Prune in dry weather in late summer.
- Bacterial canker Sunken, oozing patches on branches and trunk, and shot holes in leaves in spring.
Common questions
When is the best time to plant a plum tree in New Zealand?
Winter, from June to August, when bare-root trees are in garden centres and the tree is dormant. Bagged trees can go in at other times if you keep them watered.
Do I need two plum trees?
It depends on the variety. Santa Rosa, Billington, Hawera and Damson are self fertile, so one tree will crop. Others, including many Japanese and cross varieties, crop better or only with a second plum that flowers at the same time nearby. Check the label.
When should I prune my plum tree?
In late summer, after harvest, in dry weather. Cuts heal faster then, which lowers the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker getting into the wood. Avoid pruning plums in winter.
Why is my plum tree not fruiting?
Common reasons are a young tree (most take three to four years), no pollinating partner for a variety that needs one, frost on the blossom, or heavy winter pruning. Low-chill varieties are also needed in the warm north.
Why are my plums rotting on the tree?
That is usually brown rot, a fungus that spreads in warm, humid or wet weather, especially where fruit touches. Thin the crop, pick up fallen and rotten fruit, remove mummified fruit from the tree, and keep the tree open for air flow.
Can I grow a plum tree in a pot?
Yes, a dwarf variety in a pot at least 60 cm wide. Choose a self-fertile type such as a dwarf Santa Rosa if it will be the only plum, and water and feed regularly.
Sources we checked: Tui: Plum growing guide; Tui: Fruit tree growing guide; Yates NZ: How to grow plum; Waimea Nurseries: Plum varieties for home gardeners.