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Plum tree training

Jason millyJason milly Posts: 546
in Fruit & veg
I was watching Geoff Hamilton and he made a lollipop shape out of a apple tree,I would like to know if I could do the same with a plum tree. 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Pruning to a lollipop shape isn’t really going to be the best way to encourage fruiting. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Jason millyJason milly Posts: 546
    I can't upload pictures at moment the episode is the kitchen garden he visits where do trained apple trees and decides to do a lollipop shape, it like a standard then he makes to hoops and joins ties them together and puts four canes just above first bud then over time selects four buds to train up the hoops, that gives the lollipop shape, 
    I just like the design and it is compact but geoff did it with apple tree I am wondering if I could do it with a plum tree as I am just starting a maiden of. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited January 2019
    Ah, I vaguely remember that ... not a lollipop like a standard bay. 

    Its more like espalier training over a frame. 

    I dont see why why it couldn’t be done with plum with a bit of effort. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Over the last three Years I have trained my plum ( which is on a petite root stock) in a christmas tree shape which I found when searching online. My main aim was to ensure a tiered succession of stems with good airflow between, so chose the first and second rows to keep, and weighted the ends with twine and bricks, they stayed like that for a year until set and then were released. While this was setting the new growth was trained and trimmed to shape and weighted, so now have a full grown tree to the shape and size I wanted.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    In the 19th century the French were famous for training all sorts of fruit trees into the most elaborate shapes, so I guess it should be possible as Dove says. A bit of reseach would probably yield a book or two on the topic.
    AB Still learning

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287

    Don't know if this helps, but this is after the weights were removed part way through shaping
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