

Prunus cerasifera is also a great choice because the deep purple fruits are attractive in their own right and can be eaten and enjoyed when ripe. Often, the foliage will change colour significantly from spring through summer to autumn, giving a beautiful and exciting display that is never boring. There is a lot of variation in size between the species’ cultivars and the exact hue of the foliage throughout the year. Purple-leaf cherry plums are highly prized as garden trees because of their ornamental appeal. This tree is a great choice for those who wish to have a beautiful and productive garden – the best of both worlds – since it will look great throughout the year and will also provide you with an edible yield. Rabbits are voracious in my yard, so I had to put the tree in jail.Purple-Leaf Plum Tree, Prunus cerasifera, is a wonderful ornamental tree that also has edible fruits. This may seem like a lot of time to wait, but again, most of the growth should be in the roots at this stage. (looks way worse after this site scaled the images down) Some of the clumps have 2" branches starting, and quite a few small buds up and down the small branches. Some say don't fertilize for the first year.Īfter 5 weeks, (see images at this stage) I can see clumps of leaves, for a total of about 30-50 small leaves. This is another reason not to fertilize, since fertilizer promotes leaf growth instead of root growth.

I got very tiny buds after a week or so, but most of the growth is supposed to be in the roots at this stage, not above ground. It's good to dig a shallow trench around the perimeter of the hole or find some other way of restricting the water to the size of the root ball, so the water goes down and not away.Ĥ. There should be no standing water after 20 minutes or so, or add less water next time. Do this every 2 days for the first 2 weeks and then after that once a week for the first few months at least, probably a year. Water by slowly drenching the area, so that the entire hole area is moistened, but probably no more. Mulch to help the dirt stay moist, but don't let the mulch touch the base of the tree to avoid rot.ģ. Make sure the graft, or the bump just above the root ball, stays 1 - 4 inches above the ground. Don't add any amendments, just replace the dirt from digging, since fertilizer will kill the young roots and beneficial substances may make the roots prefer to stay within a small area. Dig a hole twice the size of the small root system, and fill it in somewhat slowly, making sure no large air gaps, without compressing dirt too forcefully. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 1 - 2 hours while planning and digging the hole.Ģ.

It seems important to not just read the instructions, but watch a few YouTube videos on planting plum trees or at least fruit trees too. Don't uncover them very long before planting, and keep the roots misted if they dry out. It was very unimpressive in size, and the roots are few and completely exposed once you unwrap the plastic and straw covering them. I ordered a thundercloud plum tree from HD on, and received it on, and I planted it that same day. Who can say whether all the negative reviews were due to inexperience, bad luck or poor quality control. Alternatives were considerably more expensive.
