Growing plum trees: from seed to harvest
Plant a bare-root tree in the cool part of the year. Some plums need a pollination partner, so check your variety, and pick one that suits your winter chill. Fruit follows in a few seasons.
Planting dates for plum trees by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Not suited | ||
| Zone 4 | not needed | April 19 | September 5 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | April 11 | August 25 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | April 3 | August 23 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | March 18 | August 3 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | February 19 | July 4 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | January 22 | June 11 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | March 17 | August 4 |
| Zone 11 | Not suited | ||
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
When are plums in season? Typical home-garden ripening times by state, from extension sources.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Plum:
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Questions
When should I plant plum trees?
It depends on your zone. Plum is a hardy crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow plum trees?
About 140 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 30 days after that.
What grows well with plum trees?
Good companions include Garlic.
Plant at the right time this season
Dibble builds your calendar in under a minute. Free to start, no account needed.