Pruning Trees That Are 20+ Years Old

Alex CSV

These trees have been in the garden a long time

We have now been living in the house for a year (before it was a holiday home~) and are now finding it difficult to reach the fruit, even with a 3 metre picker. They are all plum varieties.

Pic 1.jpg and 4.jpg are the same tree - plum

pic 2.jpg and 5.jpg are the same tree - plum

pic 3.jpg is a mirabelle

All the books I have show pruning for the first year or three - there is nothing like this to be seen anywhere!

Any help would be appreciated

Attached Thumbnails

         

Brent Ferris

Typically crowns can be reduced by a third of their height in any one year, so start reducing, and in time you will reach the height that you consider desirable. Many plums grow to about 30 feet high, so unless you like standing on ladders, annual pruning is necessary. Unfortunately there is usually a lot of unwanted sucker growth, but if low fruit is what is desired pruning is required.

All your trees seem to have no leaves at the top, suggesting dead wood? and probable moisture supply problems. Need closeups of base of trees and soil surrounding each.

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Alex CSV

Started yesterday with one of the plims. There was a bit of dead wood at the top, but not a lot.

Alex CSV

maybe that ^ should be plums?