When to Prune a Santa Rosa Plum Tree?

The Santa Rosa is a Japanese style of plum with purple to red skin and yellow flesh. Developed by Luther Burbank, this type of plum sets high quality fruit and bears heavily. Pruning keeps the tree healthy.

Major Pruning

• The University of Florida advises pruning Santa Rosa plum trees during the dormant season, in the late winter to early spring -- December to February for that state. Gardeners should prune before the tree flowers and focus on removing dead wood, controlling the tree's height and opening up the tree to air circulation.

Thinning

• Once the plums develop, gardeners should prune or thin the fruit crop. A heavy fruit crop can break thin limbs and diminish the flavor of the fruit. Thin the tree once the plums begin to develop by removing damaged fruit and spacing the remainder so all plums can develop without touching one another.

Summer Pruning

• Santa Rosa plum trees can be pruned again after the harvest. Cut back long branches to control the tree's size. Remove dead or damaged wood to keep the tree healthy. Plum branches tend to develop long and thin, so pruning them back prevents them from getting scraggly and breaking.