Can I Prune My Purpleleaf Plum Tree (Fruitless) When It's Starting to Bud? (Not Flower)?
I have a purpleleaf plum (does not produce fruit) and it is starting to bud – it has the tiny purple "grapes" all over. I knew I had to wait till the coldest part of winter was over (I’m in east TN), and we have two more cold nights coming – in the 20s, daytime 40s. Since the buds are not flowering yet, can I prune the tree now? (Not drastically, just thin it a little).
According to "Gardening Made Easy", it is best to wait until the blooms fade before you prune you tree. Spring and fall are the best times to prune. Hope this helps.
Sure, a light pruning any time is not a problem. The very best time to prune would be while the tree is still dormant, before it starts to bud. That is just so the tree doesn’t get stressed and can heal the wounds before the diseases and bugs are in the air. But light pruning can be done whenever it is needed.
I actually had this same quetion, based on my reseach, mainly talking to a horticulturist…
Best time to prune = after bloom
BUT you can easily prune at any time to thin the plant out (except fall…so growth hardens off).
Pruning while there aren’t leaves on the plant will allow you to see the branching structure…making it easier to prune the "not needed" branches.