Sunshine yellow and sensationally sweet, you will be hooked with that first juicy bite. It’s no wonder the Golden Nectar Plum is a sought after addition to your fruit tree orchard.

Who doesn’t love a late summer snack fresh off the tree? Producing ripe fruit in late July and well into mid August, the Golden Plum tree delivers gorgeous large fruit with a stunning amber flesh. Best known as a sweet dessert plum, the Golden Plum Tree is everything that is special about growing your own fruit trees. Isn’t that why we grow fruit trees, to be the keepers of something extra special!

Sweet, firm, and flavorful, you will wonder why you waited so long to plant this spectacular plum tree.

Self Pollination

Bee on a plum flower — Bee on white plum tree flower.

Your Golden Plum tree is self pollinating and does not require another tree for pollination. However, if you have additional varieties of plums, your harvest yield will most likely increase exponentially. Additionally, your Golden Plum is a friendly pollinator and as such will help the pollination of other plums in your home orchard.

Don’t forget the power of bees. They are one of the best ways to help your self pollinator spread the harvest. Even though the Golden Nectar Plum is self fruitful, the bees will help it explode with beautiful, exotic fruit.

You can expect between one and two bushels or more of fruit per year on a semi dwarf plum tree with good pollination. Your friends and family will marvel at the unique yellow fruit, hailing you as their go to gardening expert.

What Are Chill Hours For The Golden Plum Tree

Is your USDA hardiness zone all you have ever considered when purchasing your fruit trees? It may be time for you to calculate the chill hours for your zip code to ensure you produce the optimum fruit harvest.

While the USDA hardiness zone calculates the coldest temperature in your area, the chill hours will tell you how long that cold lasts. A chill hour is any hour under 45 degrees F. Your local weather service, master gardeners group, or regional farm advisors group should have a chill hour calculation for your local zip code.

Chill hours are an important consideration for fruit trees to help regulate their growth. The chill hours are required to help set buds and time when they open. Additionally the leaf production and plant growth could be delayed or mistimed if the temperature does not stay cold enough for an extended period. Conversely, planting a tree with a different chill requirement from your local USDA zone, may compromise your fruit trees winter dormancy needs. Sadly, the tree may be damaged or killed by the extended higher or lower temperatures.

Chill hour calculations are not a hard and fast rule, you can certainly plant fruit trees outside your local chill hour. But for the optimum fruit production, keep your local chill hour zone in mind when selecting your fruit trees.

The Golden Plum tree requires 400 or less chill hours. There is a little play in this number and with some experimentation, you will find just the right plant for your location.

Where To Plant Your Golden Plum Tree

This striking beauty can be part of your home orchard spread but will be equally as beautiful as the centerpiece of your perennial or kitchen garden. As long as it has well drained soil and full sun, your self fertile plum tree will bless you with a sweet, delectable harvest.

Having two Golden Plum trees standing as plant sentry at the front of your garden will ensure you can enjoy their sweet amber flesh right off the tree in late summer. They will provide a welcoming entry way to your gardenscape.

If you have a dwarf, or even semi dwarf root stock, you can grow your plum tree in a container. Take good care to keep them well watered and in full sun. You have less wiggle room on the watering front with a container grown fruit tree, you must take care not to let them dry out. One of the advantages of a container tree is you can move the pot to a more protected area when you are on the fringes of zones 5 – 9.

Using the plum tree as a plant sentry ensures you can grab a sweet treat as you survey your home garden and plan your next planting adventure.

Feeding And Fertilizing Your Plum Tree

Japan Golden Plums on a Tree — bouquet of plums japan golden variety.

Your Golden Nectar Plum tree, Prunus Salicina, will benefit from well timed fertilization. For a newly planted plum tree, fertilize in early spring before the plant leafs out. This will allow the juvenile plant to absorb all the nutrients it needs in that first, critical season.

As your tree grows, fertilize twice a year. First in early March and they again in the beginning of August. A soil test will give you the best indication of what nutrients your soil may need.

Source: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/plum/plum-tree-fertilizer.htm

Dr. Earth Natural Wonder Fruit Tree Fertilizer is a certified organic fertilizer that promotes healthy roots and fruit growth. Fertilizing your plum tree, or any garden plant, with organic options is the healthiest way to support your fruit tree while providing needed nutrients for optimum growth.

Uses For The Golden Nectar Plum

Golden Plum Galette — Golden plum galette

This sweet, yellow dessert fruit is perfect and delicious right off the tree. When you add this beautiful plum to your menu, in the form of rustic tarts or summer salads, your cooking skills will be photo and newsletter ready.

With the taste of a classic plum, the Golden Nectar Plum will add a splash of color to your culinary creations. You can substitute this amber beauty in any traditional, plum based recipe. Cooking with the striking yellow flesh produces a show stopping plum tart.

The Golden Nectar Plum is gorgeous when added to a summer fruit salad. They are easy to chop and have only a small pit.

Dry these juicy fruits so you can enjoy that intense plummy flavor all winter long. Use the Magic Mill Food Dehydrator to preserve these golden nuggets and not leave a single one on the tree to for the birds. Golden Nectar prunes will become your new go to snack. You can easily remove the small pit for whole fruit drying.

For some great plum ideas to add to your menu, check out all our personally recommended plum recipes. You can easily substitute the traditional plums called for in the recipes for Golden Plums to make flavorful home made goodies.

Pruning Your Plum Tree

Like most fruiting trees, your Golden Plum tree will require some pruning to keep it producing copious quantities of flavorful fruit.

Proper pruning will shape your tree and keep it’s size in check. Additionally, prune will improve your crop yield by maximizing sun exposure for the remaining branches.

At the minimum, remove cross branches and thin others to allow for fruit growth, air circulation, and sun exposure. As with any fruit tree, they respond to hard pruning which allows the plant to put all of it’s energy into producing beautiful fruit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Years Before My Plum Produces Fruit?

Your trees will begin to set and produce fruit anywhere between 3 and 6 years after planting depending on your zone and the variety. Self fertile trees will produce as a stand alone.

Plum seeds harvested and planted may never produce fruit, planting a tree from a reputable dealer in the United States is the best way to order a quality tree.

Japanese plums bloom and ripen early and produce large crops

How Do I Protect My Plum Tree From Disease?

Plum trees are susceptible to several diseases. You can read all about spotting the beginning sign of a disease and treating plum tree varieties by disease category in our guide: Plum Tree Diseases -What to Watch for and How to Protect Your Plum Tree.

How Big Will My Golden Plum Tree Get?

At maturity, your plant size will range from 12 to 20 feet high and the spread will also be between 12 to 20 feet.

What Are The Water Requirements For My Fruit Tree?

Plums, and fruiting trees in general, require a well drained soil. Your plants will require between 12 and 15 gallons per week from May to September depending on your local weather and your soils water holding capacity.

Let’s Keep In Touch

As home gardeners we are always on the lookout for fun and unique varieties of fruit trees. We hope you give Golden Plum trees a try, they are easy to grow, delicious, and healthy. The trifecta of why we grow our own groceries.

While you wait for your fruit trees and home growing materials to arrive, please follow us on Instagram for up-to-date information on the wonderful world of fruit trees.

If you have any questions about a certain type of golden plums tree, or you want to know how to grow Golden Plum in your home orchard, just let us know!