How to Fertilize Plum Trees

Overview

Plum trees are easy to care for but require some maintenance. In order to grow well, be resistant to pests and disease and produce healthy fruit, plum trees need to be fertilized regularly. Your investment of several minutes a year will pay off with a thriving, fruit-filled tree.

Step 1

Realize young trees are the fastest growing and benefit most from fertilizing. As a tree matures, its growth slows and it doesn't require as much.

Step 2

Fertilize plum trees using a liquid, granular or ground spike fertilizer. Follow instructions included with the product you're using. The dry fertilizers are usually the least expensive.

Step 3

Use 1/20 of a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each year of the tree's age. Mixing instructions for products will vary, but for premixed liquid fertilizer, 1/20 of a pound is usually one 8-oz. cup.

Step 4

Apply fertilizer in early spring. Fertilizing may be more frequent, such as twice more during the summer, in certain growing zones, such as the southeast U.S.

Step 5

Spread out premixed liquid fertilizer several feet in diameter around a tree. This will ensure you don't burn roots. Do the same if you're using a dry fertilizer which must be placed into the ground.

Step 6

Know that using a ground spike fertilizer may not be as effective. The spike will disperse only when wet and may not spread out evenly to feed through all the tree's roots.