A plum tree is a special ornament for every garden. In addition, its sweet fruits can be used in a variety of culinary ways. But the best thing is: With the right approach, you can easily grow delicious mirabelle plums.

Mirabelles are planted in spring or autumn

Choose the best variety

The first thing to do is to select the best Mirabelle variety. This depends on your individual conditions and wishes. In principle, all mirabelle species belong to the so-called self-fertile plants. So you don't need a second tree for pollination. "Nancy" is probably the best known and most popular variety. Their rather small fruits are characterized by good yields and have proven to be very resistant to the Sharka disease, which is widespread in stone fruit. Alternatively, the "Migrande" variety is an optimal choice if you would like to get particularly large fruits. If, on the other hand, your focus is on an earlier and longer harvest period, then the “Bergthold” Mirabelle is particularly suitable.

Make the location appropriate

All plums need a sunny location. They also accept light penumbra, but to promote rich flowering, you should plant the tree in a sun-drenched place. The more light the mirabelle plums get, the prettier and sweeter the fruit - regardless of the variety. Mirabelle trees also feel most comfortable in sheltered locations. Therefore, the proximity to a wall, house wall or hedge proves to be an ideal location. It is also important to consider the size of the later tree: mirabelle plums grow up to four meters wide with a very expansive crown. An area of 18 to 20 square meters should therefore be available to plant a plum. This is the only way the tree can fully unfold in the center.

Plant Mirabelle plums - this is how it works

  1. Plant your plum tree preferably in spring or autumn. To do this, first dig a hole that is two to two and a half times the width and depth of the root ball. Then enrich the excavated soil with compost. If the ground is heavily compacted, mix in some sand. This increases the permeability to water.
  2. Now put just enough of the improved soil back into the hole so that the grafting point of the plum tree is about 10 centimeters above the surrounding soil level. Then pile up the remaining soil on and around the root ball. It is important that the tree is as straight as possible in the ground.
  3. For straight and upright growth, you can attach the Mirabelle plum to a post. You put this in the ground at a distance of about 50 centimeters from the trunk. You then fix the tree quite high up with a sturdy cord. However, avoid too much tension that pulls the tree towards the stake.
  4. Finally, water your new plum tree generously. This ends the planting.

Category:

Trees