How to prune plum 'stanley'

Late spring to early summer, after bloom and when growth is active. After bloom, remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches. Select four to six scaffold branches for an open-vase form and remove competing upright stems. Head back excessively long shoots by one-quarter to one-third to keep the canopy at a manageable height. In the US, late-summer pruning to remove water sprouts is also acceptable.

Annually in early summer. Stanley is a vigorous American-type plum widely grown in the US. Like all Prunus domestica cultivars, prune in late spring or early summer to reduce silver leaf and other fungal disease risk. Stanley tends toward upright growth, so an open-vase training form is typically used to maximise light into the canopy.

After bloom, remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches. Select four to six scaffold branches for an open-vase form and remove competing upright stems. Head back excessively long shoots by one-quarter to one-third to keep the canopy at a manageable height. In the US, late-summer pruning to remove water sprouts is also acceptable.