This year I got one 5.5ft Plum Tree and one grape vine as well as some fertilizer
total: $101So, let's begin with the Plum Tree.
We planted it under some cut bushes so that it can "crawl" it's way up the dead branches.
I'll keep you guys posted
Dwarf Plum Tree - How Big Does it Get?
Nursery Shopping Sprees are my favorite!
This year I got one 5.5ft Plum Tree and one grape vine as well as some fertilizer total: $101
So, let's begin with the Plum Tree. It is either a dwarf or semi dwarf. It is pretty young. Now, my question about this: How big do dwarf trees get? What about Semi-dwarfs? Also, I am planning on leaving it in its pot until we transplant it into the ground in September. Is this a good idea? Next, the grape vine. It is about 2 ft tall and looks quite young. I compared it to other grape vines I've seen at stores such as Walmart and this one seems to have a thinner (not so old looking) main branch. Is this good?
We planted it under some cut bushes so that it can "crawl" it's way up the dead branches.
I'll keep you guys posted
This year I got one 5.5ft Plum Tree and one grape vine as well as some fertilizer
total: $101So, let's begin with the Plum Tree. It is either a dwarf or semi dwarf. It is pretty young. Now, my question about this: How big do dwarf trees get? What about Semi-dwarfs? Also, I am planning on leaving it in its pot until we transplant it into the ground in September. Is this a good idea? Next, the grape vine. It is about 2 ft tall and looks quite young. I compared it to other grape vines I've seen at stores such as Walmart and this one seems to have a thinner (not so old looking) main branch. Is this good?
We planted it under some cut bushes so that it can "crawl" it's way up the dead branches.
I'll keep you guys posted
I just spent $80 today on citrus fertilizer, 3 in 1 spray, orchid food, weed killer , and a pelargonium. I spent another $30 at another store on sedge hammer.
I don't know about plums but other dwarf fruit like citrus and banana are usually about 1/2 the height of the standard. That being said, my dad's neighbor had a dwarf honey tangerine and it was still 30 ft tall. Keeiping the plant in a pot and judicious pruning can keep it smaller.
I don't know about plums but other dwarf fruit like citrus and banana are usually about 1/2 the height of the standard. That being said, my dad's neighbor had a dwarf honey tangerine and it was still 30 ft tall. Keeiping the plant in a pot and judicious pruning can keep it smaller.
Thank you for your reply Imafan26! in my area $80 for all that is quite cheap...I was looking for some fertilizer for my 3 ft tall lemon trees and it was over $35 for a 2l jug! 
And Orchid Food costs $25 for a spray bottle. At first I thought that's a normal price...
Anyway, about the pot and pruning to keep the tree small- how big does the pot need to be for a dwarf/semi dwarf tree? And can it stay in the pot for the rest of its life?
in my area $80 for all that is quite cheap...I was looking for some fertilizer for my 3 ft tall lemon trees and it was over $35 for a 2l jug! And Orchid Food costs $25 for a spray bottle. At first I thought that's a normal price...Anyway, about the pot and pruning to keep the tree small- how big does the pot need to be for a dwarf/semi dwarf tree? And can it stay in the pot for the rest of its life?
Everything costs more here because all of it is shipped in. I also got some garden lime, I forgot to mention. I rarely use lime, but if I am going to try beets again I may have to alkalinize a section of the garden a bit more.
I buy nutracote and osmocote for the orchids and that is about $16- $18 for 4 lbs. It is slow release so will last 3-6 months. Technigro 13-2-13 water soluble was cheaper in 20 lb bags from the agricultural supplier it was $28. The orchids are the only thing I have been starving because I have not been taking care of them very well. The vegetable garden only got compost and some sulfate of ammonia. The pots got MG potting soil and supplemental fertilizer (citrus food) I actually only recently started to use miracle grow again mainly to get the seedlings to grow faster and the leftovers was given to the orchids and potted plants. I have maybe used it three times this year.
I used to spend a lot more on the garden, but I have pared down a lot. I don't need a lot of fertilizer, but I do go through a lot of slug bait.
I buy nutracote and osmocote for the orchids and that is about $16- $18 for 4 lbs. It is slow release so will last 3-6 months. Technigro 13-2-13 water soluble was cheaper in 20 lb bags from the agricultural supplier it was $28. The orchids are the only thing I have been starving because I have not been taking care of them very well. The vegetable garden only got compost and some sulfate of ammonia. The pots got MG potting soil and supplemental fertilizer (citrus food) I actually only recently started to use miracle grow again mainly to get the seedlings to grow faster and the leftovers was given to the orchids and potted plants. I have maybe used it three times this year.
I used to spend a lot more on the garden, but I have pared down a lot. I don't need a lot of fertilizer, but I do go through a lot of slug bait.
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Yeah, I was going to say that normally, trees grow roots that spread to at least drip line (tip of branches), and tree roots harden in whatever loopy circle they are forced to grow in a container. That you won't be able to straighten.
So a larger wider -- tub like washtub or stock waterer that is (1.5-)2x as deep as current container might be best (after making plenty of drainage holes of course -- make sure to put holes in the side as well as bottom unless you have the container elevated) It would be way too hard to keep the tree properly watered through the summer in the current container in any case --- well here with sumner drought that's how I would think automatically.
Fertilizer -- I think generally speaking you are paying extra for for the water and weight (and bulk) in liquid fertilizer, plus liquid fertilizer unless purely chemical -or super concentrated maybe- will need some kind of preservatives to keep from spoiling -- but maybe I think this way because I'm thinking of organic fertilizers. With organic fertilizers that contain beneficial live microbes, there is a severely limited shelf life that I'm not confident is being properly considered unless you buy direct from people who actually think this is important. So overall, dry fertilizer is better value to my way of thinking.
So a larger wider -- tub like washtub or stock waterer that is (1.5-)2x as deep as current container might be best (after making plenty of drainage holes of course -- make sure to put holes in the side as well as bottom unless you have the container elevated) It would be way too hard to keep the tree properly watered through the summer in the current container in any case --- well here with sumner drought that's how I would think automatically.
Fertilizer -- I think generally speaking you are paying extra for for the water and weight (and bulk) in liquid fertilizer, plus liquid fertilizer unless purely chemical -or super concentrated maybe- will need some kind of preservatives to keep from spoiling -- but maybe I think this way because I'm thinking of organic fertilizers. With organic fertilizers that contain beneficial live microbes, there is a severely limited shelf life that I'm not confident is being properly considered unless you buy direct from people who actually think this is important. So overall, dry fertilizer is better value to my way of thinking.
I have a question for you guys:
I have no experience whatsoever with dwarf plum trees, so I'm wondering when this tree will produce plums. Not this year for sure, maybe next year thought? What do you think?
I know that normal fruit trees at this size would produce plums in about 5-6 years but I'm not sure about dwarfs though. Judging for its size (5 ft not counting the pot) I'm guessing it's about 4-5 years old?
By the way, we are planning on leaving it in a pot (a bigger one though) for the next year or two. Would this limit the yield of plums?
I have no experience whatsoever with dwarf plum trees, so I'm wondering when this tree will produce plums. Not this year for sure, maybe next year thought? What do you think?
I know that normal fruit trees at this size would produce plums in about 5-6 years but I'm not sure about dwarfs though. Judging for its size (5 ft not counting the pot) I'm guessing it's about 4-5 years old?
By the way, we are planning on leaving it in a pot (a bigger one though) for the next year or two. Would this limit the yield of plums?
Being in a pot will not stop it fruiting....in fact the restriction of the pot can cause the tree to fruit far better In its early years.
Plums like cherries are inclined to head for the sky in their early years, growing very strongly instead of cropping. Left alone they will indeed take up to five or more years to come into crop.
The thing is to slow that growth down to get the tree into a cropping habit. This can be done by root restriction or by tying down branches to slow their sap run down and expose their length to good light to encourage fruit bud production.
A tree forced into tight control will crop in year two and be in full crop by four or five.
Remember, commercial growers need to get trees to a break even pricing by year 5-6 to make them economically viable.( by that I mean they need to have recovered the price of the tree and cost of planting by then, which can be quite high when you take into account all the staking and wiring.)
Plums like cherries are inclined to head for the sky in their early years, growing very strongly instead of cropping. Left alone they will indeed take up to five or more years to come into crop.
The thing is to slow that growth down to get the tree into a cropping habit. This can be done by root restriction or by tying down branches to slow their sap run down and expose their length to good light to encourage fruit bud production.
A tree forced into tight control will crop in year two and be in full crop by four or five.
Remember, commercial growers need to get trees to a break even pricing by year 5-6 to make them economically viable.( by that I mean they need to have recovered the price of the tree and cost of planting by then, which can be quite high when you take into account all the staking and wiring.)