Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Planting
Plant plum trees in full sun and well-drained soil.

To plant a container-grown plum tree, dig the planting hole two to three time's as wide and not much deeper than the root ball. If your soil is clay-like or compacted, mix in some good organic matter at about a 30 to 70 ratio with the soil removed from the planting hole. Then set the root ball in the hole making sure that the bud union is about an inch or so above ground level. The bud union is where the root system meets the trunk of the tree (where the tree was grafted onto the root stock). Backfill the hole to the top edge of the root ball with the soil mixture tamping as you go to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly and then apply a 1 to 2 inch layer of aged shredded wood mulch or pine straw.

Planting A Bare-Root Plum Tree:

If planting a bare-root tree dig the hole at least two feet deeper than the roots and then add some of the native soil removed from the planting hole back into the hole before planting. This will make it easier for the root system to spread out. As you plant, spread the tree roots out, checking as you go to ensure that they are not twisted or crowded. Firm or pack the soil around the roots to remove any air pockets.When planted, the bud union should be about one to two inches above the ground. The bud union is the spot where the root system meets the trunk. Do not fertilize your tree when planting because this will burn the roots. Pack the soil down and then water the tree well. This will eliminate any remaining air pockets and ensure the roots have good contact with the soil.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Pruning
Pruning plum trees is straightforward, once the trees are established, and consists mainly of thinning out overcrowded wood. More detailed pruning is, however, necessary in the early years in order to build up a suitable framework. Click on the link below to find helpful pruning tips.

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/359/How-To-Info/Pruning/How-To-Prune-A-Plum-Tree/default.html

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Feeding
Fruits, being largely water and sugars, remove relatively few nutrients from the soil, compared to other crops. Therefore, much of the nutrients a fruit tree needs can be met through decomposition of mulch (if you mulch your trees), or by the application of lime and organic soil ammendments used when planting the tree.

Supplementary fertilization may still be required for optimal growth and production of fruit. Doing a soil test can indicate what elements and nutrients may be deficient in your soil. Many Local Cooperative Extension Services provide soil testing services, or foliar analysis.

You can fertilize your fruit trees either organically, or with commercial fertilizers.

Fertilizing A Newly Planted Fruit Tree:

Use a weak solution of Fish Emulsion as a starter fertilizer, or a pinch of bone meal may be added to the planting hole, but do not add commercial fertilizer.

Fertilizing Established Fruit Trees Organically

Most organic fertilization programs focus on supplementing nitrogen as the key element, since it is needed in the greatest amount by the fruit trees. If you have only a few trees, and you want to fertilize them organically, buy a bottle of Fish Emulsion at your local nursery and garden center. You may also use granulated organic fertilizer, such as those that contain chicken manure or other organic substances.

Apply organic fertilizer (at rate recommended on label) by hand or with a rotary type spreader around the drip-line of the tree about 3 to 4 months prior to harvest date. If you make your own organic compost, simply use it as a mulch around the the drip line to a point 12" from the trunk. The nutrients will seep down into the soil where they can be picked up by the root system.

Fertilizing Established Fruit Trees With A Commercial Fertilizer:

To fertilize a fruit tree with a commercial fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, toss a thin circle of pelletized fertilizer around the trees "drip line," which is the part of the soil below the outer perimeter of the branch system. Follow instructions on product label for proper application rates and methods.

During the first year after transplanting, spread fertilizer after new growth has emerged in spring. If using 10-10-10, spread about 1 pound per inch of trunk diameter. Then work the fertilizer into the soil with a trowel, and mulch - making sure you keep the mulch at least 12 inches away from the trunk of the tree.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
Let's face it, there's no hiding from the fact that insects really like fruit trees. Thing is, many insects that visit fruit trees will not cause serious damage or problems. Much of the problems with insects can be kept at a minimum by following some basic guidelines for prevention. Click on the link below to find some useful tips for preventing insects.

www.gardenality.com/Articles/148/Problems-and-Solutions/Insects/Insect-Prevention-On-Fruit-Trees-and-Plants/default.html

Disease control is another consideration. Click on the link below to find helpful tips for controlling disease and fungus on fruit trees.

www.gardenality.com/Articles/75/Problems-and-Solutions/Diseases-and-Fungus/Disease-Control-for-Fruit-Trees/default.html

Son Anderson · Gardenality Seed · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
I've had a methley plum tree for about four years. Last Spring it produced a great crop of plums. After all had been harvested we noticed sap coming thru the bark in various areas. As time passed it got worse. I sprayed with insecticide and it did no good. Apparently some type of borer got into the tree. Now, there's large areas of the trunk, and some areas of limbs that are dead. Showing dry dead wood. Does anyone know how to control such a pest?

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
Hi Son - You can ask this question in Ask Experts here in Gardenality and possibly get more than just my answer. Too, when questions are asked in Ask Experts, it allows perhaps hundreds or thousands of other people who have the same question to quickly find the answer with a simple search. To get to Ask Experts scroll to the top of this page and click on the Ask Expert link tab in the main menu just below the search.

Now, to answer your question here...These borers can be difficult to control because insecticides cannot reach the damaging larvae after they move under the bark. The most effective controls are preventive insecticide applications at the vulnerable egg and early larval stages, while the insect is on the tree bark. If you're in Zone 8a, which would be the South, egg laying occurs during the middle of the summer and continues through September or so. In general, peak egg laying occurs from mid-July to mid-August.

As a general guideline, apply preventive trunk sprays the first or second week in July and again in August if flights continue. Better determination of egg-laying occurrence is possible using pheromone (sex attractant) traps that capture adult Insects. In some areas of the country information on pheromone trap catches is available through University Extension county offices. Pheromone traps also are available through some garden supply catalogs.

These fruit tree borers can be controlled by insecticides that contain permethrin or esfenvalerate. Insecticides containing these active ingredients (permethrin, esfenvalerate) are recently becoming available in some garden centers. Perhaps more widely available is carbaryl (Sevin). Some formulations of this insecticide allow use on fruit-bearing trees. You can use these sprays following instructions on the label and the tips I've provided here. You can also insert a wire into holes to kill the borers, but this might cause further damage to the tree if you're not careful.

There is the possibility that the oozing sap could be caused from a virus or blight. If you ask this same question in Ask Experts you can also upload a picture with your question. Seeing the tree trunk, and where and how the sap is oozing, might help to get more accurate diagnosis and advice for treatment.