These are available from specialist nurseries. Poor harvests late frosts (see above) and spring storms can damage blossom and deter pollinators. You technically can eat a Damson plum straight from the tree, but Damson Plums are not recommended for fresh eating. What is a Merryweather damson? Damsons are actually a form of plum but with a generally tart flavour and being used more for cooking, jams, wine etc rather than eaten fresh. Protect blossom from late frosts if possible and thin out heavy crops to avoid branches breaking under the weight. They can be served fresh, stewed, as well as cooked into multiple dishes. For more persistent infections an insecticide such as deltamethrin or cypermethrin may be applied. Lack of water may cause the tree to shed young fruit. a Blue Damson Plum offers both visual appeal and, when added to jams and baked goods, an immense flavor. Damson trees are happiest in full sun and a relatively sheltered position; south or west-facing is ideal. Youll also need to attach horizontal wires to the wall to support the branches see Pruning & training, below. Other potential problems include honey fungus, blossom wilt, plum rust, pocket plum, plum aphids, winter moth, spotted wing drosophila and magnesium deficiency. Also, butterflies love the beautiful white flowers that appear in the late spring season. What can I do to prevent this happening again? You can also create a hedge or windbreak of damsons. Commonly grown varieties include Farleigh Damson AGM, Shropshire Damson and Merryweather (pictured above). 10866260 | This website uses cookies. Plant fairly close, 1 to 2 metres apart. 4 Feed the tree once a year using 8 ounces of fertilizer for each year of the trees age. It is important not to prune a damson during the winter as this can make them susceptible to silver leaf disease. Enclose each potted damson cutting inside a 1-gallon plastic bag to hold humidity and warmth around it. Damsons and plums like fertile soil, ideally slightly acidic, with a pH of 66.5, but theyre tolerant of a wide range of soils. Many people recommend planting more than one so you have a bountiful harvest every year, although it is unnecessary. As two sheds says; fruit trees grown from pips have several problems and are a poor choice. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Damson trees are good doers and can fruit for 50 years. However, they are very productive, supplying plenty of fruit for jelly, jam, and even wine. Damsons are hardier than most plums and will often succeed in situations where a plum tree would fail to fruit. By selecting a damson on a dwarfing rootstock it is possible to have a damson in a small garden or even to container grow them. The team are also keen to encourage gardeners to grow the trees at home. Will reach 4 to 5 metres high, Damsons are greedy fruit and like a good soil with lots of nitrogen Like most stone fruit, they like a high pH, When planting in poor, sandy soils, dig as large a hole as you reasonably can and add 500 grams of bonemeal to the base. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts. A dwarf Damson Plum tree grows to be ten feet wide and ten feet tall compared to the standard plum tree being twenty feet tall and twenty feet wide. Thinning produces healthier fruit and prevents branches from breaking under the weight. Damsons are clingstone fruit, with flesh that clings to the stone making them hard to remove. Harvesting Damsons develop their best flavour if left to ripen on the tree. She has worked in some of the worlds most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Newly planted trees need watering for the first 2 years, especially during the spring and summer. Remove rotting fruit to prevent spores spreading, Mis-shapen and/or maggoty fruits small pinkish caterpillars of the plum moth may be found in the centre of some early ripening fruits, which may look slightly distorted. The standard Damson plum grows to a height of around 20' and a spread of around 20' at maturity. By selecting a damson on a dwarfing rootstock it is possible to have a damson in a small garden or even to container grow them. Place them in a large wide pan with the water and simmer gently until the fruit is soft. Damson plums are perfect for any soil type but love growing in moist soil. When making a forest garden, you want to encourage a move from a grassy, bacteria-dominated system to a humus rich fungi-dominant soil system. Water to the base of the tree, slowly so it can be absorbed. Most varieties need cross pollination (two different varieties need to be planted). However, it can work with less vigorous varieties on semi-dwarfing Pixy or VVA-1rootstock. Repeat morning and evening for the next 2-3 weeks and thereafter once a day until established One of the best aspects of a Damson Plum tree is that it does well with little to no maintenance once it is well established. Organic insecticides with natural pyrethrin as the main ingredient can give effective, but short-lived control. If planting against a wall, it is good to be aware that the adjacent area is often very dry, so it is recommended to plant the tree approximately 30-40cm away from the wall. Most Damsons are self fertile so can be grown alone and although the tree itself is hardy and reliable, the blossom comes very early so can still be prone to frost damage the same as plums and gages. Damsons flower very early, so the blossom is vulnerable to frost damage. (Chill hours are the average hours of air temperature between 32 and 45 F in a typical winter season. By arranging your backyard orchard in a way to have multiple fruit trees, you will have plenty of fresh fruit to choose from that is right out your back door. 25 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Damson Plum Tree Care: 1 Water deeply once a week during its growth. The damson trees upon which the fruit is grown produce a wonderful blossom in the spring, with the fruits being ready to harvest late summer to early autumn. The holes in the leaves of your Damson Tree Elly is probably Shot Hole Disease which is a fungal disease that attacks Damsons, Peaches and Cherries. If you are looking for a plum tree that is easy to grow, produces beautiful flowers, and gives you fresh fruit right out your backdoor, the Damson plum is for you. Once the fruit begins to form, you can expect to pick perfectly ripened fruit in the late summer months before winter comes in strong. Watch carefully this year, and if you start seeing holes on the leaves, look carefully to find and identify the critter that is responsible, then you can appropriately deal with them. Plant bare-rooted trees in late autumn or early winter. Damson and plum trees are sold either bare-root (without soil around the roots) or in containers. Open the bag for an hour each day to allow the damson to breathe. (2022, February 14). The damson plum can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 57. They will come true from a stone and will produce fruit within 15 years. It began an online delivery service to homes in the south east at the start of the pandemic.