Pruning plum trees in spring for beginners: crown formation, detailed diagram with detailed description, photos and videos

Regular pruning of plum trees is carried out for different purposes and in different ways. All of them are aimed at improving the quality and quantity of fruits. Some gardeners prefer not to carry out such activities, but this has a detrimental effect on the trees. Therefore, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the rules for pruning plum trees in spring for beginners. It is important to know about plum care in the spring, about the formation of the crown; for this, you can look at the diagrams in detail with a detailed description, photos and videos.

Why prune plum trees

The branches at the bottom of the tree grow easily and quickly, and new shoots bring tangible benefits. With their help, the fruit plant receives additional nutrients. But this does not have the best effect on the harvest. If you want to collect more tasty fruits, you will have to remove the extra branches of the tree. Proper pruning of plums helps the development of the crop, enriching it with nutrients. Therefore, the plant is trimmed annually.

Since the plum tree is prone to strong growth, the number of branches, their length, and even the angle between them and the trunk are carefully controlled and regulated. The point is not only that growth affects the taste and usefulness of the fruit. The tree thickens and dies, spending a large amount of energy on the growth of new branches.

What tools are needed for pruning?

The instruments used for the procedure are well-sharpened and of high quality, so as not to harm the plum. For work they take:

pruning shears if the tree is young with branches up to two centimeters in diameter;
lopper with a long handle, which is used for branches up to 50 mm;
garden saw of large and small sizes, which is used for dry branches from 50 mm in diameter;
a knife that is used to remove irregularities and burrs.

Garden knives are made with a curved shape for ease of use. They are used to remove branches up to 30 mm thick. It is easier to use pruners or loppers. When working with the saw, be careful not to bend the branch down.

Places of cuts and cuts are treated with special substances or garden varnish, which is done independently in advance. If the branches have been attacked by insects or infected with a fungal disease, then the cut branches must be burned. This will protect healthy trees from infection.

Among well-known and popular manufacturers of gardening tools, Gardena, Raco, Samurai, and Fiskar are in demand.

Spring pruning dates

Spring pruning of plum trees brings many benefits for the proper growth and development of tree branches. It is carried out in several stages, requiring a lot of time and effort. The timing varies depending on the region and climatic conditions. If in the Moscow region and in the central zone the frosts go away earlier, then they don’t delay the haircut. But in Siberia such work is done later, since Siberian winters are too long and harsh. Therefore, when is the best time to prune a plum tree, you need to decide for yourself. The approximate time is the last weeks of March and the first weeks of April.

The plum pruning scheme in spring is not so complicated. The initial stage is carried out when the frosts end, but sap flow has not yet occurred. Gardeners do thinning cuttings. There are no leaves at this time yet, so they do not interfere with trimming the branches.

Before the plant begins to bear fruit, annual shoots are pruned. Trim very carefully to reduce the risk of damage. After this, the places where the branches are cut are lubricated with a healing substance.

Pruning mature plum trees

A tree begins to be considered an adult at the age of four. From this moment on, sanitary pruning is carried out annually, during which old, diseased and dried branches are removed. Branches growing upward are lowered, transferring their growth to a lateral bud. At the same time, tops that thicken and improperly grow branches and root shoots are cut out. To have a complete understanding of how to prune a plum in the spring, you can familiarize yourself with the diagram.

Formation of a plum crown

Schemes and options for crown formation

To form the crown accurately, you need to imagine how it should look at the finish. Plants, if they are not a columnar variety, look the same: a conductor, 4-6 skeletal branches, each occupying its own tiers. The lower branches are the largest in diameter, and the upper ones are the smallest. The branches form an obtuse angle with the trunk, and the shoots grow in the direction from the trunk. The crown is thinned out, not too thick. Once the image is formed in the imagination, you can get down to business.

Forming a plum into a bowl

The formation of a bowl-shaped tree takes several years. The cup-shaped crown is empty inside, so the central conductor is cut out almost completely. Leave 4 skeletal branches located at a height of half a meter above the ground. The branches are directed so that they form an angle with the trunk of 60-90 degrees.

The next season, the main branches are shortened and divided into 2 branches. They are shortened and divided again after a year. The result is a cup-shaped crown, which is empty inside and denser from the center. In total there are 15-20 skeletal branches.

Pruning plums in tiers

The sparse-tiered form is achieved within 5 years. Leave 6-7 of the largest branches forming an angle of 50-60 degrees with the conductor. The correct angle is made by tying it with a rope. Ideally, the main and skeletal branches grow in different directions from the conductor at a distance of 15-25 cm.

As a result, there are 2-3 branches at the lower level, with one of them slightly higher than the others. The second tier includes two branches on opposite sides at different heights.

Pruning pyramidal plum

Forming a plum tree's pyramid-shaped crown requires several years of proper pruning.

First year. They begin work in early spring. The conductor is shortened so that it is one and a half meters from the ground surface. Side branches growing at a distance of half a meter above the soil are removed “in a ring”. The remaining shoots are cut to half their length.

Attention!

In summer, the conductor is not removed. New shoots are shortened to 15-20 cm on buds that are directed towards the ground. Second-order branches are cut to 15 cm.

Second and subsequent years. The conductor is cut to approximately 2/3 of the length increased over the year. When the tree reaches three meters in height, the conductor is reduced annually by 3-5 cm in order to maintain it.

In summer, shoots of 6-8 leaves are cut off on the branches on the sides of the trunk. Second order branches are shortened to 5-6 leaves. Strong branches at the top are removed.

Pruning a tall plum tree

The annual fruit plant is pruned in early summer. The conductor is shortened so that a little less than two meters remains above the ground. A two-year-old tree is pruned in late spring. The shoots branching off the trunk are removed, leaving approximately 20-30 cm. This may seem like too much cutting, but the young plant tolerates this pruning more easily. A three-year-old plum tree is pruned again in May. Shoots that grow as extensions of skeletal branches or conductors are shortened to 25-35 cm, and the remaining growth is shortened to 15-20 cm. Trees that are more than three years old undergo thinning and sanitary pruning so that the plant does not grow and is not infected by pests.

Bush pruning

The methods for removing branches are very similar to the method of pruning a tall plum tree. The only difference is in pruning the conductor in the first year of the plant's life. In order to form a plant in the form of a bush, the conductor is shortened not to 2 m, but to 1 m. To make the plum look like a medium-sized shrub, it is shortened to 1.5 m. The cutting technology in the following years exactly repeats the cutting of a tall tree.

Why is plum pruning necessary?

Many gardeners believe that due to the small height and dimensions of the crown, the plum tree does not need pruning. But in fact, for this crop this is one of the most important agricultural techniques. A properly carried out procedure prolongs the productive life of the tree, has a positive effect on frost resistance and immunity, and ensures abundant fruiting. The plum crown thickens quite quickly, small branches intertwine with each other. Under such conditions, fruits that do not receive enough heat and sunlight become smaller and significantly lose their taste.

The stability and abundance of plum fruiting directly depends on how competently and regularly the pruning is carried out.

In young seedlings, with the help of pruning, the crown of the desired configuration is formed. There are several suitable options for plums. The final choice depends on the personal preferences of the gardener and the particular variety. As a rule, it takes 4–5 years to form the crown, then you just need to maintain the achieved result.

For an adult plum, it is enough to thin out the crown, removing the most poorly located shoots, and cutting out small drying branches inside it. You will also have to deal with basal growth (in most varieties it forms very readily and actively) and small branches that form on the lower part of the trunk, up to the first fork.

In addition to formative pruning, there is also sanitary pruning. It is carried out twice a year, in early spring and autumn, after leaf fall. In the first case, all plum branches that broke under the weight of snow and ice are removed and simply did not survive the frost. In the second - dried out, dead, broken off, affected by diseases and pests. In the case of sanitary pruning, regularity is very important. Plum does not need such “ballast” at all.

Lack of pruning for a long time does not have the best effect on the appearance and yield of plums.

This culture is not particularly durable. But competent anti-aging pruning can extend the fruiting period of an old plum by 5–7 years. It must be remembered that the older the tree, the more stressful this procedure is for it. It is very important not to overdo it here.

Some gardeners are against pruning fruit trees, citing the fact that nothing like this happens in nature. Practice shows that plum trees that have not been pruned after planting begin to bear fruit faster, sometimes as early as the next season. But this happens to the detriment of the formation of a strong “skeleton”. In the future, such trees are quickly depleted, the rate of annual growth falls, and many intertwining small branches are formed, thickening the crown. Under these conditions, the yield predictably decreases, and the plum is attacked by all kinds of diseases and pests. Fruiting on plums grown without pruning is markedly irregular. Successful seasons in this regard alternate with a complete lack of harvest.

A plum tree that is regularly pruned not only bears fruit abundantly, but also decorates the garden plot, especially during the flowering period.

Like any agrotechnical activity, pruning must be done correctly. Otherwise, this procedure will not bring much benefit to the plum tree, but significant damage, including the death of the tree. The most common mistakes of a novice gardener:

Irregular pruning. Carrying out the procedure from case to case, at any convenient time.
“Stumps” left after removing branches. A hollow often forms at this place or “tops” form. The risk of contracting diseases and insect attacks also increases.
The annual shortening of the center conductor in an attempt to limit the growth of the tree. This will not give the desired result, it will only contribute to the formation of many “tops”.
Excessive zeal. Any pruning is stressful for the tree. If you turn a plum into a “hedgehog” every year, it will soon simply die.
Raw sections. For pruning, use only sharp and disinfected tools. All “wounds” are immediately washed with a thick crimson solution of potassium permanganate or 2% copper sulfate. Minor damage is covered with garden varnish immediately. If the diameter of the branch exceeded 3 cm, it should be allowed to dry for 4–7 days.

For pruning any fruit tree, only sharply sharpened tools treated with a disinfectant solution are used.

Video: general principles and rules for pruning fruit trees

How to trim tops

Tops are shoots that grow vertically from skeletal branches. They develop from dormant buds or after branches are damaged. Their growth can be provoked by abundant watering and too high a dose of fertilizers containing nitrogen. Tops have weak buds, but very large and dense foliage. They take a lot of nutrients from the tree, although they do not bear fruit.

Be sure to remove those tops that grow towards the conductor or develop on the trunk. Lignified shoots are cut into rings in the summer months, and young ones are picked off by hand.

Types of pruning and their features

To obtain a rich, tasty and healthy harvest, all the nuances of proper spring pruning of branches are taken into account. Beginner gardeners need to know:

what types of branches and shoots exist;
desirable timing, types and features of haircuts;
varieties, their differences in type: crown, type of crop development, degree of growth and growth dynamics of new branches.

Therefore, plums are pruned for different purposes:

Formative. With the help of such a haircut, the crown of the tree is formed.
Sanitary. Branches infected with rot or scab or frozen are cut off. Cut branches are immediately burned to prevent infection of healthy fruit trees on the site.
Rejuvenating. To rejuvenate an old plum tree, that is, to restore the fruiting of old plants, dry, broken branches are pruned, drawing nutrients, which will then be used for fruit.
Thinning. Cut off branches that grow inward, preventing sunlight and proper ventilation. Under such conditions, the bark dries faster and does not become overgrown with moss.

There are three types of branch pruning techniques:

"On the ring." The branches are cut off in the place where the bark is visible.
"On the kidney." This method helps to shorten the shoot and give the desired direction of growth. A healthy bud is selected and then the branch is cut at a specific position.

Important!

Remove the branch so that you get a cut at an angle of 45 degrees. The top edge of the cut branch is in line with the top of the bud.

Transfer to side escape." Using this method, the direction of growth is changed and infertile branches are weeded out. Choose a healthy side shoot and cut it 2-3mm above the bark overhang.

Formation of plum by age

Throughout its life, the plant acquires a large number of shoots, some of which break very quickly, shade the crown and bear fruit poorly. Pruning plum seedlings is very beneficial for trees, so it is better to carry out all the activities correctly, following the instructions. It is easier for specialists to form plants in the form of a dwarf pyramid. Using the example of such a tree, we can consider all the stages of cutting.

Trimming an annual tree

Pruning a young plum tree brings many benefits. The root system supplies the cut branches with nutrients for development. If you do not take this haircut into account, the shoots will stop growing quickly. The gardener will have to take additional measures to restore the growth of branches.

Attention!

The first season lays the foundation for development, so care should not be neglected.

In the first year, the plum tree is pruned to a minimum. Remove branches that rub against each other, grow inward, and prevent access to sunlight and air.

For those varieties that bear fruit on one-year-old wood, only branches longer than half a meter are pruned to prevent breaks or sharp branches. The branches are shortened to a minimum length to avoid the formation of new branches that thicken the crown. If the shoots are severely frozen, they are cut off along with the damaged part.

Pruning a two year old tree

Two-year-old trees are pruned in early spring. 1/2 of the skeletal branches are cut off where the bud turns to the outside. You can shorten branches by 1/3. The trunk is cleared of branches growing on the sides approximately half a meter from the ground. The conductor is cut depending on what shape it needs to be given, but always to a healthy, strong bud.

Pruning an old plum

Start pruning old plum trees in the spring. First, the skeletal branches are cut off. All wounded areas are lubricated with garden varnish. Large, powerful branches begin to be sawed from below, and then the remaining upper part is removed. New shoots develop at the cutting sites, which need to be cut off in July, leaving a few of the strongest ones.

It makes sense to prune an old tree only when it has a strong, undamaged trunk. It is better to divide the pruning process over several years, because severe pruning at one time is very stressful for a fruit plant. And for an old tree it can be deadly.

Care after pruning

Since pruning is stressful for a tree, they help to move it through with the least damage. First of all, cut areas, those with a diameter of 1 cm, must be treated with 1% copper sulfate. This will prevent fungal spores from getting into the wound. Then the wounds are smeared with garden varnish or painted over with paint. Brilliant greens are also used as a disinfectant. The cut branches are burned.

After gardening work, it is advisable to feed the tree and mulch the tree trunk. The following is used as fertilizing:

10 tbsp. l. superphosphate;
3 buckets of water;
7 tbsp. l. sulphide or potassium chloride.

The resulting solution is watered over the tree, and the circle is mulched with shavings or straw. The trunk circle is loosened to dig in the mulch.

How to trim a yellow plum

Plum of this type requires strict adherence to pruning rules, because pruning, for example, Karzinsky can lead to a decrease in fruiting. And the Ussuri will lose little with any haircut. The branches are cut down in this way:

In the first season after a decrease in yield, all weak, damaged, and pest-infested branches are pruned.
In the second year, the conductor and strong healthy shoots are reduced.
In the fall, they do not trim for the purpose of rejuvenation, but prepare the tree for winter - remove diseased, damaged, weak parts of the branches.

When is the best time to prune?

Regularity of the event is important for plums. They begin in the first year of life after planting, using all types of procedures.

The initial goal is to establish the crown and provide protection from infestation. Formative is carried out for 12-15 years, sanitary twice or more during the growing season.

Then other types of trimming are included.

in spring

The spring procedure for plums is extremely important. The timing depends on the region of residence of the tree. So in the northern regions they plan to prune plum trees in May.

In the southern and middle regions - the end of March or in April (the first ten days of the month). The main condition: start before active sap flow, since the goal is:

alleviate the consequences of the cut, and therefore injury;
stimulation of bud formation;
rapid start of the growing season;
checking for the presence of insects in the bark and buds.

The timing for starting work can be determined by weather conditions: the night frosts have receded, the buds have not awakened. Rejuvenation should end a month before the expected bud break.

Provided that plums of different ages grow in the garden, pruning is carried out taking into account the age category. It’s worth starting with adults, since they wake up earlier.

In summer

It is not advisable to carry out any activities related to pruning, fertilizing or spraying against insects during flowering.

This rule applies not only to plums, but also to other crops. Summer plum pruning can be carried out as necessary:

removal of fattening tops to redirect beneficial microelements to existing fruits;
for cutting down shoots that take away nutrition from the main plant;
sanitary, in case of suspicion or presence of infection;
removing branches with frozen shoots, which will be clearly visible after the leaves appear.

Dates during which the procedure will not give a negative result: June-July.

in autumn

The purpose of plum pruning in the fall is to prepare the tree for winter. In the process they remove:

broken, immature or diseased shoots;
weak branches, diseased shoots;
branches that will become excellent material for a new generation of plums (for grafting);
long branches;
form the top.

The first and second points are mandatory. As for the rest, it is permissible to plan them in the autumn on the south side.

Do you regularly perform autumn pruning?

Of course not

Interventions of this kind from the northern side will lead to freezing of the plum, as healing will be weak. Therefore, it is recommended to do the bulk of pruning in the spring.

The timing depends on climatic conditions. Standard: September-October (until the middle of the month).

Need to know! There is winter pruning, which the plum tolerates well. But it can only be carried out in regions with a warm climate. Estimated dates: end of February. The manipulations are the same as in early spring.

How to prune a columnar plum

Trees of this variety are distinguished by the fact that the fruits on them grow along the trunk. Pruning a columnar plum involves removing only the side branches. The central branch of the plum is a conductor. It is pruned only when it is not developing well. It is shortened so that 3-5 buds are left.

Important!

If the conductor grows well, then there is no need to cut it. Because of this, lateral branches will begin to develop.

An extension of the conductor grows at the top of the tree. If this shoot freezes, then all competing branches are cut off, leaving only the healthiest one, so that the conductor grows further. The remaining shoots are shortened to 20 cm. These parts are used to graft other trees.

Caring for a trimmed tree

This is the first question that new gardeners ask.
Indeed, if a plum develops well, a certain amount of fruit grows on it, why prune it. Annual spring pruning of plum branches is carried out for the same reasons as other fruit trees.

True, in addition to the general ones, this tree also has its own, special reasons for getting rid of excess shoots: - the formation of branch forks, which contribute to the breaking of branches, especially in years of large harvest; - intensive and excessive growth of young shoots, which can turn a well-groomed tree in a short period of time tree into a large bush.

This is from the “personal”, and everything else is like apple trees, apricots, peaches, pears. Regarding the cute “thorn”, the plum should have a lot of fruits, not branches.

When is the best time to prune? This is the second thing you need to know before proper pruning of a plum tree in the spring is carried out, the scheme of which will be discussed below.

What can be said about time periods? Different gardeners offer their own temporary pruning rules. Some recommend clearing the crown in autumn. They say that the harvest has been harvested, the tree does not need to “work” any further, it can be put in order. This is a suitable option, but only in winter the trees will come with fresh cuts - this is fraught with freezing of the wood. Other gardeners have spring preferences, and based on logic, spring pruning of plums is more correct.

The logic here is simple. In the spring we pruned it, the crown was freed from excess growth, the tree became lighter, therefore, more ovaries will appear, which means the harvest will be larger. In addition, before frost arrives, fresh cuts will have time to overgrow. The time for such pruning usually occurs in the month of March, when sap flow has not yet guaranteed to begin. True, this option can only be applied to mature trees; young trees have their own characteristics, which will be discussed below.

Annual seedling

The first pruning - it would be more accurate to say the formation of the crown, since there is nothing special to cut on the seedlings yet. Work with young trees begins with their planting. Just don’t immediately swear for voicing obvious truths. The fact is that it is recommended to prune plums not like other trees, in early spring immediately after planting, but only at the beginning of sap flow, when it is already clear that the seedling has begun to live and the buds have begun to open. Approximately, this will be in March.

What to do at the beginning of spring?1. Cut all shoots from the ground to a height of about 50 centimeters.2. Shorten the stem to approximately one and a half meters. In this case, the cut site should be at the level of a good bud.3. Shorten the remaining branches by half - a crown will form.

But there is no need to relax, there is another July problem ahead. It is during this month that the plum tree is pruned one more time. In July:1. There is no need to touch the center conductor.2. All branches are shortened to 20 centimeters.3. Newly emerging shoots are cut to 15 centimeters. But so that the last bud is oriented downwards.

That's it, the plum seedling can be left alone until next year.

Note! Since the plum tree is susceptible to fracture, it is recommended to leave shoots growing from the trunk at an angle of about 40 degrees to form skeletal branches.

Two year old plum

Pruning in the second year begins with the arrival of stable warm weather. It is advisable to begin work before the trees awaken.

In the spring you need to: - shorten the stem to a bud located on the opposite side of the bud from last year's pruning; - cut branches over 60 centimeters long by a third of the length; - remove excess shoots that grow inward and at an acute angle.

In the summer, in July, new branch growths are shortened to 20 centimeters, lateral ones to 15, again to the lower bud.

Three year old plum

Pruning of the third year continues what was started. The central shoot is again cut to a bud opposite to last year's. Side shoots are cut down to 20 centimeters, branches that cross each other are completely removed.

In the next year or two, when the plum reaches 2.5-3 meters, the formation of the crown ends, and the central conductor is transferred to the side branch. Ultimately, after 5 years, there should be a tree in the garden with a fully formed crown, which has 5 to 7 skeletal branches and these branches grow from the trunk at an angle of 40-50 degrees.

Beginning gardeners, before pruning a plum tree in the spring, sometimes ask a question about this very angle and the possibility of correcting it. After all, a branch cannot be forced to grow where it needs, not where it needs to go, but where a person needs it. This is a mistaken opinion - it is possible.

The first option is to tie the shoot at the desired angle to a stake in the ground.

The second option is to hang a weight on the branch. But! The load should not break everything at once, and the “holder” itself (rope, twine) should not injure the wood. Ideally, a wide ribbon can serve as such a garter.

Almost forgot. One more point about the advisability of pruning when the first harvest appears. There is an opinion that in the year of the first fruits the tree should not be touched.

Pruning an old plum tree involves “cultivating” it. That is, every year in the spring the plum needs to be cleared of excess shoots, the skeletal branches need to be trimmed, in principle, all the activities are the same as

, pear or peach.

The only thing that can be noted is that in the case of plums, rejuvenation is carried out only on trees that are not too old. An apple tree, for example, can be rejuvenated at any age, but a very old plum tree usually cannot. But these are just conventions, if you want, why not try.

For those who decide on this procedure, we note that rejuvenation is carried out by cutting off old skeletal branches to the strongest top. An example of such a pruning scheme can be clearly seen in the video below.

That's all the recommendations for combating unnecessary beauty. Maybe now, it has become clear to not very experienced gardeners why proper pruning of plum trees in the spring is so important, the scheme of work and why tree pruning should be done not when you want, but at a certain time. Of course, at first it may be a pity to have a lush green crown, but tasty plums are more important.

For beginning gardeners, it is important to determine what the crown of their plum tree will be like. And only then begin to form it correctly. It is impossible to correct the mistakes made without reducing the yield.

Bowl-shaped

A plum trimmed in this way looks unusual. The advantage of a cup-shaped crown: uniform illumination of ripening fruits in the center. How to get the bowl shape:

At a height of 50-60 cm, 3-4 strong shoots are selected. They should be located at an angle of 60 degrees to the trunk. They are shortened by 1/3 of the length, and the rest is cut out.
The crown of the plant (central conductor) is completely cut out.
In subsequent years, all shoots growing inside the crown are cut out. Skeletal branches are shortened.

Read more: When to replant walnuts in spring or autumn

Advantages of pruning: simplicity and speed of creation. Disadvantage of a cup-shaped crown: with heavy snowfalls, snow sticks to the branches and damages them.

Tiers

The formation of this type of crown occurs within 5 years. The optimal number of tiers is 3, the permissible height of the tree is 2.5 m. This shape allows you to easily carry out thinning and sanitary pruning, spraying and harvesting. Stages of creating a tiered crown:

In the first year, the central conductor is cut at a height of 1.5 m from the soil surface. Side shoots are cut into a ring at a height of 0.6 m.
In the second year, 1 tier of branches is laid. To do this, choose 3-4 strong shoots growing at an angle of 60 degrees or more to the trunk. They are left, if necessary, shortened by 1/3 of the length, and the rest are cut into a ring. The central conductor is shortened above the strongest bud.
In the third year they form the 2nd tier. It is based on strong shoots, spaced 20-30 cm from the branches of the 1st tier. The procedure consists of shortening 3-4 selected shoots and cutting the rest into a ring. The central conductor is cut again above the strong bud. We should not forget about thinning and sanitary pruning.
In subsequent years, the 3rd tier is formed. If desired, the gardener can form a crown of 4-5 tiers.

This type of crown is traditional. Tiered pruned plums are most often found in gardens.

Pyramidal

A novice gardener can easily cope with the formation of a pyramidal crown. Work principles:

The central conductor is left without trimming. It is shortened only if the plum grows poorly.
The branches forming the crown should hug the trunk. Fruit buds form on them. The shoots growing outward are cut out.
Shoots that are too long are shortened by 1/3 of their length.

We should not forget about sanitary and thinning pruning when forming a pyramidal crown.

Bush

This method of crown formation is used in case of irreversible damage to the trunk. Sometimes a gardener comes to the site in the spring and sees that the central conductor has been chewed by mice or hares and cannot be restored.

In this case, you can try to save the variety. What to do:

Cut down or trim the trunk below the damage site. Cover the cut area with garden varnish or oil paint.
Feed and water the remaining stump.
After some time, the sleeping buds will wake up and sprout.
From these shoots a new crown is formed.
The strongest ones are left, the weakest ones are cut out.
At the end of the season, the shoots are slightly shortened: this operation stimulates the growth of side shoots.

Further formation of the crown comes down to leaving strong shoots, thinning the bushes and sanitary pruning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RRAmMFv7lw

Proper pruning of young plums in the first years of their life in the garden will ensure a timely start to fruiting. Such trees are easy to care for, including pruning later.

The purpose of the initial pruning of the seedling is to facilitate its establishment in the garden. When planting young plums in spring, it is recommended:

cut all shoots to a height of 0.5 m from the soil surface;
shorten the central conductor at a height of 1.5 m.

As a result, the root system of the young tree will be able to conduct nutrients and moisture to the remaining shoots. Over the summer, the plant will create strong underground and above-ground parts.

After a year of life of the tree in the garden, a second pruning is necessary. To do this, the central conductor is cut above the largest bud. At the same time, shoots that are too long are shortened by 1/3, and thickening and crooked shoots are cut out. The purpose of the event: to make the crown convenient for further work with the tree.