Diagnose Issue with Early Italian Plum - Ask Extension
I have a 5-year-old 'Early Italian' plum tree on MAR2624 rootstock. It is planted in full sun beside a 'Stella' cherry tree with no issues. Early in...
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Diagnose Issue with Early Italian Plum #939542
Asked July 16, 2026, 9:17 PM EDT
I have a 5-year-old 'Early Italian' plum tree on MAR2624 rootstock. It is planted in full sun beside a 'Stella' cherry tree with no issues. Early in the plum tree's life, we had heavy rains which saturated the soil and since it wasn't staked, it fell over and unearthed it's rootball, ripping some roots. (I mention this only because it's a stressor that the tree experienced very early on. We subsequently staked it.) Also, early on, Portland had an extremely hot/sunny spell and I think the bark/trunk was damaged from sunscald. As you can see from the images, the tree has 3 primary scaffolding branches and one is completely ripped open, which I thought might be from the sun damage. The tree had only started producing fruit last year, and even then, just a few fruits. This year was promising to be better and in the spring it appeared that we would have a bumper crop, but then the leaves from the scaffolding branch with damage started dying. Now, that entire section looks dead and the leaves on one of the other two scaffolding branches are starting to show a similar pattern. Can you help me diagnose what is wrong with this tree? What recommendations do you have for addressing the issue? Or is removal and replacement needed? And, if so, is it OK to plant a plum in the same location or will it also succumb to whatever is plaguing this tree?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Daniela,
I would probably cut off that one branch. The damage to the bark is substantial which is probably why the branch is dying back. the dieback makes it a vector for pests and diseases so a clean cut is best.
Once you have cut that branch out, the tree will look lopsided, but it looks like there are branches that can be trained to fill in. Since this is a substantial branch, you will want to use a 3-step pruning cut. The following shows how to remove a large branch.
Pruning
I'm assuming the graft union is just above the ground so it's likely you may see new branches sprout below the cut which can be trained to replace what was cut out.
Plums require regular pruning because the fruiting spurs are really only fruitful for two to five years. Now is a perfect time to prune stone fruits.
For the leaf spots, it may be this as I see evidence of this
Prune and Plum (Prunus spp.)-Leaf Spots | Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks
Good cultural controls such as raking up fallen leaves and fruit, and appropriate pruning for air circulation and light penetration will help. there are chemical controls available to the home gardener marked with an H.
I would probably cut off that one branch. The damage to the bark is substantial which is probably why the branch is dying back. the dieback makes it a vector for pests and diseases so a clean cut is best.
Once you have cut that branch out, the tree will look lopsided, but it looks like there are branches that can be trained to fill in. Since this is a substantial branch, you will want to use a 3-step pruning cut. The following shows how to remove a large branch.
Pruning
I'm assuming the graft union is just above the ground so it's likely you may see new branches sprout below the cut which can be trained to replace what was cut out.
Plums require regular pruning because the fruiting spurs are really only fruitful for two to five years. Now is a perfect time to prune stone fruits.
For the leaf spots, it may be this as I see evidence of this
Prune and Plum (Prunus spp.)-Leaf Spots | Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks
Good cultural controls such as raking up fallen leaves and fruit, and appropriate pruning for air circulation and light penetration will help. there are chemical controls available to the home gardener marked with an H.
