All fruit trees certified virus free with a Limited 3 Year Fruit Tree Warranty. Click here for our FREE FRUIT TREE OFFER. All basic pruning requirements completed before delivery.
Rivers Early Prolific Options Explained
Pixy / VVA1 Grows to 3.0m: 150-180cm tall, 12-15L pot. 2-3 years old, all essential pruning completed.
St Julien A Bush Grows to 3.5m : 150-180cm tall, 12-15L pot. 2-3 years old, all essential pruning completed.
St. Julien A (Half Standard) Grows to 3.5m: 150-180cm tall, 12-15L pot. 2-3 years old, all essential pruning completed.
Rivers Early Prolific Plum
An old-fashioned English plum variety, Rivers's Early Prolific (Prunus domestica Rivers's Early Prolific'), first introduced around 1820, and as the name implies, is a very good, heavy cropping early season plum. Distinguished by its small, bluish-purple plums, this plum is a good dessert variety when fully ripe.
Month of Picking: Early-August
Type of Plum: Eating
Fertility: This plum is self-fertile
This plum is in flowering period is C2.
Rivers Early Prolific plum tree will pollinate other non self fertile plum trees that are in plum flowering groups C1, C2 and C3
This variety of plum tree is supplied in a 7-12 litre container.
Final heights can also be controlled by container size or pruning.
Quick Fruit Tree Links
Take a look at our TOP SELLING FRUIT TREES, Wet ground issues then choose a PEAR TREE first, followed by APPLE TREES. For more information on pollination please look at POLLINATION EXPLAINED or choosing the CORRECT POLLINATION PARTNER
Fruit Tree Life Expectancy
Most fruit trees will give you AT LEAST 40 years of fruit. Pears can go to 70. Records of 200 year old trees exist but this is the exception, not the rule.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Fruit Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. If the corner is of the house and a fence then you also have leeching issues to contend with from cement and wood preservatives. Also when it rains, that area would experience higher water levels so we advise against it unless the plant is very hardy.
Fruit Tree Heights
Taller does not mean more value for money. A 1 year old fruit tree can easily be substantially higher than a 2 year old, this is because they are hard pruned at 1 year old to create the desired shape. Some trees have over 100cm of height removed. They can then have another pruning at 2 years old to increase fruit growing real estate. Most fruit trees will benefit from having a third to half of the seasons new growth cut back in the Autumn to prevent long whippy branches which break easily. Age and pruning completed determine real value.
Plum Tree Rootstocks explained
The root stock options listed for your plum tree are made up from the options listed below. These generally tell you the shape and size of your mature plum tree.
St Julien A: Roughly 45cm of clear stem and pruned to be more of a bush shape. Likely to flower more in the Spring. Expected final height of 3.6m.
Pixy: Pruned to be more of a bush shape. Expected final height of 3.0m. Considered semi-dwarf.
St Julien A (Half Standard): 1m of clear trunk and pruned to be a traditional tree shape. Ideal for gardens as this allows you to easily cut the grass and companion plant underneath if desired. Expected final height of 3.6m. Considered semi-vigorous.
Bush: Side branches start much lower down the trunk giving more of a bush shape.
V.VA1: Comparable to Pixy in terms of height and used by commercial growers. Final height around 2.5m. Ideal for small gardens.
3 Litre pots: 1-2 year old
7 Litre pots: A cheaper option but could be slightly thinner trunk and a little less developed due to roots being restricted. Generally 2 years old or more.
12 Litre pots: 2 years old or more.
Bare Root: Delivery from November to March only. Comes with roots exposed, no compost or pot. Much cheaper, must be planted before March and roots not allowed to dry out.
Maiden: 1 year old, little side branches, used as "blank slate" for training e.g. Espallier, Fan etc.
Important Plum Tree information
Plum fruit trees may not winter well if left in their containers and may die so you need to plant as soon as you get them especially if purchased between October and March. Keeping them protected in a heated conservatory or green house should solve this issue if you are not going to plant them.
Mirabelle Plum Pollination
Technically speaking it is possible to use Mirabelle plum trees to pollinate standard plum trees but has more risk than using a standard plum tree. If your plum tree is self-fertile, this of course is not an issue.
