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How to Harvest Plums
Learn what to look for in a ripe plum and how to harvest it so as not to damage the delicate flesh.
With their delicate skin, plums (Prunus spp.) require careful hand picking to keep them from getting damaged during the harvest. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 10 depending on species and cultivar, plums tend to be ready for harvest in the summertime, depending on the zone in which you're growing them.
When to Harvest
All plums will begin to flower in late winter or early spring. The exact time to flowering and subsequent fruiting depends on both the cultivar and the growing region.
To illustrate the difference in harvest times, look at Florida, home to plum-growing zones that include USDA zones 8 and 9, where various cultivars are generally ready to harvest in late May and early June, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Meanwhile, in central Ohio -- home to zones USDA 5 and 6 -- plums won't ripen until September, notes the Ohio State University Extension. But with so many factors to consider, the best way to know when to harvest is through a "feel test."
Determining Ripeness
Plums come in a variety of colors including green, yellow, blue and red -- so you can't tell when they're ready to harvest just by the color of their skin. Plums may change color when they're ripe, but the best way to determine ripeness is still by touch. Wrap your hand around a plum and press into the flesh ever so gently with your thumb. If the flesh softens a little under slight pressure, it's ready to harvest. Of course, you can also taste the plum. If it's soft and sweet and not bitter, it's ripe.
Harvesting Care
You can damage next year's buds if you don't harvest this year's plums with care. To avoid that problem, grasp the fruit and twist it slightly to remove it from the tree. If it doesn't come off easily, leave it on the tree a day or two longer and try again.
Tip
If you're using a ladder to reach your plums, get a friend to help keep the ladder stable.
Storing Plums
Place the fruits in a shallow container, ideally with a single layer so as not to bruise the flesh. Put the fruits in the refrigerator right away, ideally at between 31 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Plums will keep in the fridge for about two to four weeks.
