plum 'Mallard'

Grow in well-drained loamy to clay soil in full sun. Plums will tolerate a range of soils as long as they are well-drained and have a neutral to acid pH. Suitable for all training forms, including fan-trained. Keep a weed-free area of at least 60cm radius around trunk. Thin fruit if necessary. Irrigate in dry periods. Flowers early, so at risk from spring frosts

Regular pruning required according to tree form: pruning plums or pruning established fans

Propagate by chip budding or grafting onto a rootstock for fruit. The rootstock used will largely determine the size of the tree

Can be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, fruit tree red spider mite, brown scale, plum moth and bullfinches

May be affected by silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and fruit by brown rot