I have just taken on an allotment and am looking to grow plums,Where do I start?
Decide what sort you want (there are many), and if you want more than one make sure they don't ripen at the same time. If you want bare-rooted plants (which are generally the best) you need to plant them out of the growing season. They're very easy to grow; I put a couple in three years ago; I got a few plums last year, but this year it was too cold at flowering time and there isn't a thing on them. I have victoria, which is reliable, juicy and sweet, but a bit bland, and Cambridge Gage, which is small, green and insipid looking, but infinitely better tasting.
Another thing you may want to consider is hight. You can get trees that are grafted on different bases, high, medium and low.
I got Victoria two years ago, last summer no fruit, this year a total of two plums. There were lots of flowers but night frosts did them no good.
St. Julien A is the most popular, and should produce a tree suitable for a large garden. Pixy is smaller, and should produce a 10-15 foot tree. Sizes aren't too predictable; both of mine are supposedly on St. Julien A; Victoria is growing at a reasonable rate, while Cambridge Gage is shooting away and will be 30 feet or so in a few years. Not that I mind; I have the space for it.
Yes, Robert, plums grafted on Saint Juliën A base are also here in the Netherlands widely used, it is supposed to be for a low to medium hight tree. I believe that's what I have but you mentioned that it's suitable for a large garden and that your gage might be 30 feet in a few years, now I'm worried since I don't want a tall tree. I guess I can keep it low by pruning?
That particular tree is growing away far faster than any of my others, and it's either a case of the labels getting mixed, or it's a particularly strong grower. They do vary a lot from one variety to another on the one rootstock; does anyone else grow it? If you go to a specialist nursery they'd surely offer advice as to what's suitable.