Whether it’s a pair of long-handled loppers, pruning saw or secateurs, using the right tool is essential for this task. Heavy pruning can also affect cropping, as fruits are produced on one- or two-year-old shoots. If your plum tree is unproductive or is only producing fruit every two years (known as biennial bearing), the cause may be lack of moisture at the roots, or a late frost affecting the flowers in spring. Each pruning cut will result in several thin shoots growing – these will need to be thinned the following summer.
If you want to renovate an old, neglected plum tree, do it gradually, over several years. Also pull up any suckers that are growing from the base, and grub out any buds growing on the trunk. P rune the branches by about a third, then prune away shoots growing into the centre of the tree, plus any that are dead, damaged or crossing. Prune to create an open, wine glass shape. Again, the aim is to keep the tree a manageable size and shape, while allowing the fruit to ripen. Another recipe for "traditional Austrian plum butter" recommends roasting the plums in an oven and then transforming that compote-like dish into jam.Established plum trees that are more than three years old can be pruned in summer, from mid-June onwards. One recipe for "dark red plum jam" (povidl) begins with placing the plums in a fermentation crock along with sugar and cider vinegar, and letting the mixture sit for a day before cooking. Traditionally the plums were "overcooked," (to promote evaporation) in a copper kettle, or sometimes vinegar preserved, or even steamed. The Czech term povidla is plural only (the Polish word powidła as well).
Since constantly stirring the pot was exhausting work, people took turns, and did easier work in between turns. Traditionally, large amounts of powidl to be used as a winter store and natural sweetener were prepared in late autumn during a communal event. Powidl will keep for a long time, especially if kept in traditional crockery.
In Austria, Moravia and Bohemia, powidl is the basis for Buchteln, powidl cake and Germknödel, but it is also used as a sandwich spread. The plums used should be harvested as late as possible, ideally after the first frosts, in order to ensure they contain enough sugar. Powidl is cooked for several hours, in order to achieve the necessary sweetness and consistency. Unlike jam or marmalade, and unlike the German Pflaumenmus (plum puree), powidl is prepared without additional sweeteners or gelling agents. Powidl (also porvidl, powidla, povidla, or powidel) is a fruit spread, prepared from the prune plum, that is popular in Central Europe.
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