European plums are less precocious than Japanese types, with little spur and fruit production until year 3-4 in European, but excessive flowering in year 2 for Japanese. Thinning is necessary for proper size development for Japanese plum hybrids which can produce tens of thousands of flowers per tree, appearing almost snow-covered. Thinning is not always necessary for prunes. However, plums are the most tolerant of all stone fruits with respect to heavy, compacted soils and waterlogging. However, high quality Japanese plums and prunes must be grown where rainfall during the growing season is minimal and humidity low to prevent diseases.
Cold hardiness is similar to apple and pear, therefore hardier than peach.
European plums have greater hardiness than Japanese, although both species exhibit great variability in this trait. In Europe, especially the UK, clonal selections of P. domestica and P. insititia are most widely used. There is some preference for domestica on Myrobalan and salicina on Marianna in California. In the Pacific Northwest, Myrobalan 29C, Marianna 4001, St. Julien A, and peach are used. In the southeastern US, peach seedlings are used.