Backyard stories: bringing a plum tree back to its best

Three years ago, Gloria Nafziger moved into a new home in Toronto’s east end and inherited a special responsibility by becoming the steward of a yellow plum tree in the backyard.

For the first two summers, the plums were negligible: there were hardly any, and they were very small. But Gloria and her family knew the tree wasn’t a lost cause – they noticed the tree was in need of some care. The branches were overgrown and dotted with black knot: a stubborn fungal disease common to plum and cherry trees. If left alone, these knots cut off water & nutrient supply to the branch, and if left unchecked can cause entire branches to die.

Pruning for tree health

Even for a healthy tree, good pruning is the secret to a bountiful harvest every year. By thinning out branches to let in sunlight and airflow, clearing away “dead, damaged, or diseased” wood, and trimming the outermost growth on the tree, you give the tree the energy it needs to thrive.

Gloria’s family rolled up their sleeves to prune the tree themselves that first summer. To stay ahead of the persistent black knot, they later enlisted the experts at Birchcliff Tree Care for professional pruning in 2024 and 2025. While the tree isn’t “out of the woods” just yet, Gloria’s dedication is unwavering.

Diseases like black knot can be persistent, so the tree isn’t fully out of the woods yet (no pun intended), but Gloria is determined to continue caring for it.

“We love the tree and are doing what we can to keep it alive and well.”

Sharing the bounty

That hard work was rewarded this past spring when the tree burst into blossoms and began to set its fruit. Realizing she had more plums than she could handle, Gloria reached out to us (NFFTT). In July, a crew of volunteer pickers harvested nearly 60 pounds of gorgeous, juicy yellow plums.

For Gloria, the decision to partner with us was simple.

“Signing up with NFFTT was a no-brainer! It helped me manage an overabundance of plums while contributing to the greater good. It saved me weeks of work, and it would have been heartbreaking to see pounds of fruit rot on the ground. There’s really no downside.”

At NFFTT, we believe in the power of three:

1/3 of the harvest stays with the Tree Registrant.
1/3 is shared among our hardworking volunteers.
1/3 is donated to local community agencies.

20 pounds of plums from this tree’s harvest were delivered to an east-end Community Fridge by Pick Leader Kate. Across the city each season, our volunteers share thousands of pounds of backyard fruit with those who need it most.

Here’s to the future of the urban orchard!

We applaud Gloria and all the other caretakers of fruit trees across the city. The time and efforts dedicated to caring for these trees helps ensure that the urban orchard will be here to feed us for a long time to come.

If you have a fruit tree that isn’t fruiting or is showing signs of disease, it’s not too late! We encourage you to consult an arborist and see if your tree can be brought back to health. Check out our tree care resources here, along with a list of trusted arborists!

We can’t wait to hear how their plum harvest goes next season. Happy pruning!