# Plum tree question: will the fruit keep growing if it's ripe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234 "2012-07-04T19:45:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/1 "2012-07-04T19:45:52Z")
The plums on my tree are ripening, but they’re still smallish. If I leave them, will they keep growing, or should I pick them and just eat a lot of little plums? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/2 "2012-07-04T19:47:01Z")
> [@papergirl](#): > > The plums on my tree are ripening, but they’re still smallish. If I leave them, will they keep growing, or should I pick them and just eat a lot of little plums? Once they begin to ripen they will stop growing in size. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/3 "2012-07-04T19:51:34Z")
Where do you live? I live near San Jose in CA, and I just harvested the last of the plums from my tree today. I’ve been picking them for about a week now, and they are delicious. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/4 "2012-07-04T19:53:51Z")
I’m in Indiana. The plums I’ve tried have been wonderful, just small. Not as small as last year, though–I had a blue million plums that were just slightly larger than cherries. These are about apricot-sized. I’ll probably start picking them when it cools off tonight, then. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/5 "2012-07-04T20:22:55Z")
a gentle light squeeze will just start to feel soft in a ripe plum. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/6 "2012-07-04T20:33:28Z")
> [@papergirl](#): > > I’m in Indiana. The plums I’ve tried have been wonderful, just small. Not as small as last year, though–I had a blue million plums that were just slightly larger than cherries. These are about apricot-sized. I’ll probably start picking them when it cools off tonight, then. Mine range in size from apricot size to maybe twice as big. If you want them to be bigger, you might try thinning them in the spring so the tree can concentrate on growing fewer of them. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/7 "2012-07-04T21:03:41Z")
That’s probably what I need to do…I think this tree was considered an ornamental, and I’m just now getting around to figuring out how to handle it as a real fruit tree. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/8 "2012-07-04T21:19:32Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > a gentle light squeeze will just start to feel soft in a ripe plum. This is the test - not a change of colour - don’t pick them until they start to turn a bit soft. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plum-tree-question-will-the-fruit-keep-growing-if-its-ripe/627234/9 "2012-07-04T22:02:47Z")
I give them a slight tug, and only pick them if they fall easily after that. But I only eat them after they are slightly soft to the touch. Usually takes a day or two after picking. Just had three of them after lunch. 🙂