In your zone plums are usually pruned after risk of below zero weather is likely passed. I do not know about specific diseases in your area, but here I've never seen silver leaf. Black knot is the only specific disease routinely encountered here with most plums that doesn't attack the fruit. In my nursery, I don't prune E. plums the first year at all, beyond removing broken and oversized branches- those more than a third the diameter of the trunk at point of their attachment to the trunk. I generally prune as little as possible until trees come into fruiting except for peaches. Upright E. plums do benefit from early branch spreading for a more open shape and early fruiting.

Lop off the top... that is pretty much what i thought i'd have to do to the big one at least. Never thought or read about the hinge straightening method before although i did wonder if something of the sort could be done. I even got an email from Oikos tree crops about their mulch mats and wondered if i should get a couple. I think i might. What is the best time to have a go at the big tree? It is any time of year or right about now is good? I'd like to keep these trees fairly small, i had thought they were dwarfs before i knew that both standard and dwarf were most always grafted. Growing up, all i had ever seen of apple trees growing on family land were seed grown except the one 3-in-one my grandfather had cobbled together himself many, many years ago. The big one is almost too tall to get the spray onto all the way to the top, so i won't miss losing any height. Also, is Bonide Fruit Tree Spray a good spray for these trees? I didn't know what exactly what to look for when i decided i needed to do something. I knew the trees had problems, but i didn't know where to begin looking them up. So i got what i hope is an effective broad-spectrum remedy. Is there something better i can get and something i can use right off? I first used the Bonide just as the leaves were unfurling and again when the flowers were all pink but not opened. The petals are falling, but not fast and they are turning brownish orange. There are even some buds that haven't opened yet... is that normal or a sign of an issue? I'm supposed to use the Bonide again when the petals fall but where it seems to be taking an extended time doing so, i'm wondering if the starting fruit will get attacked by something in the mean time. I tried finding a pictoral guide to pests & diseases of apples, but i didn't find anything i could use. I bought "The Pruning Book" by Lee Reich the other day, it won't arrive for a while in the mail. I have looked at other orchard books but i don't want to end up with less than helpful information... books are not cheap in any media. I was looking at the trees this morning and i was thinking... would it be stupid to just prune off anything that isn't flowering? Like the obvious suckers just shooting straight up. At least on the small one. I'd need a ladder anyway! Thanks for putting up with the rambling!

Your trees can be pruned, but I really can't get a good feel for what needs to be pruned with the pictures above. These trees are naturally going to have a slightly weeping graceful (not sad) form. Removing some limbs might help (again, I can't tell from here), but keep in mind that if you remove lower limbs, limbs above that will tend to drop down to fill the void. Also, lower limb removal may result in more snow-load damage later on. Getting some of the vines off might help them look less "sad". That's about as good as I can do without seeing them in person. BTW, you might indicate where you live. Are the hemlock wooly adelgids in your area?

Ok so a week later and no real signs of growth, ALTHOUGH, this morning it looked like the center was maybe 1cm (yes a full cm) taller than the rest. Meaning it has come up, since I cut it all very smooth and flat. SO, we will see.. It all looks like the rot got in the wind/air and just browned everything though. Or maybe it just browned on its own because it is exposed tissue?