CropsPlum (Japanese) › Autumn Rosa

Autumn Rosa
Plum (Japanese) in the US

Autumn Rosa is a reliable performer, ripening later in the season. It's a fine choice for extending your fresh plum supply right into fall.

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Sow Plant out Harvest

Sow window for Plum (Japanese) generally, zone 6.

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How to grow it

Starting Japanese Plums from seed, it's a bit of a marathon, not a sprint, taking about two years until you get your first proper crop. Sow them indoors, about an inch deep, in trays or small pots with some good potting mix. When to sow depends a fair bit on where you are. For folks in zones 3 and 4, you're looking at April or May. Zone 5 can start a bit earlier in March, going through May. Further south, zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, you've got options in the fall too, October, November, even December for the warmest spots, alongside some spring sowing. Just check your local last frost date for spring planting.

Once your seedlings are big enough to handle, carefully prick 'em out and pot 'em on into bigger pots. They'll need a good, sunny spot on a windowsill or in a cold frame to grow on sturdy. Before planting out in their permanent spot, you'll need to harden them off for a week or two, gradually getting them used to the outside. Plant them once all danger of frost is past, giving them plenty of space, you know, a good 15 to 20 feet (about 4.5 to 6 meters) if you can, depending on the rootstock.

Full Plum (Japanese) guide →

More Plum (Japanese) varieties

Track your Plum (Japanese) from packet to plate

Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.

Tony C Smith
Tony C Smith

Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.