With the leaves already out, it's too late to prune to a low branching open vase shape. Stick with a central leader and top it where you feel comfortable. The branches will still grow out and up so you will get your height. I have badly scarred fruit on mine unless I really spray well in the dormant season. The fruit still tastes ok but is ugly.

Sorry, but I disagree with firebalsocal...

Do a heading cut right above the third branchlet from the bottom and watch it go. You mighty get 4+ feet of new growth this summer.

Mike

Thank you both for the input. Being that I got no responses for a week after posting, I went out this morning and painfully lopped it off above the fourth branch from the bottom up. Did this early this am before I got to see your comments. I’ll post pictures later in the season of hopefully a well branched vigorous tree.

"Well done my young grasshopper."

Worry not ....

Mike

How's this one progressing? I planted one this spring as well and am curious how similar they'll look

Yours is much fuller than mine, might be time for me to tie down some limbs

Yeah it’s really well behaved. I used some paint stirrers initially to spread the branches but left it alone since. It branches out nicely. Will thin it out a bit once it goes dormant but so far really happy with it. Let’s compare fruit later if we get some growing.

Diyfreddy,

"Well done my young grasshopper."

Worry not ....

Mike

Like I told ya :) .... and that was on March 26 and we are only at the beginning of August.. Happy Happy.

Start reading up on second year pruning of plum trees . I find that the " *.*plum" hybrids are highly influenced by the "plum" genes in their behavior.

Mike

Well the leaves are starting to finally turn yellow and fall. First year growth topped out at around 8 feet tall, gonna have to do some thinning and shaping once all the leaves are off and I can see what I'm working with.