What kind of plum is it? Many need a second variety for cross pollination to produce fruit. And there is also the required chill factor, which may or may not be present in LA....depending on variety.

When was the last time this plant was repotted? Can't see clearly from photos the size of plant versus size of container but routine repotting and root pruning - about every 3-5 years - would be necessary. And routinely fertilized as well. I suspect this tree is badly rootbound and in desperate need of fresh soil mix and nutrients.

As to pruning or trimming.......again, this is something that needs to be done routinely. With fruit trees, typically on an annual basis. The photos do not depict the form of the plant very clearly so it is difficult to give specific advice. There are lots of online sources that describe structural pruning of fruit trees that could be helpful but I would start by removing most (1/3) of the smaller, twiggy stems - fruit needs sunlight to develop propery and ripen and that is way too crowded as is! Start from the bottom up. There are also what appear to be multiple trunks or basal stems so more of a shrub than a tree :-) The plant would likely benefit from removal of many of these as well.

Just need clearer shots of the plant to provide much more specific pruning advice.

Hi Gardengal48! Thank you so much for your response ! Sorry it took me a while to respond! It is a sutsuma plum. Next it I have a peach and cherry trees, also in pots. Would it take care of the cross pollination? Those trees are also not doing great. Here are a few more pics, hopefully better than the prev ones. The pot is big, the fruit tree is a dwarf type. You are correct, over the years multiple trunks grew out. Do you suggest I remove all older trunks and branches, the ones that look grey and don’t have the new growth? I fertilize the tree a few times a year with the organic fruit tree mix. Besides that the tree doesn’t produce many fruits, I noticed that some of the baby fruits fall off the tree before they are able to fully ripe.

I really appreciate your advice! Thank you so much!

1) Satsuma plums require a second variety of Japanese plum for cross pollination. The peach and cherry won't work....it has to be another plum.

2) If the trees have not been repotted within the last 3-5 years, then that is something that needs attention now! Unless you have a larger pot to plant them in (and I would suggest you do go up a size or two), they will need some root pruning as well.

3) Most dwarf or semidwarf fruit trees are grafted onto a dwarfing root stock so there should only be a single trunk. Any additional stems/trunks from below the soil are coming from below the graft and will be a different type of tree. There also appears to be a lot of dead wood and small twigs that can be removed. But telling you precisely what to remove just based on the photos of a very neglected tree will be hard to do and not a lot of help. I really think you would benefit from some professional assistance, primarily with the pruning but also with the repotting and root pruning, if necessary. Most better nurseries and garden centers will have someone on staff or an independent pro they refer to. It would be well worth the investment if you wish to ever have these trees produce successfully.

4) Finally, using organic ferts on containerized plants does not work well for reasons too complicated to explain easily :-) Suggest you use a fully water soluble synthetic fert or a slow release product like Osmocote according to label directions.

Thank you very much! I will try to find a professional help. Great idea!