Spring budding of plum and apricot on fall planted hardwood cuttings of ‘Marianna’ plum produce a tree in 1 year. Plum is generally T- or chip budded in fall on ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock. T-Budding (a.k.a. Shield budding) Budwood should be collected from the current season’s growth and budded onto one-year old rootstock. Rootstock should be ¼ inch to 1 inch in diameter and growing actively with “slipping” bark to ensure successful budding.