Plum is the ancestor of almost all modern garden crops. Apple tree, Cherry, apricot, peach, cherry plum - all this was actually obtained through various manipulations with the hereditary material of the common wild plum.
The fruits of this tree are not only tasty, but also very useful for the body. They can be consumed raw, in addition, almost the entire range of gastronomic products can be obtained from them - from juice or compote to jam and candied fruits.
Plum fruits are used as a component of other dishes - sauces and seasonings, they are an excellent filling for pies and cakes. The medicinal properties of plums have also been known for a long time.
Doctors confirm the facts of the beneficial effect of this fruit on the digestive and immune systems of the body, they also note the antioxidant properties of fresh plums and products from them. In general, it is desirable to have a plum tree in almost every garden plot.
Content:
Read also: Potatoes: description of 73 best varieties (Photo & Video) + Feedback from gardeners
plant description
Over the centuries-old history of domestication, home plum has become very diverse. More than a thousand varieties and hybrids of this crop are currently grown in different parts of our planet.
They are adapted to almost any climatic zones and living conditions (from collecting two crops a year to surviving winter in Siberian frosts down to -50 ° C).
It would seem that growing such a well-studied and adapted crop should not present any particular problems, but this is far from being the case. Without proper care, the plant will be able to survive, and even multiply well, however, you can forget about good harvests. In addition, plants without care live much less time than those that are regularly looked after and maintained in their shape.
A separate danger for plums is pests, capable of not only destroying the crop in a short time, but also destroying the entire tree. The article deals with the issues of growing plums in a temperate climate and gives recommendations on how to plant a plum and care for this crop.
Biologically, plum is a tree or shrub from 1.5 to 15 m high with a wide (rarely narrow ovoid) crown. The life of a plum is 25-30 years, of which the period from 10 to 15 falls on productive fruiting. As a rule, after 2-3 seasons of a decrease in yields by 30-40%, the plant in the garden is replaced with a younger one. The early maturity of a culture can range from 2 to 7 years. Usually, varietiesthose that begin to bear fruit earlier are less productive, but there are exceptions.
Adult tree-shaped plum in the flowering period
The root system is taproot, consists of a large root, well branched at the base of the trunk. As a rule, the largest shoot goes to a depth of 4 m, but the bulk of the roots is located at a depth of no more than half a meter. The trunk of the plant can be up to 20 cm in diameter, but usually the plums are not too thick (5-7 cm). It is covered with a slightly rough peel a few mm thick, the peel often cracks.
Bush variety of plum during the growing season
The leaves of the plant are alternate, simple, with short petioles. They are ovoid or oval in shape with a serrated edge. Below there is a slight pubescence. Leaf size: 4 to 10 cm long and 2 to 5 cm wide. The color can vary significantly - from bright emerald to dark green; there are also many varieties with crimson foliage.
Generative plum buds produce up to 3 flowers; they are white, up to 2 cm in diameter
Flowering occurs in the second half of April in early and medium varieties. Later ones bloom in early May. Most varieties are self-fertile, but some require pollinators.
The fruits are rounded drupes of purple, yellow, red, pink, etc. flowers with tender juicy flesh. Outside, they are covered with a thin waxy skin. The color of the flesh and skin depends on plum varieties. The bone is pointed on both sides. The yield of some varieties reaches 100-120 kg per tree. The taste of the pulp is sweet and sour or sweet.
The yield of some varieties (Anna Shpet, Golden Drop, etc.) is so high that that the side branches under the weight of the fruit can break off and they have to be propped up with props.
Read also: Apple compote for the winter - 14 cult recipes! Tasty and healthy (Photo & Video) + Reviews Recommendations for growing areas
Plum renklod
Plum has a large varietal diversity. The main differences are as follows:
- crop yield
- method of pollination
- endurance
- frost resistance
- ripening dates
In fact, the last two parameters will determine the growing region of a particular variety. The earliest varieties ripen already in July, that is, the full cycle of obtaining fruits lasts about 2 months. Late varieties ripen from the third decade of August to the second decade of September.
After a simple analysis of fruit ripening times and average summer temperatures in the regions, you can easily determine which varieties can be grown in a particular area. The table below shows the growing regions and the optimal varieties of plums for them.
| Region | Plum variety | Variety type |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Strip and Moscow Region | Bogatyrskaya | Average |
| Hungarian Korneevskaya | Average | |
| Volgogradskaya | Early | |
| Zarechnaya Early | Early | |
| Mirnaya | mid-late | |
| Western Russia, Belarus | Hungarian Pulkovo | Average |
| Early maturing Red | Early | |
| Morning | mid-early | |
| Renklod Tenkovsky | Early | |
| Blue bird | Late | |
| Anna Shpet | mid-late | |
| Etude | mid-late | |
| Southern regions (Rostov region, Krasnodar Territory), other countries: Ukraine, Moldova | Calypso | Early |
| Ashatan | Average | |
| Date | mid-late | |
| Pescarus | Late | |
| Gorodishchenskaya Blue | mid-late | |
| Sultan's favorite | Late | |
| Titmouse | Early | |
| North and center of the Volga region | Memory of Timiryazev | mid-early |
| Renklod Early | Early | |
| Renklod Ulensa | mid-late | |
| Nizhny Novgorod | Average | |
| Kabardian early | Early | |
| Volgogradskaya | Early | |
| Viola | mid-late | |
| Ural and Western Siberia | Pearl of the Urals | mid-early |
| Kuyashskaya | Average | |
| Ailinskaya | Late | |
| Shershnevskaya | mid-late | |
| Chebarkulskaya | Average | |
| Uvelskaya | Average | |
| Central part of Siberia, Altai | Ussuri | Average |
| Chinese | Average | |
| American | mid-early | |
| Canadian | Average | |
| Karzinskaya | Late |
Read also: Lemon: description, care, growing from the stone at home, recipes for vitamin juice and lemonade (Photo & Video) + Reviews
Plum planting
Plum planting
Planting is done in spring (March-April) or autumn (October). Spring planting is considered more preferable. According to the lunar calendar, the optimal time to plant a plum in 2020 will fall on April 1, 2 and 28.
Seedling selection
Plum planting
Before planting, a seedling should be selected according to the following criteria:
- its age should be 2-3 years, annual seedlings are not recommended
- the root system must be developed and consist of at least 3 leads
- the number of branches or buds on the trunk must be at least 4
The bark of the seedling should not be cracked and show signs of damage.
Site selection and preparation
Plum planting
Plum does not tolerate drought well, but its roots should not be below the groundwater level, therefore, a site with moist soil and a level of at least 1.5 m is chosen for planting. Planting next to large trees is also not recommended, so as not to create competition in the struggle for light and soil moisture.
It is best to plant a plum on fertile soil, ideal - on chernozem or not too heavy, but nutritious loam. It will be much worse to grow on sandy soils or sandstones. It is desirable that the soil be warm and well warmed by the Sun, but direct rays at noon should be avoided.
The acidity of the soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline. "Prophylactic" liming of planting pits in loamy soil with wood ash or dolomite flour in an amount of up to 500 g per tree is recommended.
The preparation of the landing pit is carried out two weeks before planting. Holes are located at a distance of up to 3-5 m from each other. The depth and diameter of the pit is 60-70 cm. Soil preparation is as follows: nutrients are added to the excavated soil, for example, 250 g of superphosphate (or mixed in a ratio of 1 to 1 with humus). After that, the soil is simply left near the pit until the landing.
tree planting
A seedling is installed parallel to the peg at a distance of 10-15 cm, spreading its root system evenly over the area of the bottom of the pit and tying it to the top of the peg
On the day of planting, drainage is laid on the bottom, the pit is half filled with soil, then install a support peg (about 1 m high).
After planting, the earth is lightly tamped and watered abundantly. (at least 30-40 liters of water). After watering, the soil is loosened to a depth of 5 cm.
If the soil is mulched, there will be no need to loosen the soil. Therefore, it is recommended to mulch the trunk circle within a radius of 50-60 cm with peat or humus.
In some special way, you do not need to take care of the plum after planting.
Read also: Date palm: features of growing from seed at home, transplantation and care | (50 Photos) + Reviews plant care
Plum processing
Caring for a plum is relatively simple, but care must be regular and strictly regulated, that is, if an event is planned, it must be carried out on time, not postponing even for one week.
A set of care measures includes watering, fertilizing and pruning culture.
watering
Watering an adult plum in a limited area of \u200b\u200bthe near-stem circle
Watering is the most important part of caring for a plant.
Watering rates and frequency should be such that the top layer under the mulch never dries out. Naturally, one should not “flood” the plant, making a continuous slurry of wet earth under it, which will lead to rotting and death of the roots.
Recommended rates are about 3-4 buckets once a week. In dry weather, they are increased to 5 buckets, in the presence of natural precipitation, watering can be stopped altogether - everything will depend on the condition of the topsoil. Usually, watering is done in the evening.
top dressing
Top dressing plums
For a plant, three top dressings per season are enough. They are introduced from the fruiting period.
- The first top dressing, consisting mainly of nitrogen, is carried out in early spring, as soon as the snow melts.At this time, mineral supplements are used from a mixture of urea and potassium sulfate (30 g of each is dissolved in a bucket of water). Nitrogen fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate are practically not used.
- After flowering, when the ovaries begin to form, the plum is fed a second time - nitrophoska is applied under the tree (50 g per 10 l of water under one tree)
- During the formation of fruits, organic fertilizers are added to the soil. 10 liters of chicken manure solution are poured under the drain (concentration 1 to 20)
Sometimes a fourth, foliar top dressing is also used. It consists in spraying the tree with a 3% solution of a mixture of potassium salt and superphosphate (taken in a ratio of 1 to 1).
pruning
Plum tree with a moderately sparse crown - the best option for the formation
Sanitary plum pruning is often combined with shaping. Usually, it is carried out before the start of sap flow (bud break). Sanitary pruning begins with the removal of diseased, dry and frostbitten branches.
In March-April of the year following the planting, a discharged crown should be formed near the plum, consisting of several (2-4) tiers. In this case, the height of the bole is about 40 cm. Up to 8 (but not less than 4) skeletal branches are usually left on the tree, located at an equal distance from each other and extending from the trunk at an angle of 45 °.
In subsequent years, the previously formed structure should be maintained, shortening the growth of shoots by about a third of the length. Small lateral shoots, leading to thickening of the crown, are removed completely.
An important part of pruning is the timely removal of plum root shoots. This procedure is best done with a pruner several times a season.
Preparing for winter
Winterizing Plums
Most plum varieties are winter-hardy and do not need any special preparation for winter conditions. Usually, at the end of autumn, fallen leaves are removed from the site and burned, the soil under the tree is dug up, and the trunk circle is mulched with compost or rotted manure. The trunk and skeletal branches can whitewashto protect them in early spring from burns and rodents. Frost protection is not required.
To facilitate the wintering of young trees up to 2-3 years old, it is recommended to wrap the bottom of the trunk with burlap or plastic wrap. For additional protection of the root system from the cold during the wintering of the plum, it is recommended to mulch the soil in the near-stem circle with sawdust or spruce branches. Such shelter will be enough even for the most severe winter.
Read also: Plum - description of the 22 most popular varieties: yellow, renklod, Hungarian and others (Photo & Video) + Reviews
reproduction
Plum propagation
Plum reproduces perfectly in all available ways - both vegetative (root or green cuttings, grafting, layering, etc.) and seed. All of them have a high percentage of seed survival. The choice of propagation method depends on its required quantity and the time of young plants to bear fruit.
Propagation by root cuttings
Plum propagation scheme by root cuttings
Thanks to this method, the largest number of seedlings is obtained. To get them in April or October, at a distance of 1.5 m from the tree (1 m in young plants), root shoots 15 mm thick are dug, which are cut into fragments of 12-15 cm.
At the end of April, the cuttings are planted from a container with a substrate (sand and peat in a ratio of 1 to 3) at a distance of 5 cm from each other. In the case of landing in several rows, the distance between them is 10 cm.At the same time, the cuttings are buried in the substrate so that their upper end protrudes from the substrate by 2-3 cm. A 5 cm layer of peat is poured on top of them, then the cuttings are carefully watered and covered with a film.
Until shoots appear, the cuttings should be shaded and watered regularly, not allowing to dry out. As soon as the shoots appear (as a rule, the cuttings will already have to take root by this time), the film is removed, the strongest among them is left, and the rest are removed. It is recommended to feed a young plant at the end of summer with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
The following year, it is transplanted into individual containers and planted in open ground at the end of summer.
Reproduction by grafting
Grafting a plum into a split
The most common way to propagate plums purchased from a nursery. As a stock, cherry plum, wild plum (thorn) or cherry are used. The most common method of grafting is split. It is recommended to graft the plants in early spring.
After the rootstock and scion are firmly fixed, the cuts and split surfaces should be treated with garden pitch.
If there is little grafting material, you can try copulation grafting, however, plums do not tolerate such a procedure very well - the percentage of accustomed material rarely exceeds 35%.
Reproduction by layering
Formation of layering from a plum tree
Rarely used, because branches that are low to the ground tend to break off. The procedure is standard - a branch at a distance of 50-60 cm from the end is rooted to the ground with a staple and added dropwise, directing the shoot vertically upwards.
Roots with this method of reproduction are formed in 2-3 months, and the following year, the offspring can be separated from the mother plant, dug up and transplanted to a separate place.
Seed propagation (growing plums from the stone)
Stratified seeds
It is used when there are only seeds from the seed. In plums, they can retain the ability to germinate for about six months.
Many gardeners believe that the variety they like can easily be grown from a seed that has just been taken from the fruit of an eaten plum. Naturally, this is not so.
The genetics of all plants, and especially of self-fertile fruit trees, is such that during seed propagation, viable embryos are formed in the presence of a variety of genetic material. (this is partly the reason for good plum yields in orchards with several different pollinators).
This suggests that the genetic material of the seed will be much more distinct from the parent plant, than, for example, obtained as a result of several stages of cloning (layers or shoots). And yet, despite this misconception, the seed method of reproduction is used quite often. Consider how to plant and grow a plum from the stone
Usually, landing is preceded by stratification. The terms of growing a plant from a seed to a fruiting specimen are at least 6-7 years (even in early-growing varieties). Therefore, this method is used relatively infrequently.
You can grow a plum from a stone using the following algorithm:
- The bones are cleaned of pulp and soaked for 4 days in water. The water should be changed every day, and the bones should be turned over regularly.
- Next, the seeds are dried and sent for stratification. To do this, they are mixed with wet sand and sent to a refrigerator for six months with a temperature of -10 ° C to +1 ° C.
- Seeds are planted in open ground or in a special container at the end of autumn. They germinate next spring.
- In the case of planting in open ground, the seedling should be covered from frost for the first 3 years in the manner described earlier.
- Seedlings grown in an apartment are planted in the garden in the 3rd year of life. Caring for them before planting consists of regular watering, fertilizing with complex fertilizers for fruit trees in a reduced concentration, changing containers and soil once a season. No pruning is done
Planting a young plant is carried out as well as planting seedlings from a nursery - in mid-April.
Read also: Lobelia: description, planting and care, when it should be sown, description of varieties (50 Photos & Videos) + Reviews Diseases and pests
Consequences of plant fungal diseases
The domesticated crop has received good yields at the expense of protective functions, so most varieties of plums are vulnerable to diseases and have relatively low resistance to insects that feed on them. The drain needs constant monitoring and daily inspections to avoid the sudden appearance of various troubles.
fungal diseases
Fruit rot is the most common plum disease caused by ascomycete fungi of the Monilia family.
The main problem among plum diseases is fungi. Fungal diseases that most often affect the culture include:
- clasterosporiasis (perforated spotting)
- fruit rot (moniliosis, gray rot, etc.)
- marsupial disease
- brown spot
- coccomycosis, etc.
There are also other diseases: viral and bacterial. However, in the case of plum, most of them cannot be cured. Fortunately for gardeners, they appear quite rarely.
The symptoms of diseases can be very diverse, but the methods of treatment are generally similar. When processing plum trees affected by the fungus, it is necessary:
- cut and burn the affected shoots, fruits and leaves
- collect and destroy plant debris
- treat cracks in the bark
- remove weeds in the growing area
- treat the whole tree with Bordeaux liquid or a solution of 3% copper sulphate with the addition of 1% soap
Instead of Bordeaux liquid or vitriol, you can use Blue Bordeaux, Kuproksat, Bayleton, Ridomil, and so on.
Pests
Plum codling moth - the most massive crop pest
Plum pests are mainly insects:
- plum sawfly
- plum codling moth
- wrinkled sapwood
- cane (plum) aphid
- plum pachyderm
- ticks
It should be noted right away that if the pests massively attacked the plant, most likely the measures taken will not be enough. (of course, this does not mean that nothing needs to be done), and this year's harvest will leave much to be desired.
Usually, plants are treated with contact insecticides, for example, Fufanon, Calypso, Karbofs, etc. Any of these agents is highly effective against almost all plum pests.
Since pests act quickly enough, the most important procedure in the fight against them is the prevention of their appearance. For this purpose, plants are sprayed with contact or contact-intestinal insecticides 3-4 times per season. In addition to the already mentioned means for prevention, drugs Mospilan, Karate, Actellik and Aktara can help.
VIDEO: How to grow a plum from a seed at home | Stratification. Sowing. seedlings
How to grow a plum from the stone at home | Stratification. Sowing. seedlings
Plum: planting and care in the open field in autumn, spring, reproduction, recommendations, planting scheme, when it bears fruit, description of varieties | (Photo & Video) +Reviews
