Plum sorts
It is known more than 2000 sorts of plums .In the Non-chernozem zone, 35 varieties of summer and autumn maturity are divided, among them:
Shortwave red is the result of folk selection. Frost-resistant, self-fertilized. In the fruiting enters the 4-5th year. Fruits ripen in the second half of August.
The Hungarian Moscow has fruits dark red with a purple touch, the taste is sweet and sour. The stone easily separates from the pulp. Fruits ripen in the second half of September.
Memory of Timiryazev - is a medium-sized winter hardy. In fruiting enters into the 3-4th year. The fruit is yellowish with a bright blush, a pleasant sweet taste, ripen in early September.
The spark is a small tree. Fruit-bearing begins at the age of 2 years. Fruits are yellow with blush. Flesh yellow or pink-yellow, juicy, sweet and sour. The stone is well separated from the pulp. Fruits ripen in the middle of September.
Smolinka - an early ripening grade - August 15-25.Large violet-blue fruits of sweet and sour taste. Stone semisubstantial. The tree is a medium-sized, winter-hardy, self-bred variety.
Planting: planting plum is needed on elevated parts of the slopes, as it blooms relatively early and therefore more often falls under more severe frosts and often because of this loses the crop. In the northern zone for plum should be taken better illuminated and warmer slopes from the southeast to the west;Less suitable are the north-western and eastern slopes, subject to cold winds in winter. Plums on the northern slopes are often frosted even in relatively warm winters.
For landing, digging pits with a width of 80- 90 cm, a depth of 50-60 cm. The upper, fertile layer is thrown to one side, the lower one to the other. In the center of the pit, a landing pad is installed and filled with 2/3 of the top layer of soil mixed with organic and mineral fertilizers( 15 kg of overgrown manure or compost, 1 kg of simple or double superphosphate, 100 g of potassium chloride or 1 kg of wood ash to reduce aciditysoil).Lime add is not recommended to avoid burns to the roots. Planting is better for two: one sets a seedling from the north side of the stake, spreads the roots along the mound, and the other falls asleep with their fertile soil. The root neck should be 3-5 cm above the soil level. Around the seedling make a hole and the plants are watered. The trunks are tied to a cola with twine or a film in the form of a figure eight.
Care: see Cherries.
It is also necessary to periodically add fertilizers, remove root shoots, and carry out health-improving pruning. Of the diseases, the leaf burns, the leafy leaf spot, the gray fruit rot, the "pockets" of the drains, the plum moth, the aphid and the sawfly, cause the greatest harm to the plum plantations, so the prevention should be given special attention to the .
Pruning: when pruning plums you need to consider a number of biological features of the tree. Plum differs vigorous, especially in the first years of growth, the tendency of shoots to branching and early ripening of the kidneys. The branches give an increase of up to 2 m in length and grow unevenly, often overtaking the center conductor in height.
In the process of after-planting, 8-10 main skeletal branches are laid with good corners, making up the core of the tree, and cut out the branches that are not part of the crown, shorten the main branches of all the layers by 1/2 or 1/3, and cut out the central conductorover the last single branch.
2. Pruning stimulates the development of overgrown branches, the tree begins to form a strong developed crown.
Annual pruning of a young plum tree
1. Pruning of frozen tops.
2. Cutting out a competing shoot.
3. Shortening of increments.
4. Removal of thickening branches
Pruning of adult fruit-bearing tree of plum
1. Cutting branches leaving the crown formation zone.
2. Shortening of the central conductor, reduction of the crown.
3. Cutting out wolf shoots.
4. Cutting of low-lying branches on the stem.
5. Root cutting
In this connection, the main tasks during the crown formation are
- providing the leading position of the central conductor,
- maintaining equivalent growth,
- maintaining possible branch subordination,
- ensuring good fouling of the main branches,
- preventing early thickening of the crown,
- preventing the formation of sharp forks with the threat of breaking off the branch.
The best form of the crown for the plum is the sparse-longline crown with the height of the stem 30-40 cm. The principle of the sparse-longline crown formation is the same as for the apple tree, only 8-10 branches are laid as the basic skeleton with an angle of not more than 40-45 °.All unnecessary branches must be cut to the ring. To the crown had a clear structure, it is necessary to subordinate the main branches between themselves and the conductor. Annual branches longer than 50-60 cm should necessarily be shortened, this will strengthen their fouling and prevent stripping and development of ankle. Plum is very responsive to any way to bend the branches, with this technique you can form the crown and accelerate the introduction of the plant into fruiting. Another suitable type for the plum crown type is the improved vase-like crown, which, when formed, is necessary to cut out the central conductor not later than the second year after planting and to ensure that during the growth process none of the branches begin to act as a conductor due to strengthening its leadership. Plum is prone to the mass formation of wolf shoots, it must be constantly monitored so that the center of the crown does not overgrow. The tops should be cut to the ring if there is no need to use them to replace diseased or dead branches. Root copulation, abundantly growing near the tree trunk, must be cut as it emerges. You can dig out shoots and use them as clonal stock. When aging the tree, it is necessary to resort to rejuvenating pruning, which is performed in the same way as for the apple tree, only with a smaller degree of shortening. Similar to the apple tree and a system of measures to limit the growth of the crown.
Harvesting: plum is removed together with the peduncle. Do this better 5-6 days before the full maturity of the fruit, otherwise they will be poorly stored. Fruits of Hungarians going to prunes, cleaned at full maturity and immediately sent to the dryer.
Usage: fruits are used in fresh and processed form( juices, syrups, pasta, jam, marmalade, jam, jelly, candied fruits, compotes and preserves).It is widespread freezing of fresh fruits, which also lengthens the period of their consumption. Presence of vitamin P in plum fruits allows using them in the treatment of diseases associated with impaired capillary permeability, as well as hypertension, pneumonia, tuberculosis, rheumatism.
Non-drying plum fatty oils are used in the perfume and medical industries.