They are perfectly adapted to the environment, more compact and require less maintenance than other fruits. In addition to the taste of plums, their trees already decorate your garden.
Plums, along with peaches and nectarines, are stone fruits.
Planting
Be prepared to plant more than one variety of plum trees, as many of them need cross pollination to grow fruit, although there are some self-fruiting varieties.
It is also very important to choose the variety that will grow in your area. We look at three types of plum trees:
- European;
- Japanese;
- hybrid.
Rugged European plum grows well in most US regions. Japanese fruit where peach trees bloom. The Americans brought out hybrids that are able to grow in areas where the European and Japanese plum does not survive.
Plant a plum in a sunny area in a well-drained, fertile soil. Avoid planting in the lowlands, where the tree can suffer from frost. If possible, choose a place so that the drain is sheltered from the wind from the south or from the west. This will contribute to the growth of the fruit.
Seedlings grown in containers should be removed from the pot and scissors remove the circular roots that surround the main ball of roots.
When planting grafted trees, the junction of the stock and the scion must be at a height of about 3 cm from the ground.
Dig a hole with a diameter and depth of 10 cm more than the dimensions of the root coil. Place a tree in the center of the hole and make a small mound around the trunk. Make sure the roots are spread out to the sides, but do not bend too much.
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Locate large trees at a distance of 6-7 meters from each other. Dwarf same plant in 4-6 meters.
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Care. Pruning pruned trees is important for preventing branch breakage from excessive weight. If this occurs, completely cut off the damaged portion of the branch. Ideally, it is better to cut it off flush with the main branch.
Watering young trees liberally every week during the first growing season to help grow them. Then switch to regular watering. It is best to moisten the soil around the trunk, allow it to dry, and then add more water.
It is especially important to ensure good watering in the middle of October to give the tree enough moisture for wintering.
Do not fertilize young fruit trees until they are harvested. After that, for the growth of the fruit will require regular fertilizer throughout the year. If a large increase in fruit is expected, add 450 g of calcium nitrate to one tree. In the fall and winter, eliminate nitrogenous top dressings to avoid stimulating new growth in these seasons.
In the autumn, scoop up and throw away all the garbage and debris from the branches.
Implement pruning in early spring or mid-summer to protect the plant from disease. Spring pruning is best for young plums, and summer - for those already rooted. Never prune fruit trees in the fall or winter, as the injured branches are easily infected.
If you have problems with insect pests, it makes sense to think about the use of insecticides.
To protect the plum from damage in the winter( especially the sapling), build a fence around the trunk. Watch also for the state of the bark in the lower part of the trunk. If there are traces of the presence of hares or mice, take care of the wire fence.
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Pruning Japanese plum
If you have Japanese plum growing, it is best to make a form with an open center. The first summer prune strong shoots to form a future crown of 2-3 branches. About a month later, check the tree. As soon as you get three wide-angle branches equally spaced, cut off the rest. Thus, you will have the main branches.
In the second year, at the beginning of summer, shortly cut the branches in the middle of the tree and remove any sprouts that develop under the three main branches. In the summer of the third year, cut off all the shoots in the center of the trunk to preserve the shape of the tree.
A strong pruning is required for support and good fruitfulness of Japanese plums. It is also useful to thin out the amount of fruit. Plums should grow at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other.
Pruning of the European plum
For a plum tree of the European variety, it is best to choose the leader type of the form of skeletal branches. With such pruning, branches move away from the trunk every 12–20 cm, creating a spiral in which each new level of branches must be shifted vertically relative to the previous one.
Begin such pruning in the early summer of the first year of the tree’s life. During this period, it is necessary to cut off all the shoots within half a meter from the ground. The end result should resemble a Christmas tree.
European plum does not require thinning of the fruit because it does not produce as many fruits as the Japanese. However, the distance between the plums should be about 5 cm on each branch.
To effectively control pests and diseases, do not forget to prune your fruit trees. You can use mulch to resist weeds in the spring, but do not forget to remove it in late autumn so that it does not become a haven for parasites for the winter. It is also useful to slightly loosen the soil around the trunk in late spring to detect potential pests.
are suitable for the royal snack. Pests and diseases
The following diseases and parasites can attack Plum:
- milky luster;
- mushroom tinder;
- bacterial cancer;
- pocket disease;
- Japanese beetles;
- aphid;
- moth plum.
Collecting and storing
For a better taste, let the crop ripen on the tree. You can check the readiness by lightly pressing the plum walls. If the skin is soft to the touch, then it's time to collect the fruits. Fruits should be easily detached from the branches with a slight twisting.
Unfortunately, plums are not stored for a long time, so they are better eaten right away, or canned. You can also collect fruits a little earlier, while they are still strong and leave to ripen in a cool place.
It is best to store plums in the refrigerator at 0 ° C and humidity of about 90-95%.Under such conditions, the fruit will not spoil for 2-4 weeks.
From plums make delicious jam or jelly. They can also be frozen or dried( then prunes will turn out).
Recommended varieties
From Japanese plums, try Satsumu. It gives large, dark red fruits. They taste very sweet and are well suited for fresh consumption and canning.
An excellent European plum variety is Stanley. It is common in the eastern and northwestern regions of the United States. This self-fertile plum tree does not require pollinators and produces medium-sized, but very tasty fruits.
Of the American hybrids, “Alderman” and “Superior” should be noted. They combine the taste qualities of Japanese plum and the endurance of European varieties. Great for regions with variable weather.
Video about planting and fertilizer discharge
