Chinese plum is a dicotyledonous flowering plant, the appearance of which is not very similar to the usual plum tree. The homeland of the plum is the northern regions of China, hence the name itself.
The shape of the stems and leaves of a plant resembles willow twigs, therefore another name of this plant is used in botany - “willow plum”.You can also find such a name as Juelinka.
Table of Contents
- Description of the
- variety. History of the field. Others of the areameters , which allows you to harvest as quickly and safely as possible.
The color of young branches is bright red with a yellowish sheen, the branches are bare, sometimes velvety, covered with purple-brown or red-brown bark.
The leaf shape is oblong , the average sheet length is 7-10 centimeters, width is 3-4 centimeters. The edges of the leaves are jagged, at the base they narrow. The color of the upper part of the leaf surface is dark green, the surface itself is smooth. The length of the petioles is 1.5–2 centimeters. The shape of the crown is spherical.
Chinese plum blooms in mid-April, white flowers, crown-shaped spherical Toward the middle of April the plum is covered with white flowers, gathered in umbrella inflorescences. The fruits are round, pear-shaped or egg-shaped , about 4-5 centimeters in diameter.
Fruit color is yellow, red, purple, or green. .The skin of the fetus is rough. Chinese plum has excellent taste, the fruit is sweet and sour, well transported, stored for a long period of time. Gather the fruits in August.
Breeding history
Local gardeners became interested in Chinese plum for the first time. For a long time , it was grown exclusively in Asia , but in the first quarter of the last century, Russian breeders made an attempt to select the plant.
As a result of repeated crossings, a completely new variety of plum was obtained - “Russian plum”, which became a hybrid of cherry plum and Chinese plum. Experiments in the field of breeding continue in our days.
Increased winter resistance, abundant flowering and high yields make the Chinese plum a very promising species.The most popular among gardeners are such famous hybrid varieties as:
- Alyonushka .The plant belongs to samobesplodny, early ripe grades. The height of the tree reaches 2-2.5 meters. The krone is dense, raised, cone-shaped. Plums are round, fruit color is red. Ripe plums do not crack, their diameter does not exceed 5 centimeters, weight reaches 40 grams. The flesh tastes sweet and sour, its orange color. From one hectare it is possible to collect up to 190 centners of plums. The presentation of the fruit is maintained for a long time, which allows the use of this variety for industrial purposes.
Plum of an early ripe grade Alyonushka can be used for industrial purposes. - Manchurian beauty .Fruiting begins early, the variety is skoroplodny. The crown is dense, its shape is round, the height of the tree does not even reach 1.8 meters. The color of the bark is brown with a slight grayish tint. The leaves are elongated, dark green, shiny. Ripe fruits are small, their shape is round, the base is flat. Fruit weight does not exceed 20 grams. From one tree can collect up to 12 pounds of plums. The flesh of the fruit is yellow-green, the taste is sweet-sour. The variety is drought resistant, fruits are conveniently transported, plums do not lose their presentation. The only drawback - the rapid shedding of ripe fruit.
Manchurian beauty plum variety, skoropplodnaya, drought-resistant, ripe fruits quickly crumble - Ussurian plum .A variety of medium ripeness. It ripens from mid-August to mid-October. The height of the tree reaches 4 meters. The first fruits appear about 3-4 years. Fruiting lasts up to 10 years. The shape of the fruit is spherical, the color of the fruit is red or yellow. Ripening does not occur at the same time, the fruits are sweet, can not be transported. The yield of the variety is high, the Ussurian plum is sufficiently winter-resistant, abundant fruiting.
Plum cultivar Ussuriyskaya winter-resistant, the fruits are not subject to storage, high-yielding - Testament .Late ripening, fruit ripening occurs at the beginning of September. The height of the plum reaches 4 meters. Crohn raslapisty, its average density. The fruits are large, their weight reaches 35 grams. The color of the fruit is light yellow, the taste is sweet and sour, the flesh is peach. Stone is large, poorly separated from the pulp. From one tree it is possible to collect up to 40 kilograms of fruit. The drain is transported with almost no losses, the variety’s winter hardiness is high, the pests are practically not afraid of it.
Plum varieties Zavet late-season, resistant to frost and pests The most suitable for the Russian climate are also considered such varieties as Krasa Orlovschiny, Red Ball, Golden Ball and Nezhenka.
You may be interested in the following publications:
- Planting and caring for plums with thorns or pommel.
- Detailed description of Candy plum variety.
- A detailed description of the variety of plums Egg blue.
These varieties are very popular with gardeners. Each of them is characterized by increased resistance to frost, good fertility and resistance to parasites.
Advantages and disadvantages of
The main advantage of the variety is the increased winter resistance and high yields. Unfortunately, this can also be a significant disadvantage.
In regions with a dry or extremely humid climate, plums may die. Most often, the death of the plant occurs as a result of rooting of the roots.
Chinese plum - not only fruit, but also ornamental plant .During the flowering period, plum trees become a real decoration of any garden, so they can often be found in this very quality.
In addition, many varieties of plums cannot pollinate themselves, bloom early, their root neck is quickly damaged by .
Growing region and growing characteristics in other regions
In natural conditions, the Chinese plum grows on the mountainous edges of the .The wild plant was cultivated several centuries ago by Chinese gardeners. Soon the secret of plum cultivation became available to residents of Japan and Korea.
Chinese plum has not been popular for a long time in Russia. However, the plant has an amazing frost resistance .
The dignity of the Chinese plum variety is amazing frost resistance. The tree is able to withstand temperatures down to -56 degrees Celsius , because it is successfully grown in Siberia and the Far East. The tree also feels good in central Russia.
Fruiting begins early , approximately 2-3 years after planting.
Planting rules for seedlings
Plum prefers to grow on black soil, forest, clay and gray soils with a neutral or alkaline environment and an increased amount of calcium. Groundwater should be located no closer than 1.5 meters to the surface.
Planted plum should be on a surface well-lit by sunlight. The tree does not like drafts, the best place for planting is upland. Planting is subject to healthy plants at the age of 1 year.A landing hole made by a large .It should fit up to 10 liters of rotted manure, 50 grams of potash salt and 300 grams of superphosphates. To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, sprinkle sawdust and peat around the seedling.
Plum is not pollinated independently by , because seedlings should be planted next to other trees, best next to cherry plum.
Features care and pruning
Chinese plum is not choosy to the conditions of growing , but in an effort to get a good harvest, gardeners begin to feed the plant the next year after planting.
nitrogenous fertilizers are used as supplements. Top dressing is made up to 3 times a year.
The first dressing is made before flowering. The soil layer around the tree is watered with a solution of water, potassium sulfate and urea. To prepare the solution will require up to 10 liters of water, 60 grams of potassium sulfate and the same amount of urea.
The second time the plant is fed after the appearance of the first fruits and their entry into the ripening stage.
The last dressing is made after the crop is harvested.
Chinese variety plum needs additional fertilizing with nitrogenous fertilizers 3 times per season Chinese plum likes wet soils .Water the plant regularly. During the drought, watering is accompanied by soil mulching. At the same time, special attention is paid to the impregnation of the soil layer with water to a depth of at least 0.4 meters.
Immediately after planting, the sapling pruned approximately 50-60% of its initial growth. Such a sharp pruning accelerates growth, contributes to the addiction to new conditions.
Reproduction of Chinese plum
The tree is propagated with the help of a stone, or with the usual grafting .To get the bones, you should choose healthy ripe fruits that have fallen from the tree on their own. Separating the flesh from the stone is necessary only after the fruits have compacted.
The resulting bone should be dried in the open air, then give it a little otlezhatsya in a well-ventilated dark place. Planting in the soil is made in the fall or early spring.If the bone is planted in late autumn or in early spring, care should be taken to ensure that it does not freeze. After planting, the place where the bone is located should be covered with sawdust or straw.
With the help of grafting the plum, only experienced breeders reproduce it. It is hardly possible to graft a tree right the first time, it is much easier to grow a seedling from a stone.
Diseases and pests
Plum is practically not afraid of pests, it is not afraid of the disease , which often affect fruit trees.
The greatest threat to wood is plum moth .The pest infects the fruits and leaves of the plant.
The greatest threat to the Chinese plum variety is the plum moth Fighting begins in the flowering period and ends about 1 month before the planned harvest. Pheramonic traps and sprinkling wood with chemicals are an effective way to fight. Spraying is done every 2 weeks.
Diseases such as moniliasis and nodules also affect plums. In order to prevent the development of these diseases, the plant is treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
