The best time to plant plums. Planting and caring for the plum

In order for fruit trees in garden plots not only to grow, but also to bring delicious fruits rich in vitamins and microelements, you need to grow them correctly. Plum requires special care, so experienced gardeners strictly adhere to the basic rules for planting and caring for a tree.

In order for the tree to bring a good harvest, the inhabitants of the middle lane should choose plums with a short or medium ripeness period. Trees that are resistant to frost, drought and disease are highly valued. Many gardeners opt for the following varieties:

• Yakhontovaya.
• Early.
• Chinese.
• Giant.

These plums are also called early or fruitful. The described varieties tolerate long-distance transportation well, so they are planted in different parts of the world.

Having decided on the variety, gardeners must decide how to plant the plum. Plum planting in the ground is done in three ways: from the stone, cuttings and processes of the roots.

Of greatest interest is the process of growing plums from the stone. But this method of planting requires the most labor and time.

Growing from the bone

If you are going to grow a plum from a stone, pay attention to the following nuances:

• The process is labor intensive and requires patience.
• Plum may differ from the "parent" in taste.
• Not every tree planted in this way will bear long-awaited fruits.

If you decide to plant a plum from the stone, you must follow simple recommendations:

• Bones should be taken only from juicy and tasty plums.
• You need to plant several seeds at once.
• Initially, the seed should be planted in a pot, and transplanted into open ground in the fall.

Before planting, preparatory measures are taken: the seeds should be hardened by placing them in the refrigerator for a day. It is necessary to set the temperature + 2 degrees. Then the bones are placed in a damp cloth and left for six months. The fabric with seeds needs to be moistened periodically. When the seeds swell and crack, it is necessary to plant them in the ground. The soil must be well moistened. After planting, the plum needs top dressing and good watering.

When choosing a plum seedling, be sure to pay attention to the following factors:

• The sprouts should have a strong root system with 4–5 roots 25 cm or more in length.
• According to the method of pollination, plums are divided into 2 types: the first ones pollinate themselves, the second ones definitely need a company of another variety of plums in order to start fruiting. In this case, planting a tree away from other plums is not recommended, since close planting contributes to their pollination, without which the plum will not bear fruit.
• Plum seedlings are grafted and rooted. The second type has the property of self-healing during frost.
• Seedlings come with an open and closed root system.
• There should be no stains or damage on exposed roots.
• A healthy seedling does not show signs of drying out, the trunk and branches should be fresh and clean.

A tree with open roots should be well examined, its condition and size of the roots should be assessed, if the appearance of the seedling does not meet the above criteria, it is better to refuse to plant it.

Seedlings with a closed root system are already rooted in the ground, therefore they have a clod of soil, which does not allow assessing the size and condition of the root. In this case, it is difficult to make the right choice, since the actual state of the germ can only be assessed by its appearance.

Plum must be planted at strictly defined times: before the buds swell in spring or at the end of September.

Landing in the ground and the nuances of growing

Plum is a capricious tree, so the landing site should be treated with special attention. It grows in any suburban area, but it cannot be guaranteed that the plant will definitely bear fruit. The most favorable for planting plums are sunny places on the hills, well protected from the winds. It is preferable to land on a site near the fence from its northern part, in such conditions the seedling will be protected from cold gusts of wind and will have access to the sun from the south side.

It is necessary to plant the plum in fertile soil, preferably with a sandy or loamy composition, in addition, the tree gives a good harvest on alkaline soil. The landing pit should be made about half a meter deep and no more than 1 meter wide. Transplantation is carried out in moist soil, but care must be taken that there is no stagnant water in this place.

The distance between seedlings depends on the plum variety. For trees that spread widely, it is necessary to provide a free space of about 3 meters. If the variety is with a small crown, then the distance should be made smaller.

A plum tree does not need inorganic fertilizers; humus diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 2 will be an ideal top dressing for it. After planting, the fruit tree needs abundant watering with heated water. Plum is a plant that loves heat and light, so when choosing a place to plant, you need to pay special attention to these factors.

The plum tree is moisture-loving, so drying out is very detrimental to it. In hot weather, watering should be done once a week: 6 buckets of water for an adult tree and 4 buckets for a young one. A signal of a lack of moisture will be cracks covering the fruit. But it must be remembered that excessive watering is harmful to plums. With an excess of moisture, the leaves of the tree turn yellow and the top dies off.

In winter, you need to make sure that the snow around the seedling is no higher than 60 cm, excess cover must be removed.

Planting period

Since plum trees can be planted in spring and autumn, gardeners need to determine the most favorable period for themselves.

Each season has its pros and cons to consider.

spring

Spring planting is preferred. For planting, you should choose stronger annual seedlings..

In the spring, the plum should be planted in warm ground, immediately after the buds swell. This is usually done in early April. If this time is missed, you can land a little later, in the spring this will not be such a serious mistake as in the fall.

Planting pits are prepared in the fall, they are dug out with a diameter and width of 60 cm. If a tree is planted in a cultivated area, it must be dug up by 1–2 bayonets of a shovel within a radius of 1.5 meters near the landing site.

The place under the tree is prepared in advance - it should be sunny and high, humus with earth is poured into the hole in a ratio of 1: 1, a wooden stake or a straight stick is placed in the center of the recess, and then a seedling is tied to this support so that the rope does not press on the bark . When planting, the upper part of the root adjacent to the trunk is left 5 cm above ground level, after a while the soil will settle, and the roots will be on the same level with it. This is done so that the trunk does not begin to rot.

Hearing the name of the tree, it becomes clear what kind of fruits grow on it. Yes, yes, we are talking about the same prunes that each of us adds in dried, dried or smoked form to salads, meat dishes or pastries. Fresh prunes are added to jelly, compotes, jams, preserves, sauces and marinades are made from it.

Its unique aroma and sweet and sour taste cannot be confused with anything else.

Is it easy to grow prunes, and what do you need to know for this?

Description

Prunus is a tall tree, its height can be up to 4 meters, but there are not very many leaves on it. The leaves cannot be called large, they are oval in shape, thick, the color of the top and bottom of the leaf plate is slightly different. The flowering of the tree begins early, simultaneously with the appearance of foliage.

The fruits are blue-violet in color, round-elongated, their weight is 50-57 grams. Each has a so-called seam - a narrow dark stripe stretched along the entire plum. The peel is hard, it is poorly separated from the greenish-yellow pulp, but the stone lags behind easily. The bone is not small, its shape is flat.

Ripening is medium late. There are usually many fruits, but this does not happen every year. Perhaps this is the most important drawback of these fruit trees. This variety of plums tolerates a significant drop in temperature well, is hardy, resists many diseases characteristic of these fruit trees, in particular, fungal infections. The plant has good immunity.

Productivity is high, plums are self-fertile, they tolerate the lack of moisture well. The fruits are juicy, tasty, have a pleasant aroma, outwardly attractive. If the requirements for preparation are observed, dried fruits from them are excellent. And, most importantly, the whole complex of vitamins, minerals and trace elements contained in them is not lost during the heat treatment.

Another plus is that this variety of plums does not lose its qualities during transportation, the plums do not choke, and do not let the juice out.

Planting and caring for plums

Soil care and quality are not factors that play a major role in obtaining a rich harvest. Like many other stone fruits, prunes love sunny places, do not tolerate drafts and cold, gusty winds. For planting, a place along the south wall of the building, the area along the fence, etc. is suitable.

In one row, the distance between the trees should be at least 2.5 and not more than three meters, the row spacing should be three meters. It is better to prepare a landing hole in advance so that the earth settles, somewhere in two weeks. The pit should be 50 cm deep and 65-70 cm wide. Take 2 parts of soil from the hole and mix with one part of rotted manure. The root neck should be 3-5 cm above the ground. The result of its deepening may be that the plum will hurt, dry, and its crop will be poor.

Prunes are recommended to be watered, they love moisture. If you notice a massive fall of leaves ahead of time, then the root system does not have enough moisture. But there are also troublesome moments, we are talking about root growth, which must be removed 4-6 times per season. If these recommendations are neglected, the prunes will be depleted, its fruits will be small, there will not be many of them.

Like other plums, loose soils with good air exchange and medium acidity are suitable for prunes. If groundwater is close to the surface of the earth in your area, it is not recommended to plant prunes there.

Prunes are widely used in cooking. It is part of the dishes for baby food, such products are extremely tasty and healthy, kids eat them with pleasure. Homemade tinctures are made on its basis, and if all the recommendations are followed, you will get a delicious drink with a pleasant aroma that you can treat yourself and your loved ones to on weekdays and holidays.

Juicy, sweet, with a delicate taste plum is one of the most popular fruits growing in summer cottages. It can be eaten freshly picked, cooked from it fragrant jam, compotes and other preparations. At the same time, plants often become a real decoration of the garden - the plum blossoms very beautifully in late spring, and its trees are lush and easily create a cute and cozy corner in the garden for relaxation.

Plum is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees that belong to the Rosaceae family. It unites more than 250 plant species. Thanks to selection, varieties were bred from some species, which are now grown in summer cottages. They differ in color and size of fruits, ripening time, and sometimes in taste. The following are the most popular:

There are a great many types of plums that summer residents cultivate in their garden plots. But they have a lot in common:

• the fruit is a drupe;
• pink or white flowers are collected in inflorescences or solitary;
• leaves lanceolate, toothed.

Plum is cultivated almost throughout Russia, but it is rarely grown on an industrial scale.

This plant is not highly resistant to low temperatures, therefore, with sharp and severe frosts, there is a high risk of losing all the trees to a single one and being left without a crop at all.

We buy seedlings

It is best to buy plum tree seedlings in specialized nurseries for growing garden plants, since in spontaneous markets there is a high risk of running into a sick tree or being deceived and buying the wrong variety that you would like. In nurseries, plums are most often sold on the so-called seed rootstocks - these are rootstock plants germinated from seeds, to which a scion is grafted - another plant. Thus, we get the same tree, which will then give us fruits. Trees grown from these seedlings begin to bear fruit early and abundantly.

It is also sometimes possible to purchase self-rooted seedlings, that is, those that are grown from root shoots or cuttings. They are good because in case of freezing of a tree, it can be restored, and it is also convenient to grow seedlings on their own.

It is best to choose plum seedlings that meet the following parameters:

Following this table, it will be more convenient to choose the right plum seedlings.

Conditions for growing plums

A plum tree after planting grows for about 7 years - at this time it bears fruit weakly. Then, at 12-15 years old, the most fruitful period begins, when the plant will annually delight you with a huge amount of juicy plums. Then the tree begins to age, and gradually the yield decreases. These are average figures, which largely depend on the plant variety. Before purchasing seedlings, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the existence of the plum - this will largely determine the rate of growth and development of the tree, the beginning of the fruiting period and productivity.

Plum is a light-loving plant, so find a well-lit and sunny place on your site. If it is slightly shaded in the morning or evening - it's okay, it will not harm the plum.

You should not plant a tree in a lowland - in spring or autumn, cold air can accumulate there, which is detrimental to the plant. It is good if the plum grows in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fence or house, where it will be protected from the winds.

The ideal place for plum growth is in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fence or house

Humidity is also a significant factor when growing plums. It does not tolerate drought well, but you should not plant it where the soil water stagnates. The soil should have good drainage and a pH in the region of 6.5-7.2.

You can not plant a plum near other trees - they will deprive it of the necessary amount of moisture

Plum planting in autumn

Plums are planted both in spring, starting from mid-April, and in autumn until mid-October. The main thing is that at least 25 days remain before the first frosts. The technology for planting plums in the fall is as follows:

Everything, the plum is planted.

When tying the plant, do not use wire - it can damage the bark of the tree.

Video - How to plant a plum

Video - We plant a plum

Taking care of the plum

Pruning of a plum tree is carried out annually, starting from the first year of life - thanks to this procedure, a neat and beautiful crown is formed. Old branches are also cut off - this is a healing pruning, which is done in April as needed.

In a fruit-bearing tree, it is important to thin out the fruits by removing part of them. The remaining plums will be bigger, tastier and juicier.

Since the plum is a heat-loving plant, it must be well prepared for wintering. To do this, the plant is fed, and the soil around it is well compacted. The tree trunk should be whitewashed with lime mortar both in autumn and in winter - this will help it to more easily endure temperature changes and weather variability in the spring and autumn. Lime mortar is prepared as follows: 3 kg of freshly slaked lime is mixed with 2 kg of clay and diluted in a bucket of water. It also saves well from frost and watering the plant. To protect the plum from birds that can peck at the buds, it is covered with a net for the winter.

It is not worth fertilizing the plum for the first 2-3 years - the fertilizers applied during planting will be enough for it. But then you should regularly apply both organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil around the trunk. In spring, nitrogen-containing complexes can be added to the soil; from the middle of the season, nitrogen-potassium and potassium-phosphorus top dressings are introduced. Before wintering, you can add a little organic matter and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

The earth around the trunk is periodically loosened and weeds are removed. It is also important to periodically remove root shoots, about 4-5 times during the summer. It appears at a distance of up to 3 meters from the mother tree. It is necessary to remove it, as the growth weakens the adult tree and reduces productivity. The procedure is simple: the soil is dug up to the place where the process is connected to the main root, and it is torn off. If the growth is removed in this way, then it will grow less often and more slowly.

Video - Preparing young trees for winter

Like any garden tree, the plum has its own timing and planting requirements.

It is very important to take them into account, since the slightest error can deprive you of both the tree itself and the long-awaited harvest.

In this article, we will describe all the features and schemes for planting plums, tell you how to choose the right place for it and care for it throughout the entire growth period.

Preparing for landing: what to consider?

Garden trees are mainly bred by breeding methods, as a result of crossing different ones. Not only the taste of the fruit depends on this, but also which region is most suitable for the tree, what its size, resistance to frost and various pests.

Therefore, the most important stage of preparation is study of various varieties of plums, the choice of those that you like the most and are suitable for your climatic region.

Choosing the right place for a plum

The second step in preparing for planting a plum is choosing a place suitable for its growth. In particular, it should take into account the degree of illumination, whether other trees or buildings will shade the tree.

Even when planting a garden, it is important to consider the distance between the trees and to know how large it can grow. If the plum falls into the shade, it will grow worse, its leaves may turn yellow. Also, very strong shading can cause a deterioration in the quality of the crop and the size of the fruit.

Also, Plums don't like wind very much., because they can simply blow off their flowering and deprive you of the harvest. Therefore, the relief of the area on which you are going to plant the plum should be broadly undulating and have gentle slopes.

Thanks to this, good air drainage will be provided for the tree - cold air will not approach it, and it will not accumulate in one place. The area where there are many depressions and ravines is not suitable.

We select the soil

The best soil for plums are loess-like loams and sandy loams. It is very good if drained loams or layered deposits with a large amount of sandy loam lie under the indicated types of soil.

Plum has a fairly large root system, which in no case should be washed away by groundwater, although the plum is a very moisture-loving tree.

Thus, the optimal level of groundwater is 1.5 -2 meters. If they are higher, special drainage grooves are the best option, which are dug next to the garden. All unnecessary excess water will drain into them.

You should not even think about planting plums on peaty-boggy soils, as well as where sands or clay-sandy moraine lie at a depth of less than a meter.

It is also important to know that after uprooting plum orchard wait at least 4-5 years before laying a new one in the same place. After all, previous trees have already pulled out of the soil all the most necessary plum substances, so it will be difficult for a young tree to take root in the same place.

Rules for preparing the soil for planting a seedling

Before planting a plum orchard, the soil is dug up very well so that it is saturated with enough air.

Up to this point, large trees should not grow on the site, after which there will be little nutrients for the plum.

Planting a plum seedling

Most plums are medium to tall trees that take up a fair amount of garden space. So, consider you need not only where to plant a tree, but also how far to retreat from other garden pets.

Plum Orchard Planting Scheme

The distance between the plums should be such that they do not shade each other and practically do not get one tree to another with branches. This will not only allow them to receive a lot of sunlight, but will also not complicate the movement in the garden and harvesting.

So, if the plums are medium-sized, then the distance between the trees of one row should be at least 2 meters. If the trees are vigorous, then it should be increased to 3 meters. row spacing between medium plums must be at least 4 meters, and for vigorous growth this distance increases to 4.5 meters.

The most important thing to remember when planting a garden is that you will not achieve bountiful harvests with a large number of trees on your site, even if you fertilize the soil regularly. After all, trees need not only nutrients and sunlight, but also space for their root system.

Plum planting dates

Often plum planting is carried out in the spring. In more northern regions, autumn is also suitable. However, in autumn there is a big risk that the young tree will not have time to take root normally in the new soil and for this reason it will simply freeze in winter.

Spring planting is carried out already on the 5th day after the soil for planting plums has completely thawed from frost. The term for planting is not very long, only 10-15 days.

If the tree is planted later, it may become less accepted or damaged by high temperatures and moisture overload. Also, if a seedling is transplanted at a later date, it will have time to bloom in the same place of growth and will not take root well in this state in a new one.

Preparing a hole for planting

The hole is being dug premature, about 2-3 weeks before planting. This is done in order to pre-fill a mixture of organic fertilizers and fertile soil on its bottom and so that it has time to settle before the time of direct planting of the seedling.

For the same reason, the pit should be deep enough, about 60 centimeters. Its diameter should be the same.

When you dig a hole, it is recommended to immediately dig a stake into it, to which you will later tie the seedling. It should be borne in mind that the distance between him and the tree should be at least 15 centimeters. The stake should be located north of the seedling.

Basic requirements for direct landing

When starting to plant a seedling, it is important to consider the following very important requirements:

• The root neck of the tree must necessarily remain above the soil surface by about 2-5 centimeters. Later, with the subsidence of the soil, it will sink a little more on its own. However, do not overdo it with raising the seedling above the soil surface, as there is a risk of washing out and drying out of the roots.
• It is necessary to bury the seedling only with soil, without the admixture of various fertilizers. Having fallen asleep a seedling, the ground around it must be very well tamped so that air does not remain near the roots (it can cause the horse system to dry out).
• From the soil that was dug from the very bottom of the pit, a small mound is made around the tree, which will contribute to the excellent absorption of water by the seedling.

Care after landing

Thus, immediately after you have planted seedling, his must be watered. At the same time, even if the soil is wet after the snow melts, watering should be mandatory, it is only possible to use less water.

The required amount of water per tree should be at least 3 buckets. Since the plum is very fond of moisture, watering can be repeated after 2 weeks. Also, the soil around the trunk should be mulched with peat or humus, which will contribute to a longer preservation of moisture.

The main rules for caring for a plum

The plum tree and the garden in general do not require much attention and care when compared to other fruit trees. But still, in order to get regular and plentiful harvests, it is worth not only fertilizing the tree, but also building the right scheme for protecting the tree from various pests.

How to prevent damage to plums by diseases and pests in time?

First, you need to find out which diseases the variety that you planted on your site is least resistant to and which pests can harm it. In the process of dew the tree stands conduct periodic inspections of the garden, considering what kind of pests appear on your trees.

The simplest and very reliable means of fighting with pests and fungal diseases is pruning and burning damaged branches. You also need to burn all the leaves that have fallen from the plum and damaged fruits. In the spring, even before the onset of consistently high temperatures (up to 10 degrees Celsius), insects that are trying to take root on the drain should simply be shaken off and destroyed.

Of course, chemical treatments are a more effective means of preventing various diseases and pest damage to a tree.

If your tree is struck by a scale insect or false scale insect, even before the tree buds swell and before the air temperature rises to + 5ºС, the tree should be treated with nitrofen, with a concentration of 3%. Thus, you can still destroy ticks and aphids that are still in a dormant winter state.

spring when the plum has already blossomed, it treated with bordeaux acid 1% concentration. Bordeaux acid can be replaced with polycarbocin 4% concentration. In the case of using the latter, spraying should be repeated even after plum blossom.

To combat caterpillars that infect plum leaves, after the flowering period, the tree is treated with drugs such as dendrobacilin, entobacterin (1% concentration). It should be borne in mind that the treatment of plums with these preparations should be carried out at a temperature not lower than 15ºС.

They fight against aphids with the help of a drug such as karbofos. Its concentration during processing should be no more than 0.2%.

To combat plum codling moth you need to first, hang a pheromone trap on a tree. If you notice that a codling moth has got into it, then you need to hang pheromone rings all over the tree. Also, plums are processed with 0.2% karbofos.

Pruning and crown shaping

When buying a seedling, all of its shoots are usually very different from each other: some can be very developed and overtake the main conductor in growth, others, on the contrary, only 10 centimeters away from the trunk.

Also, on a young plum tree, a lot of absolutely unnecessary branches can grow, which only interfere with each other and obscure their own fruits. In order for the plum to be beautiful, fruit well and not create difficulties when picking fruits, it is very important form regularly her crown.

The first pruning of the plum is carried out immediately after planting the seedling in a permanent place of growth. In this case, the branches are not just shortened, it is important to choose the most even and strong of them, forming several tiers of them, 4-6 branches each

In addition, it is worth choosing the main conductor and cutting it so that it remains longer than all other branches. Each subsequent tier that goes below the conductor should be shorter than the one that goes below it. I.e, the longest branches should be on the lowest tier.

When choosing the branches that you want to leave for growth, keep in mind that they must depart from the main trunk at an angle of at least 40 degrees, otherwise they will break off from the crops.

The distance between the tiers should be approximately 40-60 centimeters, depending on the height of the tree itself. Also, the number of branches with each subsequent tier, starting from the bottom, should decrease.

Subsequent pruning will be aimed at maintaining the shape of the crown and removing competitors from the main guide and main branches.

Also, it is important to apply a differentiated system to the plum tree, cutting the branches of a tree with a strong awakening of the buds by only a quarter, if the awakening is medium, annual branches are cut to a third of their length, and for branches with very weak awakening, we cut the branch in half.

This will allow even a small number of kidneys to actively develop.

pruning adult fruit trees directed to remove damaged and broken branches and branches and for thinning the crown (if necessary). After pruning, the branches are burned.

Plum tree fertilizer requirements

Plum does not like frequent and abundant fertilizers. In addition to the fact that the soil is mixed with organic fertilizers directly during planting, in the first years of growth, the tree does not need to be revived.

Further, with a frequency of 2-3 years during the late the soil around the tree is fertilized with humus mixed with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. For 1 m2, you need to use half a bucket of compost, 50 grams of superphosphate and only 20 grams of potassium sulfate.

In spring, it is good to fertilize the tree with ammonium nitrate, the required amount of which per 1 m2 is only 20 grams (it is convenient to dilute it with water and apply it to the soil in the form of irrigation).

Don't forget to water

Plum watering should be regular, since water not only nourishes the tree, but also affects the quality of the fruit. The first watering should be 1.5-2 weeks before the tree begins to bloom, and will be repeated after the same amount of time has elapsed after the tree has faded.

During the dry summer, it is worth watering the tree at the end of each summer month. in August and September, the tree also needs abundant watering, which improves the quality of the fruit of the tree.

It is important to consider that plum watering should be regular and consistent with weather conditions and soil moisture. Otherwise, you may cause cracking of the fruit, or yellowing of the leaves of the plum tree.

Preparing plums for winter

Most of all, young seedlings and one-two-year-old plum trees are afraid of winter and its frosts. Therefore, they should be very carefully prepared for the winter.

First of all, costs well dig the soil around the tree so that it contains enough oxygen for draining.

Secondly, the crowns of young trees, in addition to being tied to a strong stake, should be tied into one broom - this way it will be easier for them to resist the winds.