The best time to plant a plum tree. Planting and plum care

So that fruit trees in the garden plots not only grow, but also bring tasty 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 of planting and caring for a tree.

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

• Yakhontovaya.
• Skoroplodnaya.
• Chinese.
• Giant.

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

Having decided on the variety, gardeners must decide how to plant a plum. Plums are planted in the ground in three ways: from the seed, cuttings, and root processes.

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

Bone growing

When planning to grow a plum from a stone, pay attention to the following nuances:

• The process is time consuming and requires patience.
• Plum may differ from the “parent” in taste.
• Not every tree planted in this way will bring long-awaited fruits.

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

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

Before planting, preparations are carried out: 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. Seed tissue needs to be moistened periodically. When the bones swell and crack, it is necessary to plant them in the ground. The soil must be well moistened. After planting, the drain needs top dressing and good watering.

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

• Sprouts should have a strong root system, having 4-5 roots with a length of 25 cm.
• According to the method of pollination, plums are divided into 2 types: the former pollinate themselves, the latter necessarily need a company of plums of a different variety, so that the fruits begin. In this case, planting a tree away from other plums is not recommended, since a close planting contributes to their pollination, without which the plum will not bear fruit.
• Plum seedlings are grafted and root. The second type has the property of self-healing during frosts.
• Seedlings come with open and closed root systems.
• On open roots there should not be spots and damages.
• A healthy seedling has no signs of drying out, the trunk and branches should be fresh and clean.

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

Seedlings with a closed root system are already rooted in the ground, so they have a lump of soil that does not allow to evaluate the size and condition of the root. In this case, it is difficult to make the right choice, since it is possible to evaluate the actual state of the germ only in appearance.

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

Landing and nuances of cultivation

Plum is a moody tree, so you should pay special attention to the place of planting. It grows in any suburban area, but it cannot be guaranteed that the plant will bear fruit. The most favorable for planting plums are sunny places on the hills, well protected from the winds. Landing is preferable to be carried out on a site near the fence from its northern part, in such conditions the seedling will be protected from cold gusts of wind and gain access to the sun from the southern side.

It is necessary to plant a plum in fertile soil, preferably with a sandy or loamy composition, in addition, the tree gives a good harvest on alkaline soil. Landing pit should be done with a depth of about half a meter and a width of not more than 1 meter. The transplant is carried out in moist ground, but care must be taken to ensure that there is no stagnation of water in this place.

The distance between the seedlings depends on the type of plum. 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 needs to be done less.

Plum tree does not need inorganic fertilizers, the ideal feeding for it would be humus diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 2. 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.

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 per adult tree and 4 buckets per young tree. Signs of lack of moisture will serve as cracks covering the fruits. But it must be remembered that excessive watering is harmful to the plum. With an excess of moisture, the leaves turn yellow on the tree and the top dies.

In winter, you need to ensure that the snow around the seedling is not higher than 60 cm, excess cover must be removed.

Landing period

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

Each season has its pros and cons, which should be taken into account.

In the spring

Spring planting is preferable. For planting, you should choose mature annual seedlings..

In the spring, the plum needs to be planted in warm soil, immediately after the swelling of the kidneys. This is usually done in early April. If this time is missed, you can land a little later, in the spring it will not be such a serious mistake as in the fall.

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

The place under the tree is prepared in advance - it must be sunny and high, humus is poured into the hole in the proportion 1: 1, a wooden stake or straight stick is placed in the center of the groove, and then a seedling is tied to this support so that the rope does not put pressure on the bark . When planting, the upper part of the root adjacent to the trunk is left above the ground by 5 cm, after some time the soil will settle, and the roots will be at the same level with it. They do this 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, we are talking about the same prunes that each of us in dried, dried or smoked form adds 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.

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

Description

Prunes - the tree is tall, its height can be up to 4 meters, but there is not a lot of foliage on it. The leaves can not be called large, they are oval, thick, the color of the top and bottom of the leaf plate is slightly different. Flowering of the tree begins early, at the same time as the appearance of foliage.

Fruits of blue-violet color, rounded elongated shape, their weight is 50-57 grams. Each has a so-called seam - a narrow dark strip stretched along the entire plum. The skin is tough, poorly separated from the greenish-yellow flesh, but the bone lags easily. The bone is not small, its shape is flat.

Ripening is medium late. As a rule, there are many fruits, but this does not happen every year. Perhaps this is the main drawback of these fruit trees. This sort of plum tolerates a significant decrease in temperature, is hardy, resists many diseases characteristic of these fruit trees, in particular, fungal infections. The immunity of the plant is good.

Productivity is high, plums are self-fertile, tolerate the absence of moisture well. The fruits are juicy, tasty, have a pleasant aroma, and are attractive in appearance. Subject to the preparation requirements, dried fruits are excellent. And, most importantly, the entire complex of vitamins, minerals and trace elements contained in them is not lost during the heat treatment.

Another plus is that this sort of plum does not lose its qualities during transportation, plums do not crush, and do not let juice in.

Planting and plum care

Care and soil quality are not factors that play a major role in producing a rich crop. Like many other stone fruits, prunes like sunny places, cannot tolerate drafts and cold, gusty winds. For planting, a place along the southern wall of the building, a territory along the fence, etc. are suitable.

In one row, the distance between the trees should be at least 2.5 and not more than three meters, the row spacing is three meters. It is better to prepare a landing pit 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 the soil from the hole and mix with one part of the 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 yield will be poor.

Prune is recommended to be watered; he loves moisture. If you notice a massive fall of the leaves ahead of schedule, then the root system does not have enough moisture. But there are troublesome moments, we are talking about root shoots, which must be removed 4-6 times per season. If these recommendations are neglected, prunes are depleted, its fruits will be small, there will not be many.

Like other plums, prunes fit loose soils with good air exchange and moderate acidity. If groundwater is suitable on your plot close to the surface of the earth, planting prunes there is not recommended.

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

Juicy, sweet, with a delicate taste of plum - one of the most popular fruits growing in summer cottages. You can eat it freshly prepared, make aromatic jam, compotes and other preparations from it. At the same time, plants often become a real decoration of the garden - plum blossoms very beautifully at the end of spring, and its trees are lush and will easily create a cute and cozy corner for relaxation in the garden.

Plum is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees that belong to the Pink family. It brings together more than 250 species of plants. Thanks to selection, some varieties that are now grown in summer cottages have been developed from some species. They differ in color and size of the fruit, the ripening period, and sometimes - taste. The most popular are the following:

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

• fetus - drupe;
• pink or white flowers are collected in inflorescences or single;
• leaves are lanceolate, serrated.

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, as in natural markets there is a high risk of running into a diseased tree or being deceived and not buying the variety that you would like. In nurseries, plums on the so-called seed stocks are most often sold - these are rootstock plants sprouted from seeds, to which the scion is grafted - another plant. Thus, we get the same tree, which then will give us fruits. Trees grown from these seedlings begin to bear fruit early and abundantly.

It is also sometimes possible to purchase root crops, that is, those 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 yourself.

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

Following this table, choosing the right plum seedlings will be more convenient.

Conditions for growing plums

Plum tree after planting grows for about 7 years - at this time it bears fruit poorly. Then, in the years 12-15, the most productive 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 in many respects depend on the plant variety. Before buying seedlings, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for existence for the plum - the growth and development rate of the tree, the beginning of the fruiting period and productivity will largely depend on this.

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

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

Ideal place for plum growth - 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 do not plant it where the soil stagnates. The soil should have good drainage and 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 the fall

Plum is planted both in spring, from mid-April, and in autumn to mid-October. The main thing is that before the first frosts there should still be at least 25 days. The technology for planting plums in autumn is as follows:

Everything, the plum is planted.

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

Video - How to plant a plum

Video - We plant a plum

Take care of the plum

Plum tree pruning 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 - this is a healthy pruning, which is performed in April as necessary.

In a fruiting tree, it is important to thin out the fruit, removing some of it. The remaining plums will be larger, tastier and juicier.

Since plum is a heat-loving plant, it needs to be well prepared for wintering. For 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 easier to tolerate temperature changes and weather variability in the spring-autumn period. A lime mortar is prepared as follows: 3 kg of freshly slaked lime are mixed with 2 kg of clay and diluted in a bucket of water. Also well rescues from frosts and watering plants. To protect the plum from birds that can peck the kidneys, it is covered with a net for the winter.

Fertilizing the first 2-3 years is not worth the drain - it will have enough fertilizers introduced during planting. But then, you should regularly add organic matter 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 fertilizers are added. Before wintering, you can add a little organics and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

The earth around the trunk is periodically loosened and weeds removed. It is also important to periodically remove root shoots, about 4-5 times during the summer. She appears at a distance of 3 meters from the mother tree. It is necessary to remove it, since the shoots weaken the adult tree and reduce productivity. The procedure is simple: dig the soil to the place where the process is connected to the main root, and tear it off. If the shoot is removed in this way, then it will grow less and more slowly.

Video - Preparing young trees for winter

Like any garden tree, a plum tree 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 crop.

In this article, we describe all the features and patterns of planting a plum tree, tell you how to choose the right place for it and take care of it throughout the entire growth period.

Preparing for landing: what should be taken into account?

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

Therefore, the most important stage of preparation is the study of all kinds of plums, the choice of those that you liked the most and are suitable for your climate region.

Choosing the right place to drain

The second stage of preparation for planting a plum tree is the selection of a place suitable for its growth. In particular, it should consider the degree of illuminationwhether other trees or buildings will obscure the tree.

Even when laying a garden, it is important to consider the distance between the trees and know about 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 deterioration in crop quality and fruit size.

Also, plums do not like winds, because they simply can blow their flowering and deprive you of the crop. Therefore, the relief of the terrain on which you are going to plant the plum should be broad-waved and have gentle slopes.

Due 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 springy places will not work.

We select the soil

Better soil for plums are loesslike loam and sandy loam. It is very good if drained loams or layered sediments with a large amount of sandy loam occur in these types of soil.

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

In this way, the optimal level of groundwater is 1.5 -2 meters. If they are higher, the best option is special drainage grooves that are dug up next to the garden. All unnecessary excess water will flow into them.

You should not even think about planting plums on peaty-swampy soils, as well as where sands or clay-sand moraine occur at a depth of less than a meter

It is also important to know that after uprooting plum garden stands wait at least 4-5 years before laying a new one in the same place. After all, the previous trees have already pulled out of the soil all the most necessary substances to drain, 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, dig the soil very well so that it saturates with enough air.

Until this moment, large trees should not grow on the site, after which there will be little nutrients for plums.

Planting Plum Seedlings

Most plums are medium or tall trees, which occupy quite a lot of garden space. Therefore, consideryou need not only where to plant the tree, but also how far you need to retreat from other garden favorites.

Plum garden bookmark layout

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

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

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

Plum planting dates

Most often plum is planted in spring. In more northern regions, autumn is also suitable. However, in the fall there is a big risk that the young tree will not have time to acclimatize normally to the new soil and for this reason will simply freeze in the winter.

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

If you plant a tree later, it may be worse taken or damaged by high temperatures and moisture saturation. Also, if the seedling is replanted at a later date, it will have time to blossom in the same place of growth and will not take root well in this condition on the new one.

Preparing the pit for landing

Digging a hole prematurely, approximately 2-3 weeks before landing. This is done in order to pre-fill a mixture of organic fertilizers and fertile soil at its bottom and to have time to settle before the seedling is planted immediately.

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 attach a seedling. It should be borne in mind that the distance between it 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 remain above the soil surface by about 2-5 centimeters. Later, with the subsidence of the soil, it will lower a little more on its own. However, do not overdo it with raising the seedling above the surface of the soil, since there is a risk of leaching and drying of the roots.
• It is only necessary to bury the sapling with soil, without the admixture of various fertilizers. Having fallen asleep a seedling, the earth around it needs to be tamped very well so that no air remains near the roots (it can cause drying of the horse system).
• From the soil that was dug from the very bottom of the pit, a small embankment is made around the tree, which will contribute to the excellent absorption of water precisely by the seedling.

After landing care

Thus, immediately after you have planted seedling, his must be watered. In this case, even if the soil is wet after the snow melts, watering should be mandatory, only the use of less water is possible.

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

General rules for plum care

The plum tree and the garden as a whole do not require much attention and care when compared with other fruit trees. But nevertheless, in order to receive regular and plentiful harvests, it is worth not only fertilizing the tree, but also building the correct scheme for protecting the tree from various pests.

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

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

Very simple and very reliable means of struggle with pests and fungal diseases is pruning and burning damaged branches. It is also necessary to burn all leaves that have fallen from the plum and damaged fruits. In the spring, even before the onset of stably high temperatures (up to 10 degrees Celsius), insects that try to take root on the sink should simply be shaken off and destroyed.

Of course, processing with the help of chemicals is a more effective means of preventing various diseases and tree pests.

If your tree was struck by a scabbard or a false scab, even before the buds of the tree 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 sleeping winter state.

In the springwhen the plum has already blossomed, her 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 the plum blossoms.

To combat the caterpillars that hit the plum leaves, after a 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 drugs should be carried out at a temperature of at least 15 ° C.

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

To combat the plum moth First, you need to hang a pheromone trap on a tree. If you notice that a butterfly moth has got into it, then you need to hang pheromone rings throughout the tree. Also, plum processing using 0.2% malathion.

Cropping and shaping the crown

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

The first pruning of plums is carried out immediately after planting a seedling at a constant place of growth. In this case, the branches are not just shortened, it is important to choose the most even and strong ones from them, having formed several tiers from them, 4-6 branches each

In addition, it is worth choosing the main conductor and cut 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 at the lowest tier.

When choosing the branches that you want to leave for growth, keep in mind that they should move away 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 trimming will be aimed at maintaining the shape of the crown and removing competitors from the main conductor and main branches.

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

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

Pruningadult fruiting trees aims to remove damaged and broken branches and branches and for thinning the crown (if necessary). After trimming, the branches are burned.

Plum Tree Fertilizer Requirements

Plum does not really like frequent and plentiful fertilizers. In addition, the soil is mixed with organic fertilizers directly during planting; in the first years of growth, the tree does not need to be planted.

Further, with a frequency of 2-3 years in the late the soil around the tree is fertilized with humusmixed 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 plant it with water and make it into the soil as irrigation).

Do not forget about watering

Plum should be watered regularly, because 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 start of flowering of the tree, and will be repeated after the same amount of time has passed after the tree has blossomed.

During dry summers, 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.

We prepare the plum for the winter

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

Firstly, is worthgood digging around the treeso that it contains enough oxygen for the plum.

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