The plum variety Alyonushka belongs to the group of so-called Chinese plums. They appeared in our country quite recently and differ from the popular and well-known domestic varieties, without which not a single garden plot can do.
The Alyonushka plum, a description of which can be seen today in many gardening publications, was obtained at the Russian Research Institute for the selection of fruit crops. The variety was developed by crossing such well-known and popular varieties as Red Ball and Chinese. In 2001, it was zoned in the Central Black Earth regions of Russia.
Leaves
They are elongated, obovate, pointed, and colored light green. The apex is pointed, the serration of the edge of the leaves is double-serrate. The leaf blade is matte, smooth, slightly curved upward. One to three glands are located at the base of the leaf, as well as on a small petiole (20 mm). It is pigmented and of medium thickness.
Flowers
Alyonushka is a plum with three-flowered inflorescences. Petals touching, white. The corolla is open, its diameter is 12.7 mm. The inflorescence usually contains three flowers. The stigma of the pistil is located slightly above the anthers. The calyx is bell-shaped; the sepals are not serrated. The length of the stamens is 5.5 mm, and the length of the pistil does not exceed eight millimeters.
In the central zone, flowering begins on May 4-8. The Alyonushka plum (reviews from gardeners confirm this) begins to bear fruit three years after planting. This is a self-fertile, but rather early variety. Full ripening of the fruit occurs in the second half of August. The yield of the tree cannot be called very high, but it is stable.
But the Alyonushka plum is distinguished by its high frost resistance. Description of the variety and reviews from experienced gardeners indicate that the tree can withstand very low temperatures - down to –37 °C. Surprisingly, warm winters are detrimental to this variety, since the tree’s bark can become rotten in the lower part of the trunk.
Characteristics of the variety
Plum Alyonushka is an early ripening variety for table use. The berries are mainly consumed fresh, but they are also good in compotes or jams. The fruits tolerate transportation well, but are not stored long enough.
This variety begins to bear fruit early , 3 years after planting. Alyonushka blooms even before the first leaves appear, at the very beginning of May. The flowering is very abundant and beautiful, however, short-lived. The yield is not too high, but is stable every year. Harvesting can begin as early as early August.
This plum variety is self-sterile, so pollinating varieties must be located nearby. For Alyonushka, the best pollinator will be the Skoroplodnaya variety, but any varieties of cherry plum or Chinese plum with the same early ripening period are well suited for this purpose.
Find out what other varieties of Chinese plums exist: Orlovskaya Dreama, Skoroplodnaya, Ksenia, Zheltaya Khopty.
Plum Alyonushka , when grown in the middle zone, is extremely frost-resistant. It can withstand very severe frosts, down to –37 and even –40C, but does not tolerate warm and snowy winters. In such winters, the bark in the lower part of the trunk often becomes warm, which can not only reduce the yield, but also destroy the tree.
Therefore, it is better to grow this variety on stable standard-formers, or choose elevated locations for planting.
Fruit
Alyonushka is a plum that has large round fruits weighing up to 40 grams. Outwardly, they resemble dark pink or reddish balls with a clearly visible waxy coating. Many gardeners and summer residents like the Alyonushka plum variety. Reviews about its taste are enthusiastic.
The pulp of the fruit is medium dense, orange in color, extremely juicy. It has a sweet and sour taste and is distinguished by tenderness. The tasting rating of plums is 4.6 points on a five-point scale; in appearance, the rating of the fruit is 4.8 points. The stone is oval in shape and difficult to separate from the pulp. The fruits contain 1.39% acids and 8.77% sugars.
How to care for a tree
To obtain a good harvest, the Alyonushka plum variety must be surrounded with care and attention, which consists of carrying out such important measures as compliance with soil moisture conditions, timely application of nutrients, proper pruning and careful preparation for winter.
Watering and fertilizing
Water the plant based on weather factors, soil type and plant age. The Alyonushka plum variety needs moisture during the period of ovary growth and during the dry season. In October, carry out moisture-recharging irrigation. After completing the next irrigation, the soil around the tree should be loosened to prevent crust formation.
It is also necessary to provide the plum variety Alyonushka with nutrients from the moment it begins to bear fruit through foliar and root fertilizing:
- In the spring, before budding begins, apply nitrogen fertilizers. Scatter 1 tbsp of urea over the melting snow. l. per 1 m2 of tree trunk circle. After the ground thaws, pour in mullein infusion.
- At the budding stage and before flowering, a complex fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus is required. You can use wood ash.
- During the flowering period of the Alyonushka plum, it is necessary to carry out foliar feeding using a solution of boric acid, which will stimulate fruit set.
- After fruiting, in order to improve growth and strengthen the roots, ripening of wood and buds, apply mineral fertilizers, which will be superphosphate and any potassium salt that does not contain chlorine.
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Description and characteristics of the Red Ball plum variety, planting and careRead
It is important to remember that proper watering and fertilizing have three main conditions: regularity, timeliness, norm.
Trimming
Growing Alyonushka plum involves carrying out such agrotechnical activities as pruning, the purpose of which is to ensure the annual formation of new, strong shoots. Pruning consists of removing dry branches that cross and interfere with one another, growing towards the trunk or shoots down to the ground. Also cut off the tops - fattening shoots that grow vertically upward. The procedures should be carried out in the spring before the buds open and in the fall, when the leaves fall.
Preparing for winter
To reduce the risk of the bark becoming warm, tie the trunks of Alyonushka plum seedlings with spruce branches for the winter. Also, in cold weather, the bark of young seedlings is a real treat for rodents. You can protect plum trunks and shoots from animals by covering them with burlap, roofing felt or metal mesh.
Landing
Alyonushka is a plum that has a rather shallow root system, so it is extremely demanding on the amount of moisture in the soil. In addition, she loves well-lit, sunny areas. This must be taken into account when planting a young tree on your site.
First, you need to choose a place that is well protected from the wind - for example, a piece of land near a fence will do. This plum variety does not tolerate low soils with close groundwater. Since the tree begins to bloom early, care should be taken to ensure that it is not damaged by frost. It is best to plant this plum in the fall, in open, high and sunny areas, preferably on a hill that can be made artificially.
The soil should be non-acidic, fertile and non-salty, and fairly light. It is prepared approximately thirty days before planting. The planting area should be dug well, all weeds removed, and, if necessary, limed. At the same time, a planting pit is being prepared for Alyonushka and for three or four pollinating varieties. In this case, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the planting pattern: 5x3 meters.
Alyonushka is a plum that does not require too large a hole: its depth should be no more than 50 cm with the same width. Two buckets of well-rotted manure, half a bucket of dolomite flour, quite a bit of ash and 200 grams of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to it. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, and a small mound of topsoil is poured in the very center of the planting hole.
Carefully place the seedling on it and dig in the roots with fertile soil. The root collar should be buried two to three centimeters. After planting, the seedling is watered abundantly at the rate of forty to fifty liters per tree and the hole is mulched. In order for the seedling to take root faster and easier, it should be watered a little more often in the first thirty days after planting, without allowing the soil to dry out. Then watering is gradually reduced.
It is necessary to think about the prevention of bark heating. To do this, the trunks of seedlings are tied with covering material for the winter. Fir branches are excellent for this purpose.
Collection and storage
In the first ten days of August, you can harvest plums of the Alyonushka variety. It is not recommended to remove fruits after rain, watering, or early in the morning when there is dew on the plums, but only under dry weather conditions.
The harvested crop cannot be preserved for a long time. Alenka plum is a table variety; it is best to eat it fresh immediately after harvest, and process part of the harvest into homemade preparations for the winter. Since the fruits are suitable for jams and compotes.
Plum Alyonushka embodies the best qualities of famous varieties. Its taste qualities, characterized by a balance of sugar content and acidity, are considered significant, which is why it is in special demand and extremely popular.
Care
In the spring of next year, Alyonushka should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate or urea). At the same time, formative pruning is carried out. The central trunk is shortened slightly, while the lateral shoots are cut a few centimeters below the top.
In the summer, fertilizing is carried out at least twice. For this, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used, to which a little wood ash is added. In addition, the tree trunk circle must be regularly weeded, loosened and watered. In hot and dry weather, water more often and more abundantly.
In the spring, it is necessary to treat the tree with preparations to protect it from pests and diseases, as well as regularly and very carefully inspect the crown in order to identify diseased and frozen branches that must be removed in a timely manner.
Diseases and pests
Alyonushka is a plum that is quite resistant to diseases such as moniliosis and klyasterosporiosis. It is extremely rarely affected by other fungal diseases. The most terrible enemy of this variety is the plum aphid, which attacks this plant en masse every year.
This is a small, but very dangerous pest that feeds on plum shoots and leaves. It is quite easy to detect by looking at the underside of the leaf. A little later, the affected leaves turn pale, dry out and curl, and the tree begins to weaken, its growth slows down significantly.
This pest overwinters in the bark of the main branches, near the buds. It becomes active in May before flowering begins. Therefore, it is so important to carry out timely treatment of the tree even before the buds swell.
How to grow crops correctly
Growing plums is a rather labor-intensive process, but if you put in some effort and adhere to all general planting standards, you can get a rich harvest of your favorite fruit. This requires not only determining the time of planting the tree, but also choosing the right location, preparing planting material and planting.
Time and place for landing
The optimal period for planting Alyonushka plum is considered to be early spring before the buds open. You can plant it in the fall, but do it a month and a half before frost, then the seedlings will have time to take root and begin to grow intensively in the spring.
Plum Alyonushka will feel good in sunny, open areas. The main requirement when choosing a place for this variety is the absence of lowlands where moisture is concentrated. Therefore, the fruit tree must be placed on a hill to avoid rotting and rotting of the root collar of the seedling in rainy weather and when the snow melts. Good productivity is observed when cultivating seedlings of this variety on neutral fertile soils, characterized by looseness and lightness.
Preparation of planting material
High-quality material for planting is a one-year or two-year-old seedling that has a strong, healthy root and a fresh appearance without wilting or obvious damage by diseases or insects. Preparing plum seedlings of the Alyonushka variety involves pruning damaged and long roots.
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Planting process
Planting plum seedlings of the Alyonushka variety includes the following procedure:
- Make a planting hole measuring 50 x 50 x 60 cm.
- Add a soil mixture consisting of fertile soil, rotted manure, dolomite flour, ash and minerals. Form a low mound.
- Place the Alyonushka plum seedling on a hill, carefully distributing the roots, and sprinkle with soil substrate. In this case, the root collar should be buried 2-3 cm.
- Water, then compact and mulch with a layer of up to 10 cm, using peat, humus or compost.
In order for the plant to take root better in the first month after planting, plum seedlings of the Alyonushka variety need to be watered more often, without allowing the soil to dry out.
How to fight aphids?
First of all, you need to get rid of old, damaged bark, dry branches and leaves, thoroughly weed and loosen the soil around the trunk. Then thoroughly spray the tree with any insecticidal preparation. We recommend that you use the domestic drug “Iskra”.
Many gardeners prefer to use folk remedies: an infusion of tobacco or potato tops with the addition of lime, a solution of soap. In the fight against aphids, garlic or onion decoction, infusion of wormwood or chamomile help well.
In the fall, when the leaves have completely fallen from the tree, the plum can be sprayed with a concentrated solution of urea and the trunks must be whitened with lime. The Chinese plum Alyonushka is easy to care for. If you carry out the necessary preventive measures to protect and care for the plant in a timely manner, then you can simply get a good harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.
Features of growing Chinese plum
Cultivation and care of Chinese plums are almost identical to the cultivation of local varieties.
But there are certain points in growing a fruit plant:
- Floor. Plums readily grow on chernozems, woody-gray soils, loamy soils with a neutral or alkaline environment and a lot of calcium. The groundwater level should be below 1.5 meters from the soil surface.
- Landing place. Chinese plum loves sunny, spacious, but draft-free places. A suitable place for planting is upland; planting the plant in lowlands is strictly prohibited.
- Landing. It is better to plant healthy trees in the spring, which are cut down to 60% of the original height to ensure vigorous growth and adaptation to new growth conditions. The planting pit usually contains 10 liters of mature manure, 50-60 grams of potassium salt, 250-300 grams of superphosphate. To seal up moisture, the soil in the stem circle is sprinkled with sawdust or peat.
- I'm eating. In the year of planting there is no need to apply fertilizers, and next year watering with a solution of nitrogen fertilizers will be very useful. Trees that have entered the fruiting phase are fed for the first time before flowering (60 grams of potassium sulfate and urea are added to 10 liters of water). The next fertilization occurs at the stage of fruit ripening. The last application of fertilizer occurs after harvesting.
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. Watering. Plum trees are water-loving plants, so they are watered regularly and systematically. Particular attention is paid to moistening the soil in the dry season, when it is buried to a depth of at least 40 cm and then mulched. Pests. (Read more about pests and diseases of plums here) Plum fertilizer is dangerous and the main enemy of plum fruits. To destroy them, pheromone traps are used every 14 days and the trees are sprayed with chemical and viral preparations. Pesticide treatment is stopped 30 days before harvest.
Although the Chinese plum is considered a guest in our region, it should be treated with due care.
The undoubted advantages of this variety - early grounding, high frost resistance, relatively high yield - lead not only to increased interest among gardeners, but also to the desire to have a beautiful oriental plum in their landscape. And the rich and luminous flower allows the use of miniature trees in landscape design.
Chinese plum is a promising species used by breeders in scientific research to breed and select new varieties.
In this video you can learn how to properly plant and fertilize a plum:
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Plum Alyonushka: reviews from gardeners
Despite the youth of this variety, it has already gained popularity and recognition among Russian gardeners and summer residents. The reason for this is the many advantages of the tree and its fruits. These include increased frost resistance, average yield, small size trees, which greatly decorate the site.
Most owners note the excellent taste of the fruit, resistance to many diseases and easy tree care. The variety also has some disadvantages that you need to be aware of. This is primarily susceptibility to aphids and self-sterility, which forces pollinating varieties to be planted nearby. However, this is not a serious disadvantage if such plants already grow on your site.
Chinese plum Alyonushka is ideal for growing in a summer cottage. This is truly one of the most beloved varieties cultivated for mid-latitudes. Gardeners also note that Alyonushka is very decorative. It can become a decoration for any garden plot.
History of selection and region of breeding
Alyonushka was obtained by crossing the early Chinese plum variety Red Ball with the large-fruited late Chinese plum. Breeders from the Oryol Breeding Institute G.B. were involved in its breeding. Zhdanov and A.F. Kolesnikova. The variety was zoned in 2001 throughout the Central Black Earth regions of the Russian Federation.
Thanks to its winter hardiness and other unique properties, Alyonushka can be successfully grown in Belarus, Ukraine and many other countries with a similar climate.
