Planting and caring for plums in the Leningrad region, the best varieties and growing rules

Endurance and unpretentiousness

Have you been to St. Petersburg?
If yes, remember what the sky is like there. Usually gloomy, gray. It rains often. Due to high humidity, gardens are more susceptible to rot and other fungal diseases. Severe winters also pose a danger. Where dachas are located close to the forest, animals may chew on the bark in winter. Therefore, growing plums involves using only hardy, winter-hardy, best varieties with early ripening. Priority is also given to samples with compact, low crowns - gardeners, as elsewhere, save space.

Taking into account the climatic characteristics of the North-Western region, it is advisable to grow several related self-fertile trees on the site at once. Firstly, they will become pollinators for each other. Secondly, with different ripening periods, they will provide the family with fruit for the summer and autumn.

Landing rules

The Leningrad region is the northernmost region of our country where it is allowed to grow orchards of stone fruit crops.

It is recommended to plant young seedlings in early spring. Preparatory work is carried out in advance:

• Choose a sunny place without drafts.
• The soil is carefully dug up within a radius of one meter based on the width of the hole being 90 centimeters.
• Dig a hole 60 centimeters deep and apply a mineral-organic fertilizer complex.

As a top dressing, add a mixture of humus, peat, sand and wood ash, mixed in equal proportions; you can add a handful of urea.

Next, they begin planting seedlings. The planting pattern for different varieties of plums will be different: from 1.5 meters between plants to 3 meters. The distance between rows in the orchard will be 5-6 meters.

The roots of the young tree must be carefully straightened and pressed with your hand, the hole must be evenly filled with soil and pressed, then the plum tree must be watered and the tree trunk circle must be mulched. You can use sawdust or freshly cut grass.

On a note! For some varieties of plums, you can use additional support in the form of a peg located on the north side at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from the tree trunk .

The best varieties for different regions of Russia

Once upon a time, plum cultivation was the prerogative of warm regions, where climatic conditions were ideal for fruit trees.

But the desire of gardeners from colder places to tame the heat-loving beauty was effective: plum varieties were bred that can grow and bear fruit well in areas with the harsh Siberian climate.

Plum varieties for the Urals and Siberia

Just by the name of the varieties you can determine for which region the variety was bred:

The varieties “Northern Dessert”, “Bordovaya”, “Rainbow”, “Krasnoshchekaya”, “Zaryanka”, “Medovaya”, “Altaiskaya Poniklaya”, “Kulundinskaya”, specially bred for cultivation in the region, are also distinguished by good frost resistance.

Plum varieties for the Moscow region and central Russia

Gardeners in these regions have a wide selection of varieties with fruits of all shades from pale yellow to blue black, with a rich palette of tastes:

The best choice

Which plums received the attention of Leningrad summer residents? Based on reviews, based on my friend’s personal experience, I can give successful examples.

• Red early ripening. A “folk” tree, it is almost impossible to establish the authorship of the breeder. The fruits are small (up to 20g), oval-shaped, reddish with a bloom. The pulp is dry and dense. The taste is a solid B. The bone comes off well. One of the first to bear fruit.
• Early ripening is round. An old selection variety. Ripens early, the fruits are red-bluish, small (no more than 12g). The advantages include an easily separated seed, a rich sweet and sour taste, excellent winter hardiness, and high adaptability to adverse weather conditions.
• Renkold collective farm Michurin selection. It is widespread not only near St. Petersburg, but also in the Middle Zone in general. The height of mature trees is average, the fruits when ripe gain weight up to 20g, are round, yellow-green with a dense peel. Excellent winter hardiness.

The characteristics of the samples I have named are their popularity. By planting any on your plot, you can achieve high, sustainable yields without much hassle. Another plus is that for all varieties, Skorospelka red is the best pollinator. Even if it does not grow on your site, your neighbors will probably have such a tree.

Features of choosing varieties

Experienced gardeners advise planting a group of trees: 2-3 varieties from each variety (subspecies) of plum - domestic, Chinese, Canadian and Russian (hybrid cherry plum).

Plum garden with different varieties of trees.

Depending on the weather, the season may be problematic for one subspecies, but quite favorable for another.

• Chinese plum is the most frost-resistant, but its hardiness decreases in the case of winter and early spring thaws, with sudden temperature changes.
• Home plum is not too afraid of contrasting temperatures, but freezes in cold winters.
• Hybrid cherry plum (Russian plum) – has intermediate winter hardiness; most resistant to damping off of the root collar.

For successful pollination, the garden must have trees of the same subspecies with synchronous flowering. Some varieties of different subspecies also cross-pollinate with each other, since they have a hybrid origin.

Plum varieties

For better pollination, plums should be planted in groups.

Even those varieties that are declared as self-fertile (self-pollinating) significantly increase yield when cross-pollinated. And this is only possible between different varieties of the same variety blooming at the same time. When choosing plums for the garden, you need to find out in advance the possibilities of their mutual pollination.

For the Moscow region

• Home plum varieties mutually pollinate each other (if they bloom at the same time), but their pollen is sterile for other varieties.
• Hybrid cherry plum comes from crossing the southern cherry plum with the winter-hardy Chinese-Ussuri subspecies, and all of them successfully form ovaries next to each other. Breeders, when characterizing varieties, usually indicate reliable pollinators.

How to care for a plum after planting

After planting in open ground, a plum seedling needs quality care. Neglecting key aspects of caring for a young tree can have serious consequences. For example, the seedling will not take root, will grow poorly and slowly, the lack of proper care will affect the future harvest, it will begin to bear fruit with a delay, or the seedling will not take root at all and will die. To prevent all this from happening, you should properly care for the plum seedling after planting in spring or autumn:

• Fixation to the support. After planting, the seedling should be secured to the support peg; this should be done using soft twine. To prevent the rope from rubbing the bark, place a piece of roofing felt under the rope.
• Watering. Lack of moisture is dangerous for the crop, but excess water can also cause unpleasant phenomena, such as fungal diseases. When watering, the water should moisten the soil up to 40 centimeters. The recommended amount of water for one tree is five buckets of water.
• Mulching. As noted above, after planting it is necessary to mulch the planting site. Humus and peat can be used as mulch.
• Feeding. If you applied fertilizers when preparing the planting hole, then you do not need to feed the tree for the first 2 years; it has the necessary supply of nutrients.
• Loosening. It optimizes air exchange, which has a beneficial effect on the tree. The procedure must be carried out after watering.
• Shelter before the winter cold. It will help the young tree to survive the winter normally. Shelter is especially necessary after landing in Siberia, the Volga region, the Urals, and the central zone. First you need to completely wrap the trunk with material, for example, burlap, agrofibre. Then be sure to mulch the area around the trunk (for example, wood chips, peat), covering the area covered with mulching material within a radius of one meter from the trunk. After mulching, it is recommended to protect the tree trunk circle with slate. After covering, as soon as the snow falls, trample it down.
• Autumn protection of the trunk from rodents. To protect the bark of a seedling from rodents that can attack a young tree in winter, you need to wrap the trunk with a plastic bottle. To do this, cut off the neck and bottom of the bottle, make a side cut and put it on the barrel so that the plastic bottle protects the barrel with a reliable ring. Secure the bottle with a rubber band, duct tape or tape.
• Trimming. To form a plum crown after planting, it is necessary to trim the central conductor to one meter. Next year, it is necessary to trim the strongest shoots to a length of 25 centimeters. Then you need to carry out formative pruning in the spring and sanitary pruning in the fall.

Planting fruit trees is an excellent investment in the future. With proper care and compliance with growing conditions, the trees will produce a good harvest, which can be consumed in its pure form or stored for the winter. The procedure itself does not require large investments, effort and your time, as does cultivation. And regardless of whether you live in the South or in the Middle Zone, in Siberia or the Urals, you can achieve amazing results.

Further care

The level of yield depends on how well Eurasia plums are cared for.

After planting the seedling, it needs to be watered after 8-10 days, pouring at least 30 liters of settled water under it. If we are talking about an adult tree, it is enough to water it no more than 2 times every 30 days. In this case, it is recommended to pour approximately 60 liters of water under each tree. After each watering, the soil near the tree is fluffed up and mulched. The watering regime is determined by weather conditions.

If the plum does not receive enough moisture, its fruits will crack and quickly fall off. When there is an excess amount of moisture, the leaves turn yellow and quickly fall off.

In the first year after planting, the young tree does not need to be fertilized. The complex of fertilizers that were added to the planting hole is enough for him. Subsequently, the Eurasia plum is fertilized with nitrogen in the spring, and potassium or phosphate agents are added in the fall.

Important! Before applying fertilizers, the soil under the tree is loosened. The first feeding is carried out before flowering begins, the second - in early summer, and the third - in mid-autumn. The first feeding is carried out before flowering, the second - in early summer, and the third - in mid-autumn.

The first feeding is carried out before flowering begins, the second - in early summer, and the third - in mid-autumn.

Young shoots of the Eurasia plum grow very quickly. Therefore, it is impossible to do without trimming the crown. During the first 2 years, the procedure is carried out three times a year, and then twice (in spring and autumn).

The first pruning is carried out in mid-autumn. In this case, it is necessary to leave a third part of the trunk to ensure normal and correct growth of young shoots and crown formation. In addition, the remaining branches are shortened, leaving only 1/3 of their length remaining.

When forming the crown, you should pay attention to the fact that the distance between the branches should be within 20-30 cm

In summer, the main trunk is not pruned. Only the side branches are shortened by 20-30 cm.

In mid-autumn, young side shoots, as well as dry and diseased branches, are pruned. In this condition, the plum will easily survive the winter.

Important! After each pruning, the cut areas must be treated with garden varnish or drying oil-based paint. Preventative measures will help prevent disease infections or insect attacks. Such measures include:

Such measures include:

Preventative measures will help prevent disease infections or insect attacks. Such measures include:

• digging up the soil in mid-autumn and after each watering,
• carrying out timely pruning,
• timely collection of fallen leaves and fruits near trees (they need to be burned),
• watering trees with preparations such as urea, Bordeaux mixture, actellik, copper oxychloride,
• Sprinkling wood ash near the trunk to prevent rodent attacks.

In order for the Eurasia plum to please gardeners for many years, it must be prepared in advance for the onset of winter. To do this, moss and old bark are carefully removed from the trunk and mature branches, and the trunk and bases of the lower branches are whitened with a solution of lime or copper sulfate. After this, the standard is wrapped with insulation. It can be used as burlap or special material.

Preparing plums for winter

To prevent rodents from attacking the tree during winter, the trunk can be wrapped with barbed wire over burlap. You can also line the trunk with branches of garden plants with thorns, such as raspberries, roses or rose hips. If these recommendations are followed, the tree can easily withstand even severe winter frosts.

Plum Eurasia is an early variety. It is resistant to infection by diseases of fruit trees, as well as attacks by insect pests. With properly organized care, the plum will give an excellent harvest of fruits already in the 3rd year of life.

I like the amazing special taste of Eurasia21 plums. During processing, the stone is separated quickly without spoiling the fruit, the pulp does not lose juice and retains its shape. The aroma of plums is wonderful. When transporting from the dacha to the apartment, the drain does not wrinkle.

There are also negative reviews. Pollinator problems. The presence of Renklod Kolkhozny, Mirnaya, and Volga Beauty plums did not guarantee an annual harvest. Apparently the flowering periods did not coincide. The trees bloom early.

They speak well of the large harvests of Eurasia21. There are trees growing in the garden, Red sprouts. There are no problems with pollination. Winters well.

Gardeners note in their reviews that crown formation takes a lot of time. The tree grows very large. The branches are spreading; when the plums ripen, they bend down from the weight to the ground. We have to put up supports.

The best varieties

Cold-resistant cherries created by Russian breeders for cultivation in mid-latitudes are suitable for planting in the Leningrad region.

Seda

The variety, whose fruits ripen at the end of July, is not afraid of diseases and does not really attract pests. On a tall tree with a ball-like crown, berries with shiny dark red skin ripen.

Ugra

Medium-sized cherries delight with sweet and sour small heart-shaped fruits. The plant has a flat shape and can withstand frost and slush.

Red dense

The tall tree tolerates low temperatures normally, but is affected by fungal diseases. Yellow berries with a beautiful blush weigh a little less than 5 g.

Leningradskaya pink

A tall tree, the branches of which form a dense crown, begins to bear fruit after 5 years and requires pollinators. Cherries ripen in mid-summer and acquire a beautiful pink hue. Up to 2 buckets of berries weighing a little more than 3 grams are picked from one tree.

Muscat

By crossing the Severnaya and Pobeda varieties, breeders created a winter-hardy cherry that bears fruit well on wild cherry rootstock. The almost black, heart-shaped berries have a sweet taste and aroma of nutmeg.

Chermashnaya

The trunk and branches of a tree of medium height are not afraid of frost. The variety bears fruit well in temperate climates; with the right choice of location, it produces good harvests in the North-West. The yellow berries are picked in June. They weigh 4.5–4.7 g and have juicy and sweet flesh.

Valery Chkalov

Early ripening cherries, bred in the 50s, are still popular among summer residents and gardeners. A tree with a pyramidal crown grows up to 6 meters in height. The weight of dark red berries reaches 8 g. The branches can withstand low temperatures, but the buds freeze slightly at 23 ° C below zero.

Leningradskaya black

A tree with a spreading crown begins to bear fruit already in the 3rd year. Berries weighing up to 3.5 g when ripe acquire a dark cherry or almost black color. They are used to make compotes, juices and tinctures.

Knight

Sweet cherries, created on the basis of the Valery Chkalov variety in Belarus, are distinguished by high yields and resistance to frost. The dark red small fruits have juicy flesh and are ripe by mid-July.

Revna

Sweet cherries with a pyramidal crown are immune to fungal diseases and tolerate cold and damp weather. Dark red berries weighing 4.6–4.8 g do not crack from moisture and are covered with a dense skin.

Gift for Stepanov

The frost-resistant variety, bred just a few years ago, bears fruit in the northern regions, is unpretentious in care, and pleases with a stable harvest of berries weighing up to 5 g, covered with shiny burgundy skin.

Zorka

Sweet cherries, created for cultivation in the Leningrad region and in the Moscow region, do not suffer from severe frosts and tolerate short-term drought.

Up to 30 kg of beautiful orange berries are removed from the tree, which are not damaged during transportation because they are covered with a thick and dense skin.

Leningrad yellow

The unpretentious variety is characterized by rapid growth, but bears fruit only in the fifth year. Amber-colored berries hang on a tree with spreading branches until the beginning of autumn.

Bryanochka

The trunk and shoots of self-sterile cherries easily withstand frost and do not suffer from coccomycosis. The flowers of a tree that grows up to 3–3.5 m in height are well pollinated if the Tyutchevka or Ovstuzhenka varieties are planted nearby. Sweet pink berries do not crack in wet, rainy weather and ripen at the end of July. One tree produces up to 30 kg of fruit.

Fatezh

Cherry trees with a spherical crown and drooping shoots can withstand severe frosts, but the flower buds of the tree freeze slightly. In order for the plant to be pollinated, self-fertile varieties are planted nearby. Small sweet and sour berries weighing about 4 g will ripen around the 20th of July.

Tyutchevka

A 4 m tall cherry tree begins to bear fruit in its fourth year. The plant is not afraid of frost, can withstand drought, and is resistant to fungal infection.

The berries of the Tyutchevka variety have an original wide shape and sweet dark red pulp. Thick stalks easily fall behind, the crop tolerates transportation well.

And the way

Cherry of this variety forms a wide pyramidal crown. Tree buds do not freeze at 31–32 °C below zero. The berries, which ripen in the second half of June, have a small seed that easily separates from the juicy pulp.

Groups of plum varieties

Varieties are divided into several types depending on quality characteristics: color, size, shape, taste, as well as physiological characteristics of the trees:

• Renclaude (France). Characteristics: prolific, mostly self-fertile, root system susceptible to rot, frost resistance down to -25oC and disease. The tree reaches a height of 4 to 6 m. The fruits are spherical, purple or yellowish-green, with rough skin, and sweet. Not transferable, poorly suited for storage. Used fresh and canned. Popular varieties: Renklod Kuibyshevsky is a medium-late variety. An adult tree produces about 20-30 kg of plums and bears fruit regularly. Pollinated by Hungarian Pulkovo, Volga beauty;
• Renklod Tenkovsky is a partially self-fertile variety with early ripening.

Yellow plums

The basis of the yellow “company” is made up of mirabellas, and then other varieties:

• Firefly (Eurasia-21 x Volzhskaya krasavitsa) is a mid-early variety that is resistant to diseases and pests.
  Productivity is regular. Plum tree "Firefly" bears fruit regularly
• Lodva is an early variety, self-fertile (pollinator - Mara), the fruits are large, weighing more than 30 g, with a small stone. The pulp has a caramel taste.
• Mara is a Belarusian late variety, the stone is slightly separated from the pulp; self-fertile (pollinated by common wild cherry plum, plum of the genus Vitsba).

  Mara plum from Belarus

• Early Renclod is an early plum with thin, sour skin with a greenish tint. The pulp is honey-sweet.
• Early ripening plum - early ripening plum, the tree has a fan-shaped crown; yield is about 9 kg.

Zoned (and not only) varieties

Approved varieties are grown in the Northwest, but plums from other regions also bear fruit:

• Varieties bred in the Volga region and Moscow region: Alyonushka is a fast-growing variety, the fruits are intense red, large, with a slight sour taste.
• Smolinka is an early, self-fertile variety; medium-sized tree; fruits are dark lilac, gray with a waxy coating; The flesh is greenish-yellow, the stone is difficult to separate.

  The fruits of the Smolinka plum are covered with a waxy coating.

• Starovaya is an early ripening variety, bears fruit in the fourth year, the plant is of medium height. The fruits are dark red, sweet and sour.
• Orlovskaya Nadezhda, Orlovsky Souvenir - partially self-fertile varieties, trees bloom in mid-May, fruits are dry.
• Nezhenka is an early ripening variety, the fruits are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. Advantages of "Nezhenka": miniature size - height up to 2.5 m; good frost resistance, stone is easily removed. Weaknesses: browning of fruits, late entry into fruiting (in the 5th year), flower buds may freeze. The variety is recommended for cultivation no further than the southwestern part of the Leningrad region.
• Red ball - grows best in the warm zone of the region, resistant to clusterosporia.

  For Red Orb plums, choose the warmest zone

• Etiuda - disease resistant, moderately fertile, partially self-fertile. The fruits are oval-oval, red-violet, spotted, dotted with subcutaneous dots, the skin is of medium thickness, the flesh is sweet and sour.
• Volga beauty is a self-fertile variety (pollinators: Skororospelyaya red, Renklod collective farm); universal fruits; frost resistance is average.

  Volga beauty plum varieties need pollinators

The best varieties suitable for a given region

Many varieties have been bred for the Leningrad region. The same varieties take root well in the Urals in the Volga region, they are resistant to temperature changes, prolonged cold snaps and winter hardiness. The best plum varieties for the Leningrad region are popular among gardeners in other regions.

Ochakovskaya yellow

A tasty plum variety, characterized by increased care requirements. Productivity is average, it tolerates frosts and temperature changes with difficulty, prefers the southern climate. The fruits are prone to cracking and fall off in windy weather. Ochakovskaya yellow is not grown for commercial purposes; the crop requires pollination from neighboring plum trees. It does not bear fruit every year.

Despite all its shortcomings, Ochakovskaya yellow is loved by gardeners in the Leningrad region for the extraordinary juicy sweet taste of ripe fruits; trees are easily propagated by cuttings.

Collective farm farmhouse

A variety that has been proven for decades and has not lost popularity among gardeners in the Leningrad region. The collective farm Renklod was created by Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin by crossing sloe (wild plum) with green Renklod. As a result, the plum inherited excellent frost resistance and resistance to temperature fluctuations.

Gift to St. Petersburg

Hybrid cherry plum, zoned for cultivation in the Leningrad region in the late nineties. The genetic advantages of the Gift to St. Petersburg include high productivity, disease resistance, and frost resistance. Wood can quickly recover from mechanical damage.

The main disadvantage is the inability to self-pollinate.

Etude

An improved mid-early plum variety, characterized by increased winter hardiness. The plum garden will bear its first harvest in the fourth year of life of the young seedlings. Etude refers to self-sterile varieties of fruit trees.

The purpose of the variety is for table use and is excellent for growing on personal plots. Does not require special additional shelters in winter. Resistant to fungal diseases and pests.

Red early ripening

Grown in the Leningrad region since the late forties. Red early ripening is a beautiful variety of plum trees; a small, neat tree adorns the landscape of personal plots. Withstands frosts down to -38 C, the variety is self-fertile, unpretentious, and adequately tolerates both drought and waterlogging of the soil.

Early ripening round

The variety belongs to the Leningrad selection and was bred specifically for this region. The advantages of Skorospolka round include early ripening and high taste qualities of ripe fruits. Tolerance to frost and temperature changes is average; in severe winters trees can freeze completely. Companions are required for pollination. Skorospolka round is a self-sterile variety.

Emma Lepperman

A plum variety of German selection, popular in the Baltic states and Poland, where it is grown for commercial purposes. Emma Lepperman has taken root well in the North-West region of our country, requires cross-pollination, and has high productivity. A nuance of care - trees need systematic pruning. In the West, the variety is considered one of the most profitable.

Edinburgh

High-yielding English winter-hardy columnar plum variety. The tree is genetically resistant to clasterosporiosis and self-fertile. The taste of ripe fruits is sweet and sour. Suitable for growing in the Leningrad region.

Oryol dream

A representative of the Far Eastern selection is the Chinese garden plum. Young seedlings bear fruit in the third year of life. The variety is partially self-fertile, frost-resistant, and drought-tolerant. Disadvantages include gradual crushing of the fruit.

Volga beauty

The Samara variety is grown everywhere: in Central Russia, the Volga region, the Leningrad region and other regions. The greatest yield can be achieved in the southern growing regions; the tree is heat-loving and demanding of light. It tolerates drought well and produces a good harvest. Plum trees are most vulnerable to frost during the flowering period.

If there is excess moisture, the fruits crack, and the fresh shelf life of the crop is limited.

Alyonushka

Chinese plum of Oryol selection. The plant's winter hardiness is average, but the trees are able to tolerate temperature fluctuations in the spring and autumn. The yield is small, but the tree bears fruit every year. The variety is genetically resistant to hole spot and moniliosis.

The disadvantages of Alyonushka include the predisposition of trees to aphids.

Features of the climatic conditions of the region

The Leningrad region is located in the north-west of the country. The region is characterized by cloudy, rainy weather. There are periods when it rains non-stop for several days. The sun rarely pleases with its appearance. The air is saturated with moisture. Winters in the Leningrad region are harsh, and spring frosts are a common occurrence. All these weather conditions are not suitable for growing fruit plants zoned for the southern regions.

Due to high moisture, trees are susceptible to fungal diseases, and the root system and shoots are susceptible to rotting. The fruits deteriorate, the quality of the berries and the quantity of harvests decreases. Northern winds and severe frosts do not allow the tree to survive the winter, and it dies. Spring frosts can destroy flowers and ovaries, and then there is no need to expect a harvest.

The best plum varieties for the Leningrad region should have the following characteristics:

• high degree of frost resistance;
• high immunity to diseases;
• resistance to temperature changes;
• early ripeness;
• self-fertility.

Difficulties in growing plums in the Leningrad region

Unpredictable weather occurs in the Leningrad region, where winter with thaws resembles spring, and summer does not indulge in generous warmth every year. Spring here is damp and cool, so natural pollinators often experience bad weather. The thermometer reaches the positive sector of the scale usually in early April, and the daily average of 15 o C is established from the second half of June. The east of the region is the coldest, and more or less comfortable warmth is in the southwest.

The region is not rich in agricultural land either. Plum prefers soils with a neutral level. Suitable soddy-carbonate soils with a neutral pH level of 7. And such lands are located only on the Izhora Upland (Lomonosovsky, Gatchina, Volosovsky districts). The rest are acidic to varying degrees - soddy-podzolic (pH 3.3–5.5) and podzolic (pH 4.0–4.5), and also poor in phosphorus and nitrogen.

When planting plum trees, the desired height of the groundwater level is 1–1.5 m. But swampy soils and spring floods are common in the Leningrad region. Such soils require drainage, and the tree is planted at an elevation of 0.6–1.2 m. The diameter of the artificial embankment is from 2.5 to 3 m.

Video: how to plant a fruit tree on a hill

It turns out that growing plums in the Leningrad region is associated with a certain risk. When choosing a variety, the emphasis is on those properties that will allow the tree to take root in difficult conditions.

How not to make a mistake with the variety

Buy seedlings from a nursery where they will offer you a specific variety. Buying online or at the market can be fraught with confusion and complete disappointment.

Crow

https://www.websad.ru/archdis.php?code=775533

Meanwhile, the real Renklod collective farm bears fruit every year, and its seedlings serve as excellent rootstock material. The disadvantage is the shedding of overripe fruits.

The Renklod kolkhoz plum does not surprise you with its external beauty, you just have to try it

Variety Alleynaya

Alleynaya plum is a compact plant: its average height is 3 m. The growing season lasts only 110 days from the moment of flowering. The root system is characterized by a closed type. The crown of the tree is wide, oval in shape. Flowering begins in early April, and harvesting can be done as early as the end of July. The plant begins to bear fruit 2 years after planting in a permanent place.

The fruits are small, weighing about 30 g. Their color is red, with a slight purple tint. The pulp is light yellow. The peel is dense, which protects the fruit from cracking and deformation. The taste is cancelled, sweetness predominates. Suitable for universal use. Productivity is high. From 1 tree you can collect about 40 kg of selected products.

Read more:

1. Cherry plum varieties for Siberia, planting and care, growing, delicious, winter-hardy
2. Apricot in Siberia: cultivation and care. Apricot varieties for Siberia
3. Pear varieties for the Moscow region with photos and descriptions: rating
4. Low-growing yellow plum for the Urals, planting and care Uvelskaya Neiva

Errors during landing

Inexperienced gardeners may do the work incorrectly, which leads to poor growth or even death of the plum tree. The easiest way is to study them, this will help you not make mistakes and ensure good survival of the tree:

1. Shading or planting in an area with high groundwater levels.
2. Deepening the root collar.
3. Severe damage to roots during transplantation.
4. Carrying out work after the buds have opened.

If damaged roots are found, it is better to remove them and treat all sections with a solution of potassium permanganate. If there are scratches on the bark, spray them with a solution of copper sulfate or cover them with garden varnish.

How to plant a plum tree in the fall: a step-by-step guide The plum tree reaches a height of up to 13-15...Read more...

Planting a plum in the spring is not difficult if you know the features of the process and purchase high-quality seedlings. Planting and care in the first year are very important; it determines whether the plant will survive the winter and how quickly it will grow.

How does plum tree reproduce?

• Seeds.
• Graft.
• Cuttings.
• A shoot from the roots of a tree.

The use of plum seeds or pits is practically not used for planting a fruit tree; they can be used as plants for grafting cuttings of other varieties to them.

Frost-resistant plants such as thorns are most often used for grafting. This allows you to grow a more resilient plant that will not be afraid of frost or drought.

Cuttings can be dug both in spring and autumn. If you dig up a cutting in the autumn with plans to plant it only in the spring, you should store it in a cellar or in an earthen trench, which is covered with peat.

Shoots from tree roots can also become material for planting plum trees. To do this, a year before planting, it is necessary to cut off the root system of the shoot from the mother tree, and the next year dig it up and plant it in another place.

How to choose good seedlings when buying

The choice of seedlings is a crucial moment, which determines how the tree will take root and whether it will continue to bear fruit.

Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the following rules:

• The seedling should have 3-5 developed roots. The main one must be at least 25 cm in length;
• planting material can be grafted or self-rooted. The latter option is better, since such sprouts can recover in case of freezing;
• varieties are self-fertile and self-sterile. The latter will need the right neighbors to get the harvest;
• It is better to purchase planting material from a specialized nursery. It is highly undesirable to buy seedlings on the market;
• It is better to buy trees at the age of 2-3 years;
• the roots must be free of signs of mold, putrefactive marks and damage;
• the trunk should not have any bends. An even stem is a sign of a healthy seedling;
• the crust must be intact, without frost holes, burns or other damage.

Did you know? Queen Elizabeth starts her breakfast with two plums.

Self-fertility

The ability to pollinate without the participation of insects is a valuable quality of the hearthwood. There are no consistently self-fertile plum varieties. To obtain high yields, it is advisable to plant 1-2 other varieties next to the self-fertile plum. For plums with partial self-fertility, this becomes mandatory. The pollinating variety must bloom at the same time as the pollinated tree.

If there is no pollinator nearby, then:

• a shoot of another variety is grafted into the crown, which will act as a pollinator;
• Among the flowering branches, a plum bouquet is fixed in a jar of water, collected from far-growing trees. While it fades, insects will have time to “stain” the flowering tree with its pollen.

Until a certain time, I didn’t think about why my plum tree, lonely and bored in the middle of the garden, didn’t stand with empty branches for a single year. But it was noticed that after cold, windy or wet springs there are fewer fruits, but not much. I think either the variety is self-fertile (the fruits are large, round and blue), or this is due to the wild Hungarians growing nearby.

Among the most productive self-fertile plums for the Leningrad region, the following varieties can be distinguished:

• Iskra - late-ripening, with a stable high yield, and they bear fruit seriously at the age of 3-4 years, when other plums are just “accelerating”; medium-hardy, egg-shaped fruits, yellow with blush. Pollination is ensured by the Red Ball, Sister of the Dawn, Zarya.
• Hungarian Moscow - a late plum near Moscow, the fruits are dark red in color and bluish due to a thick waxy coating.
• Common Hungarian is a variety of folk selection, medium-sized, characterized by late entry into fruiting (in the 5th–6th year); Moderately resistant to drought and frost. The fruits are irregularly elliptical in shape, do not fall off, the flesh is rough but juicy. Productivity increases in the company of Anna Shpet, Renclaud Altana, Hungarian Italian.
• Memory Timiryazev is a mid-late variety, the fruits are sweet, the stone is easy to separate, frost resistance is average, the plant is susceptible to mite attacks, the yield is high. Recovers quickly from damage.
• Hungarian Pulkovskaya is a late variety, the fruits are dark red in color with yellow flesh. To be on the safe side, it is pollinated by the varieties Skorospelka red, Hungarian Moscow, and Winter Red.
• Viola is a mid-late winter-hardy variety; The main color of the fruit is green, the outer color is blue. Pollinators: Hungarian Kuibyshevskaya, Red Skorospelka, Zhiguli.
• Tulskaya Chernaya is a medium-late variety, the average yield is 12–14 kg, the maximum is up to 35 kg. Can be propagated by root shoots and green cuttings.

Plums with partially expressed self-fertility:

• Beauty TsGL - mid-season plum, fruit weight 40–50 g; resistant against most diseases. The varieties Eurasia-21 and Vengerka Voronezhskaya are pollinators.
• Red meat - has reddish-crimson fruits weighing up to 50 g; medium height, susceptible to freezing. Cross-pollinates with Skoroplodnaya and Ussuriysk plums.
• Hungarian Belarusian is a mid-season plum that does not suffer from clusterosporiasis. Pollinators: Cromagne, Bluefrey, Victoria, Perdrigon.

Recommendations for care in the first seasons

In addition to the activities described above, additional work may be added that must be completed. Perform them infrequently, usually 1-2 times a year. Remember simple recommendations:

1. Remove root growth. Don’t cut it out, it’s easier to prepare a 10% urea solution and water the shoots 3-4 times on a sunny day. After this they will die.
2. Feed once every 2-3 years. Use a complex composition for fruit trees.
3. To improve pollination, do not use chemicals during the flowering period. To attract bees, you can spray the crown with water with added sugar.
4. In autumn and spring, spray the plant with a solution of copper sulfate. This is a good prevention of fungal diseases and pests.
5. If foci of disease or insects appear on the tree during the summer season, purchase a suitable composition and spray it immediately. After the start of fruiting, treat every year for worms, otherwise at least half of the fruits will be spoiled.

Advice! Whiten the trunk and lower branches not only in spring, but also in autumn, to destroy pests and their oviposition.

Features of care

Planting a tree is only the first stage. Regardless of which variety you choose, provide it with quality care to ensure a good harvest.

1. Watering. Until rooting, you need to water every day in the morning and evening. For watering, use about 10-20 liters of water. Then you can water it once a week.
2. Feeding. At least 3 times a year. The first is carried out before the plant blooms: 20 g of ammonium nitrate, add 30 g of potassium nitrate and dilute in 10 liters of water, water in dry weather. The second fertilization period is 1-2 weeks before fruit formation: dilute 30-40 g of phosphate in 10 liters of water and pour it into the recess under the trunk. The third feeding in the fall in September-October. The best fertilizer would be wood ash, about 300 g per 1 sq. m. m., scatter around the trunk and sprinkle with soil.
3. Trimming. Sanitary - includes the removal of weak, diseased, dry and damaged branches. It is necessary to clean the crown and branches growing towards the trunk. Young root shoots are removed.

The best varieties for the Leningrad region

For the northwestern region, including the Leningrad region, the following varieties of plums are adapted:

1. "Alyonushka." Early ripening self-sterile variety. It is a medium-sized tree, growing up to 2-2.5 meters. The fruits are large (30-35 g), spherical, dark red in color, the seed is difficult to detach. Pollinators are varieties of Chinese plum and cherry plum. The weakness of the variety is that leaves and young shoots are often affected by aphids.

"Red Ball". Early ripening early fruiting plum. It begins to bear fruit 2-3 years after planting. The tree is medium, almost 2.5 meters in height. The fruits are round, large (about 40 g), red in color with a bluish coating. The bone is difficult to separate. The variety is characterized by good winter hardiness and immunity to clasterosporium blight.

"Collective farm renklod" Mid-late self-sterile species. The fruits are medium-sized, about 25 g, greenish-yellow; in ripe fruits the stone separates well. The tree is medium-sized. The variety is frost-resistant, high-yielding, resistant to various diseases. "Precocious." Early ripening self-sterile plum. The tree is not tall. The fruits are spherical, aromatic, medium-sized (20-25 g), with bright red skin. Frost resistance and yield are good, disease resistance is relative.

"Tula Black". Mid-late self-sterile species. The tree is not tall. The fruits are medium (23-25 ​​g), oval, with dark blue, almost black skin. The stone comes away from the pulp well. Frost resistance and productivity are high.

Did you know? Probably, the wild predecessor of the domestic plum (Prunus domestica) arose as a result of crossing cherry plum and sloe.

Characteristics of the variety

Plum Skoroplodnaya description of the plant

This is a small plum, trees of medium height with a fan-shaped, rounded-spreading crown, medium or thin foliage and density. The leaves are typical, not thick, light green in color, medium in size, obovate, elongated, with doubly serrated edges. The leaves are wavy, not pubescent, petioles with glands, medium in length. The shoots are red-brown in color, not pubescent. The buds are small in size. The inflorescences are three-flowered, the flowers are snow-white, with slightly closed petals. There are 3 flowers on one bud. The stigma of the pistil exceeds the level of numerous stamens (24 per flower). The ovary is glabrous, the calyx is cup-shaped, the peduncle is medium, glabrous. Flowering and fruit formation occur on bouquet branches.

This is a variety of small round plums, from 20 to 30 grams, the fruits are not pubescent. The funnel at the base is small, narrow, the ventral suture is weakly or moderately pronounced. The color of ripe fruits can vary from light yellow to reddish, with more intense colors predominating on the sunny side. The skin of the fruit is dense, thick, with a slight waxy coating. The stone is large, round-oval in shape.

Care

After planting the apple tree, provide it with proper care. To do this, keep the area clean, regularly carry out sanitary and formative pruning, water the trees and protect them from pests, cold weather and diseases.

Watering

The plant should be watered every week for the first month after planting. 2 buckets of water are added to each seedling. If the season is dry, then more dense irrigation will be required - 2-3 buckets every day. Over time, the frequency of the procedure decreases, but the abundance increases. Apply 5 buckets to each plant once every 3 weeks.

An adult tree requires 4 waterings per season: the first - during the flowering period, the subsequent ones - during the fruiting period.

Fertilizers

Provided the hole is prepared in advance, fertilizing under the tree will not be necessary for 2-3 years. Next, the plants are fertilized as follows:

• early spring fertilizing is recommended to be done from March 10 to April 15;
• in summer - in the first or second ten days of June and, if necessary, in July;
• The first autumn feeding of apple trees occurs from August to September;
• the second – from September to October.

Organic fertilizers are considered the most valuable autumn fertilizers, since they contain all the necessary nutritional elements required by apple trees. They improve soil structure:

• make it more loose;
• increase oxygen access to the root system;
• soil composition improves.

Mineral fertilizers are used to supply the plant with one specific substance: phosphorus or potassium.

Trimming

In the Leningrad region, pruning of apple trees begins in mid-September and lasts until the end of October. Early and mid-season varieties are pruned in September - early October. Late - throughout October, after the end of leaf fall.

The first pruning of young trees is carried out immediately after they are planted in a new location. If the tree does not have side shoots, then its top is shortened to form future skeletal branches. Trimming occurs as follows:

1. For branched annual seedlings, the side shoots are removed up to 70 cm from the surface of the ground. If the branches are higher, then only those that form an acute angle with the trunk of the seedling are pruned.
2. In the second year, the skeleton of the apple tree is formed. Remove excess branches, leaving 2-3 strong lateral branches. They are cut to 1/3 of the length.
3. In the third year, the crown is thinned out. Last year's branches are left, and new shoots are cut to 1/3 of the length. Branches growing downward and at a very sharp angle are removed.
4. In the fourth year, all operations carried out in the third year of tree growth are repeated.

Graft

This procedure is carried out when the rootstock begins to coincide in diameter with the scion. For this:

1. Select a smooth place on the tree trunk that matches the diameter of the cutting.
2. Move towards yourself to make an oblique incision.
3. Take the prepared cutting and apply the cut side to the prepared area so that the areas completely coincide.
4. Wrap it tightly with electrical tape.

Protection from diseases and pests

For apple trees growing in the Leningrad region, the most typical diseases are fruit rot and scab. They can be controlled by using fungicides or 3% Bordeaux mixture.

It is important to use a mixture of mineral fertilizers consisting of superphosphate, potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate and urea diluted in water. Preventive control measures include regular pruning and tree trunk care.

Preventive control measures include regular pruning and care of the tree trunk.

The most common pest is the green apple aphid. To get rid of it as soon as possible, treat the trees with Ambush, Karbofos or Actellik. Mealybugs are also common in the Leningrad region, and you can protect yourself from them by preventative pruning of affected branches and spraying with anti-scale insects.

Care after planting cherry plum

A planted cherry plum tree needs to be watered abundantly 2-3 times, in spring and summer. You need to pour 4 buckets of water under each tree. The next watering dates are June, July, September. The ground under the trees is loosened and weeded. Then care consists of timely application of fertilizers, which affect tree growth and productivity. In the first year of growth, the tree does not need to be fed; the fertilizers applied during planting are enough for it.

When answering the question of novice gardeners about how to properly plant plum trees in the spring in the Leningrad region, it is recommended to start with choosing planting material. It is better to buy seedlings for planting in specialized nurseries, where you will be offered plants zoned specifically for the Leningrad region.

The young tree should look strong and healthy, the root system is well developed and not rotten. Seedlings that have reached one or two years of age take root most quickly.

Plum is a moisture-loving crop. But when choosing a site for planting a plum tree, it is better to give preference to fertile soil at a slight elevation. Excess moisture and the proximity of groundwater contribute to rotting of the root system, which can lead to the death of the tree. In order for a fruit crop planted in a region with high air humidity to grow and develop well, you need to choose sunny areas of the garden that are protected from the wind.

When planting a seedling, you need to carefully level the root and pour nutrient-rich soil on top of it. The root collar should not be buried. Upon completion of planting, it is recommended to tie the seedling to a wooden peg, water it abundantly and mulch the soil in the tree trunk circle with peat or sawdust.

In the first year of planting, the plum does not require special attention and care; it is enough to water the plant several times during the period of lack of precipitation.

Starting from the second year of life, the fruit crop must be fed with nitrogen-containing and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers; in the fall, organic matter is added to the soil. Do not forget to carry out sanitary and anti-aging pruning of the crown annually.

Planting plums in spring and autumn: optimal timing

Well, we have examined several points of view on when it is better to plant plums - in spring or autumn. The decision is yours!

Next, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the specific recommended dates for planting plums in spring and autumn in different regions.

Spring planting

So, you need to have time to plant a plum in the spring even before the buds bloom on the seedling, in other words, before it enters the growing season (i.e., the plant must still sleep).

At the same time, an important condition for successful spring planting is positive air temperature, not only during the day (it should already be +5), but also at night.

Thus, it is highly advisable to have time to plant while the seedlings are still “in the dormant stage”, otherwise this will certainly negatively affect their survival rate and disrupt their natural development cycle.

As for the approximate timing, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region, spring planting of plums is recommended from late March-April to early-mid May:

• Thus, in the south of Russia, plum seedlings can be planted in open ground in the second half of March-early April.
• In the Middle Zone (Moscow region), plums are planted no earlier than the second half of April.
• In Siberia and the Urals, spring planting of plums is carried out in late April-early May.

Autumn planting

The main rule when determining the optimal timing for autumn planting is to calculate when stable frosts will arrive and plant 3-4 weeks before them, i.e. you should have about a month left. The fact is that the seedlings must have time to take root well before the onset of cold weather and successfully prepare for winter, and this will take time.

Thus, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region, autumn plum planting is recommended from September to the end of October:

• So, in the south of Russia, plums can be planted until late autumn - until the second half of October.
• Gardeners in the Middle Zone (Moscow region) should have time to plant plums in the fall before the end of September (maximum in early October).
• In colder regions - in the North-West (in the Leningrad region), as well as in Siberia and the Urals, plums are planted in early autumn - in the first half of September.

Video: planting plums in autumn in October from a container

According to the lunar calendar in 2022

The lunar calendar can help you choose the optimal date for planting seedlings.

Thus, favorable days for planting plums in spring and autumn in 2021 according to the lunar calendar are:

• in March - 5, 6, 11, 20, 21, 24, 25, 29, 30;
• in April - 9, 10, 15-17;
• in May - 6-8, 13-17.

Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha on favorable days, so the main thing is not to land on unfavorable dates according to the lunar calendar - New Moon and Full Moon days, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, because it is a barren and dry sign - in italics.

According to the lunar calendar for 2022, the unfavorable days for planting plum seedlings are the following dates:

• in March - 9-10, 13, 28;
• in April - 5-6, 12, 27;
• in May - 2-4, 11, 26, 30-31;
• in June - 10, 24, 26-27;
• in July - 10, 24-25 (24 is also a Full Moon);
• in August - 8, 20-21, 22;
• in September - 7, 16-17, 21;
• in October - 6, 13-15, 20;
• in November - 5, 10-11, 19.

Yellow varieties of Russian plums

Yellow plums will add color variety to your fruit basket. They are in no way inferior to their violet-blue counterparts, and sometimes even surpass them in terms of product characteristics.

Memory of Timiryazev

The variety is distinguished by beautiful medium-sized oval fruits weighing 20–25 g. The taste is sweet and sour, freshish.

Memory Timiryazev plums are well stored and can withstand transportation

Characteristics:

• during the season the tree produces up to 30 kg of plums;
• does not really like frost and drought, but quickly regenerates;
• self-pollinating;
• early pregnancy - 3 years;
• the harvest ripens in early autumn.

This variety is not afraid of clasterosporiosis and fruit rot, but it can be seriously damaged by mites.

Collective farm farmhouse

Renklod kolkhoz is an old, proven variety. The taste is sweet, slightly seasoned with sourness. Medium plums weighing up to 20 g.

The skin of plums is thin, dull, with numerous subcutaneous dots of gray color, easily separated from the pulp

Characteristics:

• amicable ripening in the 20th of August;
• self-sterile;
• early pregnancy is not very encouraging - the first fruits appear after 4 years;
• tolerates frosty winters well;
• the older the tree, the higher the yield - a mature one gives an average of 39 kg.

Sensitive to fungal diseases. If the harvest is not harvested in time, the overripe fruits fall off.

Honey white

The variety is suitable for intensive gardening due to its large yields. The White Honey tree is difficult to grow in a small area due to its very spreading crown. The appetizing yellow fruits weighing up to 55 g are famous for their interesting honey taste, which was highly rated during tasting - 4.5 points.

Despite its large size, the tree does not experience thickening and does not need constant pruning

Characteristics:

• You can enjoy the first plums already at the end of July;
• tolerates cold and drought well;
• yields up to 35 kg per tree;
• is not afraid of transportation and can be stored for up to 60 days:

It has low resistance to diseases and suffers from pests.

Plum for the Leningrad region: varieties and their description

Plum is one of the most beloved and widespread fruit trees in our country. Despite the good viability, when selecting plum varieties for the Leningrad region, it is better to give preference to species adapted to this region.

To simplify the selection of the desired variety, the zoning method is used.

The Leningrad region, together with the Vologda, Pskov, Tver, Kaliningrad, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Kostroma regions and Karelia belongs to the North-Western region, which is listed in the State Register as No. 2.

The conditions of the region are quite harsh - frosty winters, high humidity, frequent winds, lack of sun. Therefore, plums for the northwestern region must be winter-hardy, resistant to sudden changes in weather, diseases, especially fungal ones, and not very demanding on the composition of the soil.

Note! When choosing a plum for the northwest, self-fertile varieties should be chosen. An alternative would be to plant several plum trees of other varieties to achieve cross-pollination.

Gift to St. Petersburg

This variety was bred in Russia as a result of crossing the Chinese early-fruiting cherry plum and the Pioneer cherry plum. The tree is quite low, its height is only 2.5 m. The crown is short, oval in shape.

Flowers and fruits are formed on shoots and branches. Up to 4 flowers are formed on each bud, which can significantly increase the yield of the species.

The tree begins to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting in a permanent place.

The fruits are characterized by an ovoid shape, weighing up to 20 g. Their color is yellow, with a slight red blush, which occupies 30% of the plum area. The abdominal seam is quite difficult to notice.

The peel is plastic and thin. The pulp has a yellow-green tint. The taste is pleasant, sweet. Bitterness and sourness are absent at the genetic level. An oval bone weighs about 1 g.

Suitable for universal use.

This self-fertile variety for the Leningrad region was obtained as a result of crossing Eurasia and Krasavitsa Volzhskaya. The variety belongs to the mid-early varieties. The growing season, from the moment of flowering, lasts for 120 days. The main stem and flower buds are frost resistant.

The color is red, with a purple tint.

The pulp is dense, pleasant, juicy in taste, yellow in color. The fruit is rich, sweet, with a slight sourness. Suitable for universal use. Can be used for preservation for the winter or eaten fresh. Products of this variety are often used to prepare baby food.

Plum Etude is rich, sweet and slightly sour

Features of choosing varieties

Experienced gardeners advise planting a group of trees: 2-3 varieties from each variety (subspecies) of plum - domestic, Chinese, Canadian and Russian (hybrid cherry plum).

Landing Features

All varieties of plums for the Leningrad region are characterized by general planting stages. You need to choose a quality seedling. It is best to focus on 2-year-old seedlings, the height of which is 50-70 cm. The yield will also depend on the soil in which the tree is planted. The soil for planting should be chosen fertile, with a low acid-base balance (no more than 5%). Planting should take place in March. A hole is dug in advance, the parameters of which are 60x80 cm. You need to pour 10 kg of humus into the bottom and carefully water it with water.

After 12-14 days, you can plant the seedling. The roots are densely distributed along the entire perimeter of the hole. They need to be covered with earth and compacted. After this, water the tree with 10-20 liters of warm water. You need to dig a small shaft around it, into which water will be poured for irrigation. Planting scheme: 3 trees per 1 m2.

Care

Pear varieties bred for regions with similar climatic conditions do not require special care. But you also can’t forget about it - you could be left without a harvest.

Watering and fertilizers

Since precipitation in the region is frequent, and specially bred varieties are drought-resistant, pears do not need abundant watering. As a rule, 10 liters every 7-8 days will be enough. Young trees require more abundant watering after planting procedures and all pears during periods of drought and hot weather. Pear trees are fed according to the growing season and the age of the tree.

It is better to combine fertilizers with watering: pour them in liquid form into the tree trunk grooves

It is important to remember that during the fruiting period it is better to refuse organic fertilizers and apply only organic ones.

Trimming and shaping

Tree pruning has several purposes: to shape the crown, to promote the emergence of new young shoots, to ensure ventilation and light penetration to branches at all levels, to prevent thickening and the appearance of parasites and diseases. To shape the crown of trees, depending on their shape (pyramidal, columnar, oval), there are special pruning schemes for each year. The tree naturally forms its crown on its own; the gardener should only properly help him in this.

Regular pruning not only helps create the plant's semi-skeleton and subordinate branches, but also strengthens the fruiting branches. You can choose the shape of the crown according to your own taste preferences, but it is necessary to remove old, dried and diseased branches.

Protection from diseases and pests

When breeders work on developing a particular variety, they try to make the tree as resistant to diseases and pests as possible. Most pears that can be grown in the Leningrad region are resistant to parasites and diseases. But trees with the most delicious fruits often suffer from them. Since precipitation is quite frequent in the region, trees are most at risk of developing scab and rot. To prevent this from happening, you need to monitor the frequency of watering, and at the first signs of disease, remove and burn the affected parts of the tree.

Periodic spraying with preparations containing copper, ash solutions and Bordeaux mixture will help prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases. The use of fungicides is also recommended. Timely cleaning of dead bark, rotten fruits and spider nests will help prevent the appearance of parasites. Before and after flowering, preventive treatment with insecticides is recommended.

Diseases and pests

In the Leningrad region, plum orchards are vulnerable to the following diseases and pests:

1. Moniliosis. A fungal disease that affects flowers, buds, branches and trunks of plums. Gray growths form on the bark of trees, shoots turn brown and look burnt, leaves turn black and fall off.
2. Formation of gum on the trunks and branches of plants. Fruits may become infected. Peculiar caked droplets resembling resin appear on plums.
3. Rust is a fungal disease that appears as brown spots with a yellow border; the plant loses strength and growth slows down.
4. Clusterosporiosis or hole spot - plum fruits are strewn with black and gray spots, and over time the trees begin to develop gum.
5. Aphids are parasitic insects that live off trees and feed on its sap. Colonies can completely destroy a crop.
6. Gall mite - lives on tree leaves and feeds on tree sap. Affected leaves turn yellow and fall off, all metabolic processes are suspended.

To combat insect pests, insecticidal agents are used: “Aktellik”, “Aktofit”, “Iskra”, “Aktara”. Fungicides are used against fungal diseases, damaged parts are removed and burned.

As a preventive measure against infections, it is recommended to bleach the trunks with lime at a distance of 1.5 meters from the root of the plant.

It is impossible to treat with insecticides and fungicides during the fruiting period. The fruits will be unsuitable for food. The main stages of processing: early spring (the period of bud set), set of buds, flowering, autumn processing (after fruiting).

The Leningrad region is a northern region with a changeable climate, but it is possible to grow orchards here. When growing plums, gardeners must provide proper systematic care for the plants, choose available, proven, zoned varieties, and spray the trees against pests and diseases. Some varieties of plums need additional shelter for the winter.

Yellow cherry plum, like its other varieties, can suffer from brown spot, fungal blight, gum disease, moniliosis, smallpox, and rust. The columnar cherry plum attracts such parasites as the yellow plum sawfly, sapwood, western gypsy bark beetle, subcortical leaf roller, downy silkworm, and plum moth.

Cherry plum is resistant to diseases. But to protect it from them, prevention should be carried out: remove and burn infected shoots and branches, maintain cleanliness in the trunks, remove infected fruits and old bark, rake fallen leaves, remove weeds. Wounds on tree trunks must be cleaned and disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate.

Yellow cherry plum has its own characteristics in care, but if they are followed, you can enjoy a large harvest and juicy plum fruits.

When to plant plums in the fall: planting dates

The first and second months of autumn are ideal for planting plum seedlings. When exactly to carry out the work, in September or October, will be determined by the climatic conditions of the region. The main factor in choosing the time for planting is the period of onset of cold weather: at least 20-25 days must pass before stable frosts.

How to plant correctly

Plum is not considered a capricious crop, but some planting rules still exist.

Many gardeners claim that plum trees can be planted in both autumn and spring. But, given the fact that plums are a heat-loving plant, the best time for planting is early spring, before the buds have yet opened, 3-5 days after the soil has completely thawed.

If you plan to plant a seedling in the fall, this should be done at least 1.5-2 months before frost.

Soil preparation

The place for planting plums should be prepared several weeks in advance. To begin with, the soil within a radius of 2 meters from the proposed planting site is carefully dug up, weeds are removed, and fertilized. Next, they dig a hole, mix the extracted soil with humus and wood ash and pour it to the bottom.

Step by step planting process

The planting well for plums should be about 50-60 cm deep and 80-90 cm wide.

Depending on the chosen variety, the distance between future trees will be different. For wide, spreading crowns, a distance of about 3 meters will be needed, and for trees with small crowns, 1.5 meters will be enough. If trees are placed in several lines, then the distance between the rows should be 4-4.5 meters.

The planting hole is dug in 2-3 weeks. A support for the garter is immediately driven into it, preferably from the northern side of the future tree, and the distance from the stake to the seedling should be 15 cm.

Fertilizer (total mineral or humus) is introduced into the pit. The nutrient mixture is mixed with the soil and left for a while to allow the soil to settle.

Right before planting, pour a mound of soil onto the bottom of the hole, place the seedling on it and straighten the roots evenly. Then they are covered with soil. During the process, the seedling is periodically slightly shaken to avoid the formation of empty space and to ensure that the soil is evenly distributed. Light compaction is acceptable.

Video: example of planting a plum seedling on a hill

The seedling should not be deepened - the neck of the root should be 3-4 cm above the ground. When the soil settles, the tree will be level with the ground.

Read also: Plum: health benefits and harms, contraindications, medicinal properties

After the tree has already been planted, the trunk is tied to a support. In this case, you need to do this so that the garter does not subsequently injure the bark of the plum: it is better to choose soft materials (hemp rope, elastic twine, etc.).

At the end of planting, the seedling is watered, and the tree trunk area is mulched with sawdust or peat.

Collective farm farmhouse

This variety is often called yellow cherry plum. It is ideal for growing in the Leningrad region. Its main advantages include the following parameters:

Renklod collective farm plum has an excellent taste

Among the main disadvantages, only the property of self-sterility is distinguished. For this reason, pollinator plants should be planted next to this tree. The Moscow Hungarian and the Russian Kolkhoz Woman are considered ideal options.

The tree grows up to 4 m. The crown is wide, oval in shape. The fruits are medium in size, weighing up to 40 g. The taste is pleasant, sweet, without bitterness or sourness. The pulp is juicy, but not watery, yellow-green in color. This yellow plum is suitable for all-purpose use. It can be eaten fresh, used for making desserts or winter preserves.

Alyonushka

The self-fertile variety Alyonushka is characterized by early ripening - 100 days after flowering.

The tree can reach a height of 2 m. The crown is pyramidal in shape, its density is average. The leaves of this plum look a little like peach leaves. This variety is self-fertile, so the Russian Economic and Chinese Self-fertile varieties, which are pollinators, should be planted next to it.

The fruits can reach a weight of 40 g. The shape is round. The color is dark red, without impurities. The flesh is medium dense and has a rich orange tint. The taste is sweet, with a slight sourness. The stone, which weighs 1 g, is quite difficult to separate from the pulp. The fruits ripen in mid-August.

Source

Planting stages

It is better to plant plums in the North-West region in the spring. When planting in autumn in our climate zone, the roots may freeze out without having time to take root well.

Observe the following order:

First of all, you need to determine the distance between the landing holes. If medium-sized varieties are planted, then the distance between plants should be at least 2-3 meters in a row. For taller varieties, these dimensions increase by 1.5-2 m. If the plants are planted not in one, but in several rows, then the distance between the rows should be about 4-4.5 m. Such dimensions give the plum, when growing, sufficient sunlight and space for good development of the root system.

The hole for the seedling is dug 2-3 weeks before planting. The depth and width should be about 60 cm. A stake is immediately driven in to secure the plant, preferably on the north side of the seedling trunk. It is necessary to maintain a distance of at least 15 cm between the tree and the garter stake.

Prepared planting pit for plum

Before planting, fertile soil is poured into a mound at the bottom of the hole, a seedling is placed on it and the roots are spread evenly throughout the planting hole. Then they begin to cover the roots with soil. During the process of falling asleep, the seedling is slightly shaken so that voids do not form and the soil is evenly distributed. You can lightly compact the soil, being careful not to damage the root system and trunk.