Description of the plum variety Smolinka, planting and care, watering and pruning the tree

Smolinka plum: variety description and characteristics

The Smolinka plum was discovered by horticulture at the Agrarian Institute, tests took place in one thousand nine hundred and eighty, and already in one thousand nine hundred and ninety the variety was included in the State Register. This hybrid came from the species: Ochakovskaya yellow and Renklod Ulensa. This crop can be planted in the center of Russia; land in Tula is recommended.

The Smolinka plum tree reaches great heights of up to five meters. the crown is oval, trapezoidal, there are not many branches growing, the tree is not overgrown. The color of the bark on the tree is brown, the sensitivity is harsh and rough. The branches grow almost straight, angular, looking into the sky. The size between the nodes is small, standard. The foliage is large, reaching a size of about ten centimeters. They don't get fluffy. The inflorescences are large, the buds grow in clusters. The color of the inflorescence is snow-white and reaches a size of about fifteen centimeters.

The growing season for the plum variety Smolinka is early; by the beginning of July, the formation of branches completes its process. By mid-autumn, the tree begins to rest. Tolerates frosts and drought moderately. When there is severe frost during winter, the tree is injured, but then gains strength. It also tolerates diseases moderately and is infected with clasterosporiasis extremely rarely.

How to plant a plum on a plot

To get a large harvest of fresh and tasty plums, you need to know how, when and where to plant a tree. And for this you need detailed instructions.

Selection of planting material

To plant a fruit tree, you need seedlings, the selection of which is a complex and important task.

1. The seedling must be strong and healthy, not infected with pests and diseases.
2. Large plants are more difficult to tolerate transplantation, and young seedlings are 1-2 years old and quickly take root.
3. When choosing planting material, it is important to pay attention to the root system. Seedlings sold in pots do not allow detailed study of the roots, but such seedlings take root faster and are planted in open ground at any time.
4. The leaves should be free of traces of parasites, various stains and rot.

When purchasing bare-rooted seedlings, pay attention to their pruning. With a root system that is too short, a young plum tree most likely will not survive.

Deciding on the landing site

Choosing the right place to plant plum seedlings is the key to a large and tasty harvest in the future.

1. The tree loves good lighting. Sunlight affects the growth, ripening of fruits and their taste. The south side of the site will be the right choice for planting seedlings.
2. The seedling should not be planted in a place where groundwater accumulates.
3. Take into account the size of an adult tree, which, if planted incorrectly, can block the access of light to other plants and interfere with buildings on the site.
4. Cold air currents and winds can also cause harm. Protection will be the proximity of a high fence or the wall of a house, located at least 2-3 meters from the seedling.

By following these rules when planting young trees, you can count on an abundance of tasty and juicy fruits.

Preparing the soil and planting seedlings

It is best to prepare the soil for planting plums in the fall. Soil with a high acid content is not suitable, so it is diluted with lime.

1. The soil is mixed with humus, sulfate fertilizers and wood lime.
2. Holes are dug no more than 70 cm deep and 90-100 cm in diameter.
3. A seedling is placed in the hole, the roots are straightened and carefully buried. Each root should be well buried and not leave any empty space around it.
4. The soil is compacted and thoroughly watered.
5. After planting, both the central and lateral shoots of a young seedling are cut off.

Smolinka plum: pollinating varieties

The Smolinka plum itself will not be able to pollinate itself, so additional varieties are planted next to it, for example, Volzhskaya krasavitsa, Skorospelka early, Hungarian Moskovskaya. If the climate is suitable for growing this variety, then the harvest is large, in time - at the end of summer. Fruit formation occurs after four years from planting. One square meter is equal to four kilograms of yield, and an adult tree produces from twenty to forty kilograms of yield. This variety does not bear fruit every season; the variety is planted in greenhouses under the supervision of a gardener.

Pollination of the variety

Self-sterile plants will not bear fruit without additional sources of pollen. The author’s description recommends the following varieties as the best pollinators for Smolinka:

• Blue gift;
• Too early;
• Opal.

Other sources use a number of other plums for this purpose:

• Hungarian Moscow;
• Volga beauty;
• Early ripening red;
• Good morning;
• Blue egg.

Cross pollination can occur between trees growing at a distance of no more than 40-50 meters from each other. Perhaps the desired varieties are already growing in neighboring areas. Alternatively, cross-pollination can be addressed by grafting suitable seedlings into the canopy.

Self-pollinating Smolinka must be preceded by pollinating trees

Features of the Smolinka plum variety

Plum Smolinka: photo

In appearance, we can say that the Smolinka plum is a fruit without humps, smooth, about forty-five millimeters in size, oval in shape, weighing up to thirty-five grams, sometimes growing to about sixty grams. The seam is almost invisible. The peel is thin. The color of the fruit is dark purple, there is a slight coating on the skin. The pulp is light green in color with a yellowish tint. The contents of the plum are sweet, with a hint of sourness, such a taste harmony is ideal. Plum contains about twelve percent sugar. The shape of the fruit is considered standard.

The pit inside the Smolinka plum is difficult to tear away from the pulp. The fetal legs are dense, about fifteen millimeters in size, and come off easily. They eat fresh plums; they also prepare compotes, dried fruits, and jams.

Main characteristics

For the Egg Blue plum, the description should begin with the growth of the tree. One of the distinguishing features of the variety is its size. A mature tree can reach 6 meters in height. The spreading crown is characterized by medium density and foliage. The trunk and shoots are dark brown. The buds are medium-sized, located at a slight angle to the branches. The tree has a long lifespan - 25-30 years.

Plum Egg Blue

The leaves have a rich green color. Elongated oval, cast with a glossy wrinkled surface. There is no pubescence, the edges of the leaves are single-toothed.

The flower petals are oval, not closed, the stamens and stigma of the pistil are located at the same level. Cup-shaped calyx with a bare stalk of medium length. The flowers are white, arranged in small racemes. Flowering occurs in mid-May. The self-fertility of the variety does not require planting other plum varieties nearby for cross-pollination. Interestingly, buds and flowers calmly tolerate temperatures dropping to -4ºС.

Due to the ovoid shape of the fruit, the plum received the name “Egg”. The fruits, with an average weight of 30 g, are uniformly bluish in color. The skin is bare, dense, with a white, palpable waxy coating. The plums are yellow in cross section. The juicy pulp does not have a bright plum aroma. The high sugar content and almost complete absence of organic acids gives a strong sweet taste, characteristic of table varieties of plums. The stone is oval, located in the center of the fruit and occupies up to 3% of the total mass. The fruits have a short shelf life, and therefore do not tolerate transportation well.

Oval bone

The Egg Blue plum begins to bear fruit at the age of 5 years from the moment of planting. During the season, an average of 10-12 kg of harvest can be harvested from one tree, which is not much for such a voluminous tree. Using the variety for commercial purposes is not advisable due to its low productivity. The rapid ripening of fruits begins in mid-August. The variety is characterized by an unexpressed type of fruiting seasonality - there are 6 lean seasons every 16 years.

Excellent frost resistance makes the variety ideal for growing in regions with sharp temperature changes in winter. Shoots and buds can easily tolerate temperature drops down to -35ºС. However, the variety is highly susceptible to the negative effects of hot temperatures and drought. During such periods, additional frequent and abundant watering is required.

Plum is resistant to fruit rot, but is highly susceptible to clasterosporia and pests such as aphids and codling moths.

Smolinka plum: growing and planting

The crop is usually planted, but the variety cannot bear fruit without pollinators, so prepare holes for other crops in advance. The gap should be three to four meters. If pollinated crops are not planted nearby, Smolinka will not be able to bear fruit.

Smolinka plum planting time

Planting period is spring. In the south they are also planted in the fall. In the middle zone, planting occurs in mid-spring. But such sowing is possible with open roots of the bush. You can plant a crop in a pot when you decide for yourself, but not in the heat. Crops that are one or two years old adapt easily. The best solution is to plant the variety from a pot, but such seedlings are more expensive.

Like all plants, the Smolinka plum variety loves bright places to grow, without drafts. The soil should not be heavy or clayey. Ideal would be loam, light, loose soil. It cannot be grown in lowlands, as well as in lands with groundwater, or in soil that is too wet.

If it happens that you live in a swampy area, then you should make a hill of soil measuring from fifty to eighty centimeters, and only under such conditions plant a plum.

Before autumn, the planting site is hilled up, weeds and grass roots are removed. It is also necessary to saturate the soil; two kilograms of manure, two hundred grams of superphosphate, and forty grams of potassium sulfate are prepared per square meter. To avoid soil oxidation, add lime to it.

If the area is heavily overgrown for planting, it is necessary to thoroughly remove the weeds.

As is known, due to the fact that it is not so easy to make holes in the spring, they are prepared in the fall. The size of the hole is from fifty centimeters in depth, the walls are fifty and eighty centimeters. The first layer needs to be a nutrient mixture, which was prepared in the fall. This mixture includes: peat, manure, compost, coal, superphosphate. If the land is not fertile, then the amount of fertilizer increases. It is also worth making a support in advance; the distance from the soil should be from seventy to eighty centimeters. Then planting is carried out in the spring.

How to plant a Smolinka plum seedling?

Bushes are purchased before planting; if you buy them in the autumn, you will have to dig them in during the winter, and this is not the best way. The seedling must be healthy, without cracks, injuries, dense roots should be from three to four, their size is about twenty-five centimeters or more. Also look at the color of the seedling; it should not be dark. You cannot plant a plant with open buds. After purchasing a bush, you must:

• Leave the roots of the bush to soak in water for a couple of hours, before that reduce their size, it is important that there are no injuries. Before planting, you need to put the bush in a clay mash. This mixture will help the plant quickly adapt to the new soil.
• It is necessary to remove some of the earth from the hole so that the roots are not crowded; I use the earth for a hill. The seedling is placed on a hill, the roots are aligned in the hole. The roots must be placed so that they are comfortable, without twisting.
• The neck of the roots should be ten or fifteen centimeters from the ground. The hole is filled with soil so that there are no gaps, then you need to compact the soil. Don't confuse the cervix with the graft.
• You need to tie it to the support in the form of an infinity sign. You can do this with a rope or a string. Use ropes that will not harm the crop.
• It is necessary to moisten with two liters of water, the upper part of the soil must be made level. Next, make a small circle around the tree trunk for watering. Water the crop generously; when moisture quickly absorbs two liters, you can add more water to the soil.
• It is also necessary to add mulch to the cushion around the seedling; mulch can be: peat, manure, dry soil. Remember, there is no need to spread mulch next to the seedling; nothing should lie close to it.

After planting in the spring, you should not cut off the branches; just watch the amount of moisture in the soil; at first you need to moisten it regularly so that there is no dryness in the circle around the seedling.

Landing Features

To grow a beautiful plum tree, you must follow the rules for choosing a place for its growth, as well as take care of the planting process.

Recommended timing

The most favorable time for planting a plant in open ground is the period of the spring thaw, when the temperature will be consistently high - about +15°C. Most often, planting is carried out in mid-April. Spring planting, unlike autumn planting, will promote rapid rooting of the tree.

Choosing a suitable location

In order for the crop to develop well and bear fruit consistently, it is necessary to choose the right place for planting. The area in which the tree will grow must be well lit, which will have a beneficial effect on the taste of the fruit.

Important! The minimum permissible groundwater level in the area where a fruit tree is grown is 1.5 m.

You should not plant plums in a place with high groundwater levels, because excessive moisture will provoke rotting of the rhizomes and the development of mold. The soil must have a neutral pH; it is unacceptable to plant seedlings on acidic soils, as this will lead to poor development and slower growth of the plant.

What crops can and cannot be planted nearby?

Plum is a light-loving plant, so tall trees such as poplar or oak should not be planted near it. Any fruit crops can be planted nearby, since the plum variety is self-fertile and cross-pollination will not occur

It is also important to maintain a distance of 3 m between trees in the garden. To avoid aphid invasion, you can plant an elderberry bush near the tree, and to stop the growth of weeds, you can plant thyme under the tree

Selection and preparation of planting material

Planting material must undergo strict selection before direct planting. As you know, you can grow a plum from a ready-made seedling, which is bought on the market, or you can independently germinate a seed taken from the fruit. Seeds are taken only from fruits without damage or visible signs of disease.

The selected seeds must undergo a pre-germination process, for which they are placed in damp sand or sawdust for 2 months. The seeds that have sprouted are planted in open ground in mid-April. Seedlings are selected based on external characteristics, making sure to inspect the plant before purchasing.

When choosing a seedling, pay attention to:

• vaccination mark;
• the condition of the rhizome, which should be well developed and not contain traces of rot on the roots;
• trunk and shoots - they must be clean, without diaper rash;
• the height of the seedling, which should be from 1 m.

Landing technology

The hole for planting is prepared in advance, because there is a need to apply fertilizers. You need to dig a hole 70 cm deep and 60 cm wide. The top fertile layer of soil is mixed with peat and humus in a 1:1 ratio. Superphosphate in the amount of 90 g should be added to the resulting mixture.

Planting technology:

1. It is necessary to drive a peg in the center of the hole, which will later serve as a support for the seedling. The stake should rise 1 m above the surface of the pit.
2. Fill the hole to the middle with the soil mixture that was prepared when digging the hole. When pouring out the soil, it is necessary to form a small hill, which will be required for the convenience of the location of the root system.
3. Insert the seedling into the hole and distribute the roots over a mound of soil.
4. Holding the seedling by the trunk, you need to fill the hole with earth to the very top. Pack tightly.
5. Tie the stake to the seedling using a piece of fabric.
6. Water in an amount of 15 liters.

Plum Smolinka: care

There can be only one uniqueness in cultivation - these are neighboring pollinators, since the crop itself cannot bear fruit. Flowering occurs at the same time. Smolinka also loves moisture. Therefore, do not forget that the crop reaches great heights in growth, therefore, in order to make harvesting the fruits more comfortable, it is necessary to maintain growth by cutting. You can care for this variety in the same way as other types of plums.

Also watch the soil moisture, especially for young trees, because in the first years after planting the seedling takes root and takes everything it needs from the soil. Once the tree begins to produce fruit, be careful not to allow the soil to dry out during the period of inflorescence and fruit bunching. If the weather is rainless, you should moisten the soil regularly. As soon as the fruits ripen, you should not water frequently, because the fruit may become overripe, crack and fall from the tree. Just before winter it is necessary to moisten the soil well.

If the land is fertile, then in the first year or two it does not need to be fed; after two years in the summer, urea can be added in the spring. In March, twenty grams of nutrients are added to the ditch around the tree. If the soil is damp, the fertilizer will get inside on its own; if this does not happen, then help it by loosening it.

Urea is considered a fairly good nutrient that contains nitrogen and is added to the soil in the spring.

As soon as the tree begins to bear fruit, prepare a stronger fertilizer. You also need to add humus, superphosphate, a little sulfate to the soil, but you can also add potassium chloride. In the autumn, you can fertilize with charcoal, in preparation for winter, add compost to the hole around the tree, but not close to the trunk.

This crop must be cut extremely carefully. If you cut at the wrong time or in the wrong way, gum formation may occur. Thus, the branches are cut off after one year from planting. The branches and conductors are cut off from the sides, thereby improving the growth of the branches. Make sure that the crop does not grow rapidly.

As soon as the plant bears fruit, a preventive cut is carried out. Healthy branches can be left untouched, but dry branches with injuries should be removed. If the branches are long enough, I cut them off by twenty or forty percent. It is worth cutting the crop until the spring sap flows. Minor injuries to the tree must be treated with a special garden varnish.

The Smolinka plum produces a sufficient amount of shoots, and from a large amount over time, it needs to be removed. The procedure is carried out quite carefully. The branches are cut straight from the roots, removing excess soil. At the same time, the weeds are removed, followed by weeding of the ground near the tree.

It tolerates the cold season painfully, so young trees are insulated before wintering, they start by whitewashing the tree at a distance of one hundred and fifty centimeters from the ground and above, the branches also need whitewashing, this will help in the fight against rodents and cold, do not forget to wrap all places with nylon . An adult tree does not need protection from frost so much, but such procedures are also carried out on it, because severe February frosts can damage the trunks.

Basic care measures

Proper care of plum trees will include:

1. Regular pruning.
2. Feeding.
3. Watering.
4. Loosening the soil.
5. Elimination of weeds.
6. Preparing for winter.

After planting, annual plums are pruned. The main conductor is shortened to 80 cm. The side shoots are also pruned. The remaining branches are pruned by 20 cm. For two-year-old plums, the main trunk is not cut; the side shoots are shortened by 1/3.

If plums are planted in fertilized soil, they may not need to be fed for several years. Scarce lands require fertilizing. Plum loves organic matter added in spring and fall.

Watering directly affects yield. Plums experience a strong need for moisture at the beginning of the growing season, as well as during flowering and fruit ripening.

Diseases and pests of Smolinka plum

Plum Smolinka: photo of the variety

If the gardener has agricultural equipment, then the crop can independently protect itself from viruses and insects. To avoid an attack, it is necessary to monitor the crown, it should not be overgrown, the trunks and branches are also whitened, the variety needs nutrition. As soon as symptoms of tree damage appear, it is necessary to begin treatment, but before doing so, understand why the tree is sick.

Next, we will look at some diseases that can affect plum trees of the Smolinka variety.

• Gum treatment

This disease may be due to improper care, cutting, frost, or due to other diseases. symptoms - resin on the bark of a tree (gum), any infection can get through such injuries.

To prevent disease, injuries are treated with garden varnish. When resin appears, it must be cut off with a knife and the area of ​​injury should be smeared with copper sulfate.

Most summer residents, after disinfection, smear herbs on top, but this can be done.

• Fetal pockets

Symptoms of this disease are the appearance of pockets on the tree; they may become larger in size, but seeds do not grow in them. The taste of the fruit becomes poor. Due to this disease, the fruits fall off.

The disease itself is a fungus; such a virus can occur in cold, cloudy weather. You can only fight with good attention; it is necessary to cut off the dry branches that held the diseased fruits. It is also worth spraying the tree with a three percent Bordeaux solution as a preventive measure before the inflorescence begins, this may reduce the chance of infection.

• Clusterosporiasis

Fungus - the plant carries this disease. Symptoms are small brown spots with reddish edges. The size reaches about five millimeters. Then holes appear on the leaves, and the fungus spreads further. The leaves dry out and fall to the ground. This can happen to fruits.

To combat this disease, they do a general cleaning of the tree, cutting off all injured leaves and particles of fruit that remain from the season. A one percent burgundy solution will also help. The tree should be sprayed when the buds open, also at inflorescence, and fourteen days before harvesting.

• Fruit rotting

Fungus. Symptoms - the branches become black, the bark appears gray, then the fruit rots, first spots, then the entire fruit rots completely. The plums fall and the branches dry out. The tree may eventually die.

In order for this disease to affect a variety, it is necessary to have agricultural technology and use it correctly. After the harvest, remove all areas with injuries and disinfect them. Spray a one percent Bordeaux solution before the inflorescence and at the end.

• Rust

In July, the Smolinka plum is most often affected by rust. Symptoms - yellowish-brown spots can be seen on the leaves; if they are not removed, they will begin to grow. The tree may weaken, the foliage may fall off, and the variety may become infected with other viruses.

When fighting, it is worth using Bordeaux solution as soon as you see the symptoms of the disease, treatment is carried out from fourteen to twenty-one days. Stop treating two weeks before fruit ripening.

Rodents

The most dangerous and common insects that attack crops are: aphids, sawflies, fruit stalks. It is rare to see mites, sapwood, and thick-legged beetles.

• The plum sawfly is a medium-sized fly with a yellow color. Lays larvae in the ground for the winter. Such larvae kill ovaries; one can destroy up to five. If destruction occurs for a long time, then there may be no harvest.
• The plum moth is a butterfly, brown in color, somewhat similar to a moth, which attacks after the fruit inflorescence. It lays larvae in fruits and also on leaves. Next, the fruits are formed into caterpillars, which eat the pulp of the fruit. Thus, yields may drop significantly.
• Plum aphid - many agronomists know this insect. Most insects arrive at the beginning of summer and until the middle. This insect can form a huge colony; they settle on fruits, branches, and foliage. Lives on a fruit stalk. It feeds on tree sap, which can cause the variety to lose strength. And young trees may die.

For more severe pests, strong drugs are used - insecticides. There may be such as: Karbofos, Fufanon, Aktara and others.

Also, make sure that these drugs do not harm you. Study the application carefully. How to use it correctly, in what time frame, and in what quantity. This is very important for your own safety!

Features of cultivation

When growing plums of this variety, you need to pay special attention to planting seedlings and caring for young plants. Tree planting is often done in the spring

Although their transplantation, thanks to the power of the root system, can be carried out at any time.

It is best to purchase seedlings that are less than 2 years old. Older plants will tolerate the planting process less well. Planting should take place in a well-lit area. Minimal exposure to north winds is allowed. The taste of the fruit directly depends on the place of planting. The more heat and light, the larger and sweeter the plums will be. The soil should be light and fertile. Be sure to have a neutral environment.

The next year after planting, formative and stimulating pruning is carried out. At the beginning of fruiting, pruning should be done every year. Watering is carried out once every 2 weeks. Organic fertilizers should only be applied once every 3 years. Mineral fertilizers are used carefully.

Due to the fact that the variety is self-sterile, it needs to be planted nearby with pollinators. Varieties such as Morning, Super Early, Egg Blue, Blue Gift, etc. can act as pollinators.

Plum Smolinka: reviews

Evgeniy Pirov

For me, the Smolinka plum is the best thing I have ever grown. I love this type of plum. The fruits grow large, about forty grams. It tastes sweet and pleasant. It's better to plant as a bush.

Elena Visitskaya

A fairly large fruit that I know is planted in the Moscow region.

Vitaly Smorodin

Plant the Smolinka plum in a good area where there will be no stagnation or drafts.

Agricultural technology

Selection of planting material

Selecting a seedling is an important task. If it turns out to be infested with pests or diseases, weak or damaged, then the chances of success in growing a good tree will be minimal. It is also undesirable to buy very tall specimens - small plants tolerate transplantation better. Annual and biennial plants take root well.

Selection of seedlings

If the seedlings have a closed root system, that is, they are sold in containers with soil, then the condition of the roots will be impossible to determine. But such planting material has better survival rate and can be planted at any time during the growing season. If the seedling has leaves, you need to inspect them for stains, rot, and traces of parasites (cobwebs or egg laying). In addition, the soil in the container should not be dry.

Bare-rooted specimens can be planted either before the growing season begins or at the end of it, that is, in early spring or mid-to-late autumn. When purchasing, you should not choose seedlings with roots cut too short - they may not survive.

Location

The correct location is the key to good plum development. She needs a lot of light, the sweetness of the fruit directly depends on it. Exposure to north winds is undesirable. The close occurrence of groundwater is unacceptable. The soil is preferably light, neutral, loamy or sandy loam. This variety is tall, this must be taken into account when planting so that in the future the tree does not shade the beds or interfere with buildings. The distance to neighboring trees should be at least 3-4 meters.

The right location is the key to good plum development

Soil preparation and planting

Autumn is best for this event. If the soil on the site is acidic, the first step is to add lime to it. The earth needs to be dug up along with a bucket of humus and wood ash, plus 200 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium salts. A hole 0.5-0.7 m deep and about 0.7-0.9 m in diameter is prepared for the seedling. In this case, it is advisable not to mix the top fertile soil layer with the deep one. When digging a hole, soil from different layers is placed in different piles. You need to pour at least a bucket of water into the bottom of the hole.

Place the seedling in the hole so that the root collar is at ground level. Next, the roots are straightened and covered with the bottom layer of soil, then the top. You need to make sure that the soil fills all the voids between the roots. Then you should lightly compact the earth. Immediately you need to pour in another 1-2 buckets of water and mulch with humus or peat. If the seedling is one-year-old, you can trim the central and side shoots to 80 cm; it is enough to leave other shoots up to 20 cm. For two-year-old trees, only the side shoots are pruned to a third of the length.

Plum care

Young, immature trees need more care than mature trees. The future harvest depends on soil moisture. During the period of flowering and fruit set, you need to ensure that the soil does not dry out and water as needed. If the spring is dry, then you need to water the plum abundantly, about three times a month. A lack of moisture in the summer, when fruits are filling, can cause them to crumble, and excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruits. Therefore, moderate watering is needed during this period. It is necessary to saturate the soil abundantly with moisture at the end of summer, after harvesting, so that the tree gains strength to set buds. Also, abundant moisture-recharging watering is required in the fall, before the onset of frost.

If the soil was well fertilized during planting, then fertilizing can be applied every three years. Plum responds well to the addition of organic matter. When applying mineral fertilizers, you must carefully follow the recommended rate so as not to harm the plant. From time to time, you can use preparations for foliar feeding, which are sprayed on the leaves.

Plum feeding

The plum tree has the peculiarity of forming a large amount of root shoots, which must be removed so that the tree does not waste energy on it to the detriment of the harvest. The tree trunk circle must be promptly cleared of weeds and loosened. You can mulch the soil around the tree, moving a little away from the trunk.

Trimming

The first formative pruning is carried out the next year after planting. The branches are shortened slightly for better branching. Sanitary pruning should be done every year, removing all damaged and dried branches.

Diseases and pests

The variety is relatively resistant to cluster blight. In general, if a tree is strong, it can cope with pathogens on its own. If the crown is not thickened, the fungus will not be able to reproduce. We must not forget to whiten the trunk and skeletal branches with lime.

Sawfly

The most dangerous parasites for plums are:

1. Aphids - feed on the sap of young leaves and shoot tips. Preventive measures should be taken even when the buds are breaking;
2. Sawfly - lays eggs on buds, subsequently the larvae eat the fruits. Treatment should be carried out during flowering;
3. The codling moth is a caterpillar that feeds on fruit pulp and seed kernels. Spraying with insecticidal preparations against this pest is carried out after flowering.

To ensure that no larvae or pathogens remain on the fallen leaves, the latter are carefully collected and burned.

Characteristics of the species

Smolinka is considered one of the varieties of the Domestic Plum variety and has an average ripening time. She was bred by H.K. Enikeev and S.N. Satarova in Moscow by hybridization (crossing) plums Ochakovskaya yellow and Renclad Ullens. It is distinguished from other varieties by a number of advantages:

• high yield (about 20 kg per plum);
• rapid recovery after a sharp drop in temperature;
• good disease resistance.

Description of the tree

Plum trees grow quickly, reaching a height of 5.5 m. The crown is oval in shape with a medium or sparse density. The bark of the trees is brown with a rough, rough surface. The pagons are slightly curved, the internodes are of medium size. The leaves are on average 95 mm long and 65 mm wide, pubescent. The stem is green-yellow. Milky flower, without folds. It produces a harvest early - from August 14 to August 25.

Features of the fetus

The fruit is a symmetrical drupe, weighs up to 35 g. Parameters: height about 0.45 m, thickness about 40 mm, width about 0.4 m. The ventral sutures are practically not developed. The skin is of medium thickness and its color is dark purple. The pulp is tender and juicy, has a yellow-green color, and medium density. The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour, harmonious, delicate. Does not contain starch. Suitable for eating dried and fresh, as well as for preparing various dishes: salads, pastries, desserts. Goes great with meat. Keeps well when frozen.

Crown and leaves

The trees are vigorous - reaching a height of 5 and even 5.5 meters, which makes harvesting fruit somewhat difficult. They form an oval or round-pyramidal crown, the density of leaf coverage varies from sparse to medium. The shoots of “Smolinka” are slightly curved with medium-sized internodes. The shape of the buds is somewhat different - the flowering one grows rather ovoid, the vegetative one - conical.

The leaves have a rounded wedge-shaped base, the surface is without edge. The edges curl up somewhere towards the top; they are moderately jagged. The color is from light to bright green, with anthocyanin petioles and fairly large yellowish-green glands.