Plum planting and care in the open field in the leningrad region

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Plum planting in spring in the Leningrad region

Planting plums in the spring. Plum: care and cultivation

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What are the types

In the spring, the seedling should have unblown buds, that is, the plant should be without leaves. The root system is not yet in the ground, the roots have not taken root, and there is nowhere to feed the leaves. In autumn, seedlings with an open root system are best planted in September - early October, when the tree enters a dormant period and does not require nutrients.

1. (4,88 out of 5), voted: 34. Loading ...
2. When caring for stone fruit plantations, amateur gardeners often make mistakes, which is why they get low fruit yields.
3. In good years, support the main branches.
4. If the garden is already planted, dig under the canopy and between the rows with a pitchfork or a shovel. In order not to damage the root system, the plane of the shovel should always be in the radial direction to the trunk. Dig it closer to the trunk (to a depth of 5-10 cm), as you move deeper (10-15 cm). Before digging, scatter nitrogen fertilizers under the crown of the trees (100-200 g per tree of urea or calcium nitrate in a young garden, 300-500 g in a fruit-bearing garden). They will ensure good growth and flowering of the plum.
5. Before the onset of severe frosts, prepare cuttings (annual shoots 20-30 cm long) for spring grafting. Leaving the harvesting of cuttings until spring is risky, since in winter the shoots can freeze and the survival rate of grafts will sharply decrease. Tie the cut cuttings in bunches and store in a snow pile until spring. The temperature inside the pile is kept at about 0 ″. Snow protects the cuttings from drying out, low winter and high spring temperatures.
6. It is desirable to form skeletal branches not from adjacent buds, but from 10-15 cm apart from one another.

Seat selection

Plum

During planting, watch the root collar - it should be about 5 cm above ground level, since the fertile soil will settle down a little after watering. The next step is mulching the ground. Watering norms should also be observed - for one seedling there are about 3 buckets of water, while in hot weather the tree needs to be watered once every two weeks.

Plum planting: in spring or autumn?

Planting plums in spring and autumn involves subsequent abundant watering - two buckets for each seedling. Then the soil must be mulched. Plum belongs to moisture-loving trees, therefore, in dry summers, additional watering will be required (3-4 times per season). The very first is carried out in mid-May, then after the end of flowering, when the intensive development of fruits begins, the third before they begin to fill (July), and the fourth in the fall, at the beginning of October. The watering rate directly depends on the age of the trees - from 3 to 8 buckets of water. After that, do not forget to slightly loosen the soil, but only to a shallow depth (5-7 cm), so as not to damage the roots.

Planting pit preparation

The fact that the plum appeared in the gardens of man long before our era is a well-known fact. Bulk and fragrant fruits are liked, if not by everyone, then by many. They can be eaten fresh, dried, cooked from them compotes and preserves, jams and even sauces. Those who have their own garden are doubly lucky, because growing plums will not take you much time. Moreover, many varieties and hybrids have now been bred, even for cold regions.

What you should pay attention to

I prefer closed-root annual seedlings. The head does not hurt that your seedling has torn roots, that it is urgent to postpone all business and prepare the planting hole, that your seedling will dry out during transportation and storage. I brought it, put it in partial shade or in the sun - and live in peace, not forgetting to water and feed. You can plant it at any time of the day or night in spring, summer and autumn. One important, but simple condition: a clod of earth should not be destroyed during planting. And this is understandable: the roots are not damaged during planting, they are not torn off, the conditions of detention are improving, new soil has appeared where the roots can germinate, and not a single leaf will wither on the tree. I remember that I was delayed with planting an apple tree of the Renet Kichunova variety. It's October in the yard, the apple tree is still in the container, I don't want to send it to the dig site for the winter. I planted it in the second half of October - and nothing, it wintered well, and this year, in the third year after planting, it was all in bloom. It bloomed for the first time last year, and the first apples ripened on it, greenish-yellow with a characteristic rustiness at the petiole.

Everyone knows the poverty of soils in the Leningrad region. These are either loams, when the fertile layer is barely fifteen to twenty centimeters, or sands with gravel (in the northern regions), or, at best, peat bogs. In peat bogs, although the soil is acidic, the layer of this soil is deep.

Watering

One of the typical mistakes is overgrowing tree planting.

Fertilizing

August-September

Pruning homemade plums

Prepare smoke piles to protect flowering trees from recurrent spring frosts.

January

Removal of root shoots

, Shorten them for subordination, preventing the formation of forks, changing the direction of growth.The first pruning is done in early spring, immediately after planting. If you are late with the beginning, then it is better to wait until next year.

Plum grafting in spring and other care work

Transplanting and planting plums in the spring: all the subtleties

Plum, like any fruit tree, needs care. In addition to watering the seedlings, you will have to carry out other work: this is feeding and processing of plums in the spring from pests. Unfortunately, today it is difficult to find a tree variety that would be completely indifferent to diseases and insect attacks. The most common problem is aphids, which inhabit both the tops of the shoots and in the leaves. This is why pruning trees in early spring is a very important step.Growing plums on the site involves periodic feeding of the tree. For the first time, fertilizers are applied in the third year after planting. It is recommended to use organic components - humus or compost (up to 7 kg), wood ash (up to 200 g) per square meter with shallow digging of the near-stem circle. During the most active growing season, mineral complex fertilizers are applied. In early spring, this stimulates the growth of new shoots, leaves and flower stalks, and at the very beginning of summer it helps the laying of flower buds and the development of fruits. Nitrogen fertilizers are best applied liquid, but phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, which do not dissolve well, are best added to the soil in the fall. Lime-fluff will also be useful (for 1 square meter 50-100 g).Breeders work continuously, and as a result, almost every year we get new, more improved varieties. Of course, it is possible to list them in one article, but the list will turn out to be quite long. Now about three hundred varieties are actively cultivated. Planting plums in the Urals, Siberia or in central Russia has the same algorithm, but the main question is to choose the most suitable cultivar for a given area. All varieties are conventionally combined into groups according to various indicators. Let us dwell on this classification in more detail.

• First, I'll tell you how we plant fruit trees in the conditions of our Babino on loamy soils. The experience came over the years, they suffered for a long time to get something. Now we have developed for ourselves the rules of planting, and they are giving results. The first and unforgettable rule is not to dig a hole in the clay.
• In our gardening, you dig a shovel on a bayonet, and then clay. These are not the fertile soils of Ukraine. I remember that my father-in-law and her husband were digging a cellar in the city of Nizhyn, which is a hundred kilometers from Kiev. Two meters of black soil - and this is not the limit! In such a land, whatever you throw, everything will rise and grow, if only the rain from time to time saturates the soil with moisture.

When the crowns are closed, the illumination of the branches deteriorates and they rush upward, which makes it difficult to care for trees and harvest

... In gardens with natural turf, the mowing of grasses is stopped. If the soil is kept under black steam, dig up the trunks and plow the row spacings in autumn. Before digging, scatter organic and mineral fertilizers evenly under the crown of the trees. Good results are obtained with alternate application of organic and mineral fertilizers (after a year). Per one tree, organic fertilizers (humus or compost) are applied 1-2 buckets, mineral fertilizers - 200-500 g of superphosphate, 200-400 g of potassium salt (or 1-1.5 kg of wood ash). For young plantations, the dose of fertilizers is reduced, for fruit-bearing plantations, it is increased. Autumn fertilization improves the ripening of shoots, overwintering of plants and provides them with the nutrients necessary for growth and fruiting in the next year.

Planting seedlings: what to look for?

Sometimes cherries and plums are planted in lowlands, where cold air often stagnates in winter, causing damage or death of flower buds and branches. If the site is located in a lowland, the cultivation of stone fruit crops will have to be abandoned.

...In snowless winters, shovel snow to tree trunks to protect the roots and stem from freezing. After snowfalls, shake the snow off the branches to avoid breakage. In young gardens, trample snow around trees after snowfall to protect them from mouse damage and moisture build-up in the soil.

How to care for plum in spring: expert advice

Pruning plums in the early years is necessary for the formation of the main branching of the crown.

In the first group of plums, group buds predominate on strong annual growths

Noticing damaged branches, feel free to remove them with a sharp knife, and after that the "wound" must be covered with garden varnish.

Plum grafting in spring: important recommendations

In addition to watering and fertilizing with fertilizers, the drain requires periodic pruning and the formation of the correct crown. It is best to do this in the spring, when sap flow has not yet begun. At the same time, the air temperature should be kept at approximately one mark without sharp fluctuations (up to -10 ° C). If you choose summer, then let it be the first half of it, so that the wounds can heal before winter. Pruning before winter, when the onset of cold weather is close, is not recommended. The appearance can be judged by the name. Quite large fruits have an even oval shape, without a characteristic longitudinal groove. The names of varieties are distinguished depending on the color: blue, red, yellow. Suitable for fresh consumption and canning. "A pit in clay is a grave for a seedling" - a long time ago, even at lectures, I heard this truth from Yu. M. Chuguev, a scientist from the city of Smolensk. Earlier, reading the literature on gardening and not analyzing what we read in relation to our conditions, we dug holes in the clay. What is a pit in clay? This is a vessel in which water accumulates and stands all the time. The roots of the plant rot and it dies.

And here, in the zone of risky farming, you still have to work hard to grow this apple. And you need to raise if we love and take care of our family, children, grandchildren.

... This circumstance should be taken into account when setting up a garden.

Features of growth and fruiting

If the soil on the garden plot is acidic, lime it once every three years. To do this, grind lime materials (slaked lime, ground limestone, dolomite, chalk), scatter evenly over the area (300 - 500 g per 1 m2 of surface) and dig up.It is necessary to know the depth of the surface waters. They should not be closer than 1.5-2 m from the soil surface. If placed closer together, cherries and plums should not be planted.

• February
• ... Excessive branching, which can contribute to the thickening of the crown, must be loosened or removed.
• - two or three in one node (usually the middle leaf bud, and the lateral ones are flowering). Group buds are concentrated in the middle part of the shoot. Below are single flower buds. The apical and several buds closest to it are single leafy. The next year, bouquet twigs and spurs develop on the one-year shoot from the lower leaf buds. Above them, stronger growth shoots develop. The flower buds produce flowers and fruits. Bouquet twigs and spurs in the varieties of the first group are very short-lived. The yield is determined by the number of flower buds on an annual shoot. After harvesting the fruits, the branches become very bare, especially if single flower buds predominated. Varieties of the first group are characterized by early maturity, productivity, but require constant attention to maintaining strong shoot growth. This group includes most varieties of Chinese, Ussuriyskaya, American and Canadian plums.

The second stage of the struggle is the use of drugs such as Confidor and Mospilan. After diluting in the required proportions, which will be indicated on the package, use a sprayer to spray the plants.In addition, plums are often attacked by sawflies, which, in the absence of a fight, will simply destroy your entire crop, spreading to other plants in the garden. The main thing is that you notice the infection in time and start fighting. For this, drugs such as Decis and Aktara are best suited. For prevention purposes, you can whitewash trees using whitewashing with the addition of a 5% solution of copper sulfate (for a 10 liter bucket of water about 400 g of the drug).

It is necessary to begin the formation of the tree even at the seedling stage, when the plum is planted in the spring, since young specimens develop and grow quite quickly. This will help create a nice, correct crown. Old and mature trees are pruned for the purpose of rejuvenation, they are thinned out, broken, diseased, withered and rubbing branches are removed. If the plum variety is fast growing and gives an increase of more than 70 cm, then such shoots must be shortened by 1/3 of the length. At first glance, everything seems too complicated, so we advise novice gardeners to contact specialists, read literature, watch master classes and only then, armed with pruning shears, ennoble their trees.

Plum variety Hungarian. Not many people know that a whole group of cultivars is united under this name. All are characterized by a dark color of fruits with dense pulp and a pronounced abdominal suture. Trees grow quite tall with a semi-spreading crown. The Italian plum variety Vengerka stands at the very beginning. Its large fruits are ovoid, dark blue with a slight bloom and large subcutaneous dots. The pulp is not very fragrant with a yellow-green hue. Due to its good transportability, the variety is known almost all over the world. In addition, it is worth noting ordinary Hungarian (homemade), Azhanskaya, Moscow, Zimnitsa, Wanheim and others.Now we plant, digging only to the clay, or even not digging at all. We choose a place on the site, taking into account that there must still be a pollinator sapling nearby in order to obtain a full-fledged harvest. We mark a circle with a diameter of 1 m 20 cm.

AdviceMany mistakes are made by inexperienced gardeners when applying fertilizers. Often, too much or very little is applied at one time.

In August-September, plums are harvested, canned and processed.The importance of crown pruning should not be underestimated: it is sometimes carried out irregularly, which makes the crown thicken, fruit formations die off, fruiting becomes irregular. Trees overloaded with crops freeze even in relatively mild winters and bear little fruit. This is why cherries and plums need to be pruned annually.

... Continue work on snow retention in the garden, repair of garden tools, delivery of fertilizers, pesticides, etc. At the end of the month, shovel the snow off the plum stems, free them from the winter strapping. It should be immediately taken out of the garden and burned. Whitewash the stems and base of the branches with a lime solution (3 kg of fresh lime -) - 2 kg of clay per bucket of water). This will help smooth out fluctuations in temperatures on the surface of the crust during the day during the winter-spring period and reduce the occurrence of sunburn.In varieties that bear fruit on annual shoots (annual wood), shortening should be minimal, so as not to cause the appearance of unnecessary branching, thickening the crown

Varieties of the second group are distinguished by the formation of perennial overgrowing branches or fruit branches

Grafting plums in spring is another important step, as it will not only grow a healthier and stronger tree, but also significantly increase the yield and resistance of the tree to disease. In order to successfully carry out the work, it is advisable to grow a seedling from winter-hardy varieties. After a year of growth, the work itself can begin.

This is another important nuance when growing plums on the site. It is worth saying right away that you should not feel sorry for the useless and interfering shoots coming from the roots.No matter how good, strong and even the shoots are, they must be removed. They weaken the tree and reduce yields. The shoots coming from the root are already a signal of problems, which means that the trunk or roots of the plum are damaged. There are several ways to get rid of it, including chemical treatment. We recommend the traditional option - pruning with pruning shears. The main nuance is that you do not need to cut at soil level, as this will provoke even greater growth. Dig up the shoots to their root system and only then remove with a sharp instrument. The pits should then be covered with earth.

Shaping and pruning

Renclode (in the first photo). This is a subspecies of home plum. The trees are large enough, up to 7 meters in height, have an irregular crown shape. Fruits are spherical or ovoid, not very large (up to 5 cm in diameter). The color depends on the variety: greenish, red-yellow or blue. The flesh of the fruit is sweet, firm and very juicy. Such plums are poorly stored and transported, so it is better to collect them in a slightly unripe form. The most famous varieties: Karbyshev's renklod, Altana, Kolkhozny, etc.Advice:It is important not only to get a seedling in a safe place, but also to plant it correctly.

Large doses of organic fertilizers can cause fattening of young trees, delay the growth of shoots, worsen their ripening, which increases the danger of winter freezingFor better overwintering of trees (especially in dry years), carry out water-charging irrigation (5-7 buckets of water for 1 tree).At the end of the month, start grafting the cuttings. This work can be done during the sap flow period.To keep the snow in the pile where the cuttings are laid longer, sprinkle it with sawdust with a layer of 15-20 cm at the end of February.

... Strong (50-60 cm) annual growths of young trees bearing fruit on two-year-old wood (bouquet twigs and spurs) should be shortened more. Well-developed shoots are shortened by 1 / 4-1 / 5 of their length in order to enhance the formation of shoots and the development of spurs.... The main part of the harvest is located on them. For the varieties of this group, it is important that there is no excessive thickening of the crown, otherwise there is a massive dying off of overgrowing branches and fruiting worsens. The second group includes mainly varieties of domestic plum of Western European and southern origin.Cut the shoots for grafting from your tree or buy (the main thing is that they are cut from a healthy tree

Plum, the care and cultivation of which is not difficult, but requires only a little time, will become one of the most beloved trees in the garden. It will delight you with fragrant fruits from year to year.

Group of varieties Mirabelle. The fruits are small, golden in color and round in shape, the sides on the sunny side often have a crimson blush. The homeland of the variety is Asia Minor, but now it is very common in Europe, especially in France. It is possible to plant plums in the spring in the suburbs or in the middle lane, where it will also feel good. Varieties: Big, Small, Bona, Nancy, September.

Sandy soils do not retain moisture and are poor in composition. We add humus, rotted manure, peat and dried crumbling clay to such soil. We add humus, rotted manure, river sand to peat soils and be sure to deoxidize.

Work calendar (November to December)

Recently I came across an article about scientists from one pomological garden who visited one of the Western countries and got acquainted with the cultivation of apple trees. The gardens are very beautiful: even rows of elegant apple trees with red-yellow fruits, apparently of the Idared variety, the aisles are neatly mowed, the tree-trunk circles are processed. Garden of Eden, and more!... Increased doses of mineral fertilizers, in turn, increase the concentration of salts in the soil, which has a depressing effect on fruit trees. When applying low doses of fertilizers on poor soils, trees grow poorly and bear fruit.Therefore, you need to adhere to the optimal doses for your specific area.

Start digging holes for the spring planting. Purchase planting material in the fall. For better overwintering, seedlings are best stored in a buried place. To do this, dig a groove 30-40 cm deep, lay the seedlings obliquely (lowering the roots into the groove), sprinkle them with soil, compact it with your feet, water it well (1 bucket of water for each plant), sprinkle it again with soil on top to form an earthen roller 20 -30 cm. In this state, the seedlings winter well until spring.

PlumPlum

When the tree is fully fruitful, pruning is necessary to maintain vigor in the shoots.Varieties of the third group have an intermediate fruiting character between the first and second groups.

​).​

Trees are best placed in small and bright areas: this can be the center of your site, and places along the fence, as long as there is a sunny side.

Teroslum. Small shrub or tree. This is another subspecies of the home plum. Possesses high endurance in relation to adverse environmental conditions and variability. Unpretentious and easy to care for, quickly forms real thickets.We dig up the earth, choosing weeds, and ennoble it by adding peat, river sand, humus or rotted manure. Sometimes we put rotted sawdust, hay or cut grass on the clay, sprinkling it with rotted manure on top, as if making a warm bed. Then we fill the hole with ennobled earth and compact. On the center of the circle we put a sheet of inverted turf 30 × 30 or 40 × 40 cm in size. The thickness of the turf is from 15 to 20 cm. On this turf we put a bag with a seedling.

When we run out of apples, I buy this particular variety, Idared. It seems to me that their peel is not processed for long-term storage, and traces of wax or paraffin are not visible, they are closer to natural apples in size.Often the reason for the low fruiting of cherries and plums is the wrong selection of pollinating varieties.

Plum

May

March

If the crown is formed correctly and there is a sufficiently strong one-year growth (at least 40 cm), there is no need to shorten it

... They bear fruit well both on one-year growth and on relatively short-lived 3-4-year-old overgrowing twigs. For varieties of the third group, along with maintaining strong growth, it is very important to timely change bare branches. You should also not allow the crown to thicken; overgrowing twigs should be in favorable lighting conditions. The third group includes most of the Central Russian plum varieties: Skorospelka red, Vengerka Moscow. Tula black, Ochakovskaya yellow, etc.

Work is carried out during active sap flow - the period April - early May or already at the end of summer. The main thing, as you understand, is to take only healthy shoots, because if you use diseased branches, the disease will spread to a new plant.

If you do not have such luxury, you need to make a mound up to 60 cm high

Canadian plum. An amazing group of varieties that differ in the number of chromosomes from their European relatives (16 and 48, respectively). Very winter-hardy species can withstand severe frosts up to 45-50 ° C, so it is possible to plant plums in Siberia. There is one drawback - these are cross-pollinated trees, you need to plant several plants at once. The size and taste of the fruit ranges from high to mediocre. The yield is high, up to 70 kg per tree. Popular varieties: De Soto, Terry, Tecumsech, Nansa.

For backfill, we need fertile soil prepared according to the previous recipe. When planting a seedling in the spring, you can add fertilizer "Spring Kemira" (100-120g), and in the fall - "Autumn Kemira".When the trees begin to bloom and bear fruit, we no longer use mineral fertilizers, but only humus, rotted manure and green fertilizer. But while the trees are growing, you can add mineral fertilizers when planting. After such a refueling of the planting pit for the next year, you can not carry out top dressing.

But it turned out that apple trees and the soil under them are treated with chemicals up to 32 times per season against diseases and pests. Something I didn't even want to eat these apples.

... With single-cultivar plantings of self-fruitless varieties, trees often bloom well, but almost do not bear fruit due to premature shedding of the ovaries. In such cases, it is necessary to plant pollinating varieties (the same flowering period as the main varieties) or graft their cuttings into the crown.

... If the air temperature drops to + 1 °, ignite the smoke heaps. Stop smoking 1 to 2 hours after sunrise. To soften the effect of frost, water the soil under the trees and spray the crown with water.

... Hang birdhouses in your garden to attract birds in the first half of the month. From the middle of the month, start pruning the plum.

... They are limited to thinning the crown with cutting thickening, dry, incorrectly positioned and rubbing branches. With a weak growth (less than 25-30 cm), without shortening the one-year shoot, cut to 2-3-year-old wood above the nearest lateral branch. If the growth is even less (10-15 cm), rejuvenating pruning is carried out on 4-5-year-old wood, that is, perennial branches are cut off for strong lateral branching.

When growing plums, pruning, it must be remembered that stone fruit crops have simple fruit buds, that is, only fruits can form from them.It would seem that it is easier than ever to grow a plum. But only a very self-confident person and not very knowledgeable can think so. This culture has its own specificity, subtleties. They will be discussed in the selection of materials.

... Plums also prefer chernozem and loamy soils, which are characterized by air permeability and moisture capacity.

The most optimal and favorable option is the gentle slopes on the southern, south-western and western sides. Planting plum seedlings is recommended in the warmest places, soils with good aeration. If you choose a place in a lowland or near a fence, then you need to make sure that the trees still grow on some artificial mound. Their height should be in the range of 40-50 cm, and the width of the base should be 1.8-2 meters.Let's return to the seedling, which is on the turf, and the fertile soil is prepared for backfill. With a carefully razor knife, cut the bag on both sides and remove it, trying not to destroy the clod of earth in which the seedling grew. We quickly fill up a clod of earth with a seedling with a prepared fertile mixture, compact it, make a low side around the perimeter and water with two buckets of water. We carefully inspect the vaccination site and do not fall asleep when planting. Some gardeners take for grafting the upper end of the cutting (scion), where there was a bud from which the shoot grew, while the grafting is located at the lower end of this cutting. On one-year and two-year-old seedlings, it is clearly visible.

I feel sorry for novice gardeners who purchase southern seedlings, obviously driven out on mineral fertilizers, or three-, four-year-old seedlings with chopped off roots and hardly packed in plastic bags. Not counting, of course, the seedlings of the same age, grown in huge, heavy containers. Such will take root, begin to bear fruit early, but they are expensive and not affordable for a simple gardener.

Plum

October

In hot dry weather, be sure to water the plums (4-6 buckets of water per tree). Before flowering, it is useful to feed the tree with organic or mineral fertilizers.Organic fertilizers (cow dung, bird droppings or feces) are diluted in water at a ratio of 1:10 and 4-6 buckets of solution are applied under the tree (depending on the age of the garden). If there are no organic fertilizers, liquid mineral fertilizers are used. One tablespoon of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water and brought in 2-3 buckets in a young garden, in an adult - 4-6 buckets of liquid fertilizer per tree. To reduce the loss of moisture for evaporation, immediately after fertilizing, mulch the soil with peat or sawdust.

April

In grafted well-developed trees, root shoots are removed annually to the main root of the mother plant, leaving no stumps. In root-own varieties, the shoots are used for reproduction. In case of severe freezing or death of the entire aerial part, own-rooted varieties can be quickly restored by leaving two or three coppice plants at a distance of about 3 m from one another and forming them according to the described type. If the grafted trees die, you can also leave 2-3 coppice plants, but they must be re-grafted with the desired varieties.

... On strong annual shoots, there are group and single fruit buds. On weak growths, mainly single flower buds are formed. Therefore, with the weakening of the increments, the branches are exposed. It is enhanced by the fact that after two to four years of fruiting, bouquet twigs and spurs die off, forming thorns.By the nature of fruiting, varieties and types of plums are conventionally divided into three groups

Peach grafting

Plum prefers gray forest, loamy and chernozem soils. Moisture and breathability should be good. If you plan to plant several trees, then take into account the characteristics of the variety (height, crown spreading, etc.). The approximate scheme is 4 by 2 meters.

An annual seedling is usually a shoot from 0.7 to 1.2 m, without side branches. For the appearance of lateral branches, pinch the top of the seedling.

How to prevent errors

Advice:

Stone fruits can bear little fruit due to freezing of fruit buds or partial damage to them.... Moisture-charging irrigation is completed, followed by soil mulching.If the aisles of the garden are kept under black steam, weeding and loosening of the soil is carried out 2-3 times a month. In natural tinning, mow the grass regularly (5-6 times during the summer) and leave it in place as mulch.

... Continue unfinished ^ stem cleaning and crown care. Dig grooves to drain the defrost water.PlumIn summer, the growth of shoots near the plum may stop and then start again. In this case, secondary shoots are formed.

​:​Cherry grafting on plums

Opinions on this matter differ. Some gardeners are strictly for the first option, while the second allow planting at any time. Basically, there is no binding rule, only recommendations. You can buy seedlings in the fall, it all depends on the region, but planting plums in the spring is desirable. In the Moscow region and the southern regions, the seedlings will have time to take root before winter and get stronger, but in the Urals or Siberia it is difficult to do this, therefore, most often young plants freeze out. Just waste your time, money and effort. The most suitable month is April, but it is worth focusing on the soil (so that it finally thaws and warms up). So, in Siberia - this is the third decade.

Before installing the seedling with a lump of earth on the turf, on the south side of the center, we drive in a stake, or better - a board with a pointed end, so that in the first year the tender bark of the seedling is in the shade.Fluff lime or dolomite flour should be added to acidic soil, and in spring it is better to replace them with ash. A liter can of ash will be enough for planting one seedling.

... If the fruit buds do not bloom, then they are frozen. Often, in early spring, freezing of the pistil (central part) of the flower is observed. In this case, the tree blooms profusely, but does not form an ovary.Therefore, select highly winter-resistant varieties. In addition, you can protect trees from frost by preparing them well for winter: carry out water-charging irrigation in the fall (especially after a dry summer), apply organic and mineral fertilizers, and protect plants from pests and diseases.Remove dead bark, mosses and lichens from boles and branch bases. After cleaning the wounds with a knife, wash them with 2-3% (20-30 g per 1 l of water) solution of iron or 1-2% (10-20 g per 1 l of water) copper sulfate. Then cover the wounds with garden varnish. If there are any holes, seal them up. Whitewash the stems and base of the branches with a lime solution (the concentration is the same as in February).Remove wild growth or harvest it for propagation.

When planting plums, take into account the strength of tree growth, depending on soil and climatic conditions and varietal characteristics. In the southern regions of the country, on fertile soils, plum trees develop more strongly, so plant them more spaciously - with a distance of 3-4 m in a row and 5-6 m between rows, in the middle lane, Siberia and the Far East - thicker: 2-3 m in row and 3-5 m between rows.

The above-mentioned features of the growth and fruiting of plums must be taken into account when pruning and forming the crown.

Fruiting mainly on annual growth;

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Preparation begins in autumn or early spring a couple of weeks before the intended planting. The hole should be about 60 cm deep and 60-70 cm in diameter. The soil must be removed from it and mixed with good humus in a ratio of 2: 1. You can add a small amount of mineral complex fertilizers. Then pour the whole potting mix back. Planting plums in the spring involves repeated shallow digging, as soon as the earth dries out, to a depth of 1.5 shovel bayonets. Be sure to have a wooden peg ready. The first couple of years, the seedling needs to be tied up so that the roots are well strengthened.

When planting in peaty or sandy soils, you need to add the missing components. It's not so difficult, but exciting and interesting.

Let's speculate. The root system of a fruit tree (Fig. 1) consists of skeletal and suction roots, the latter are located at the ends of the skeletal roots, they are delicate and light in color. Only the suction roots extract nutrients from the soil.

But let's return to our native land. Purchase of seedlings

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To protect young trees from rodents (hares, mice), tie spruce branches around the trunks (with the tops of the branches down). For better wintering, sprinkle the trees with a layer of 15-20 cm soil. Rake the fallen leaves into heaps and punch or burn (to destroy pests and diseases).

June-July

The best time to plant plums in the middle and northern zones is spring, in the south it is autumn and winter.

Open root system

November - December

Plum

On perennial overgrowing twigs;

Closed root system

If you decide to plant young trees in a cultivated area, you still need to dig up the earth with a shovel to a depth of 1.5 m, while adding mineral fertilizers and organic matter. At the same time, it is advisable to remember that in order to obtain a high-quality harvest, you need to plant at least two varieties for their normal pollination by insects. In addition, when deciding on varieties, choose those that bear fruit at different times of the year. Knowing how to plant a plum in spring will help you get a truly delicious harvest.

Planting seedlings

First, the planting of plums in spring or autumn must be done correctly. The root collar of the seedling should be placed 5-7 cm above the soil surface. Gradually, the soil will settle, and it will be where it is needed. A deep planting is harmful, as it can lead to rotting of the bark, and this will ultimately have a bad effect on the growth and fruiting of the tree.

Elena Litvyakova,

First, I'll tell you about planting a one-year-old seedling with an open root system. If the seedling was dug out carefully, without damaging the suction roots, it was stored in a humid environment, its roots did not dry out, then with proper planting, the seedling will take root.

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Plum

... Continue with the maintenance of the plum garden: remove weeds, loosen the trunks and aisles. In dry years, water (5-7 buckets under each tree). After flowering (at the beginning of June) and during the formation of fruits (at the end of June), it is useful to feed with organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizer doses are the same as for spring feeding.

As soon as the soil ripens (becomes loose, crumbly), level the area and start digging holes (if this work has not been done since autumn). The size of the planting holes depends on the size of the root system. Usually, holes are prepared with a diameter of 60-80 cm and a depth of 40-60 cm. When digging holes, discard the top layer of soil to one side, and the bottom to the other. Mix the top layer of soil with organic and mineral fertilizers, adding 1 bucket of rotted manure (or 2 buckets of compost), 200-300 g (2-3 handfuls) of superphosphate and 40-60 g of potassium salt (or 300-400 g of wood ash). Then put the seedling to the stake in the planting hole, straighten the roots, cover with fertile soil, compacting it with your feet so that voids do not form between the roots. Immediately after planting, make a hole around the seedling, pour water (2 buckets), tie the seedling to the stake with a figure of eight twine (loose), mulch with peat, sawdust or loose earth. Scatter the bottom layer of soil over the area. After planting, the root collar of the plants should be at the level of the soil.

... Trample the snow regularly on the trunks and around the seedlings' ditch to prevent mice from entering the young trees. In heavy snows, shake the snow off the branches. This will reduce breakage. For better wintering, sprinkle the dug-in seedlings with snow.

Trees form with a trunk 25-40 cm high, the crown - from 5 - 7 well-developed and well-placed branches.

Both on annual shoots and on overgrowing twigs.

It is necessary to competently prepare a pit for planting: it should be about 80 cm in diameter and up to 50 cm deep, while, if you did not have time to prepare the site for work, the width should be increased to 1 meter. For planting, it is advisable to use annual seedlings. About 8 kg of humus is added to the dug trench, ash is also suitable as an organic fertilizer - about 150 g. If there is no organic matter at hand, you can take 200 g of superphosphate and about 150 g of potassium salt.

Secondly, be careful with fertilizers - it is better to put less than to overdo it. Don't use manure, only humus and compost. With an excess of them, at best, you will stimulate the growth of new branches in the spring, at worst, you will get a root burn.

"Garden affairs" No. 6 (22), July 2008

But a two-year-old or more seedling with an open root system is more difficult to dig out of the ground, its root system is more ramified, often going deep into the ground. When digging, part of the roots breaks off and remains in the ground. The probability of rooting for such a seedling is reduced. Planting of pome crops, which include apple and pear, is carried out in spring and autumn.

Agricultural technology for growing plums in the Leningrad region: planting and care, the best varieties

The Leningrad Region is the northernmost region where stone fruit crops can be cultivated.

It should be borne in mind that to get a decent harvest, you can only take special varieties designed specifically for the northern regions.

This article will tell you which varieties of plums are suitable for cultivation in the northwest regions, as well as the nuances of tree care.

The best varieties for the Leningrad region

For the northwestern region, including the Leningrad region, such plum varieties:

1. "Alyonushka".An early maturing self-infertile variety. It is a medium-sized tree growing up to 2-2.5 meters. Fruits are large (30-35 g), globular, dark red, the stone is not detached well. Pollinators are varieties of Chinese plum and cherry plum. The weakness of the variety - leaves and young shoots are often affected by aphids.
2. "Red ball". Early ripe early-ripening plum. Begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years after planting. The tree is medium, almost 2.5 meters high. Fruits are round, large (about 40 g), red with a bluish bloom. The bone is difficult to separate. The variety is distinguished by good winter hardiness and immunity to clasterosporium disease.
3. "Kolkhoz Renklod". Medium late self-fertile species. 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.
4. "Rapid". An early ripe self-fruitless plum. The tree is not tall. Fruits are spherical, fragrant, medium-sized (20-25 g), with a bright red skin. Frost resistance and yield are good, disease resistance is relative.
5. "Tula Black". Medium late self-fertile species. The tree is not tall. Fruits are medium (23-25 ​​g), oval, with dark blue, almost black skin. The stone leaves the pulp well. Frost resistance and productivity are high.

Where to plant on the site

All northern plum varieties are well cultivated on the upper slopes, preferring drained soil. At the same time, it is advisable to choose warmer, well-lit places, warmed by the sun, protected from cold winds, with a deep (at least 2 meters) groundwater table.

Important!Plums should not be planted in lowlands where water accumulates, and a lot of snow collects in winter.

The quality of the soil plays an important role: it is preferable to choose fertile areas with a lighter composition, with a sandy or sandy-pebble underground layer.

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 bear fruit further.

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

• the seedling should have 3-5 developed roots. The main one should be at least 25 cm in length;
• planting material can be grafted and self-rooted. The latter option is better, since such sprouts are able to recover in case of freezing;
• varieties are self-fertile and self-fertile. The latter will need the right neighbors to harvest;
• it is better to purchase planting material in 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 should be free of signs of mold, putrefactive marks and damage;
• the trunk should not be curved. An even bole is a sign of a healthy seedling;
• the crust should be complete, without frost cracks, burns and other damage.

How to plant correctly

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

Timing

Many gardeners claim that plums can be planted both in autumn and spring. But, given the moment that plums are a thermophilic plant, the best time for planting is early spring, before the buds have yet blossomed, 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

A place for planting plums should be prepared in advance, 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, a hole is dug, the extracted earth is mixed with humus, wood ash and poured onto the bottom.

Important!You cannot pour fertilizers directly into the pit to stimulate the growth of branches - they can burn the roots, which will lead to the death of the seedling.

Step-by-step planting process

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

Depending on the selected 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 the trees are placed in several lines, then the distance between the rows should be 4-4.5 meters. A hole for planting is dug in 2-3 weeks.

Immediately, a support for a garter is 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.

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

Right before planting, the earth is poured with a slide on the bottom of the pit, a seedling is placed on it and the roots are evenly straightened. Then they are covered with soil.

During the process, the seedling is periodically shaken slightly to avoid the formation of empty space, and the soil is evenly distributed.

Light tamping is acceptable.

: example of planting a plum sapling on a hill

The seedling should not be deepened - the root collar should be 3-4 cm higher than the ground. When the soil sits down, the tree will be level with the ground.

After the tree has already been planted, the stem is tied to a support. In this case, you need to do this so that later the garter does not 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 near-stem zone is mulched with sawdust or peat.

Find out more about soil mulching.

How to care

The more you pay attention to the tree and the more competently you look after, the better the plum will feel and will thank you with a generous harvest.

Watering

Although plum does not like stagnant moisture, it belongs to moisture-loving plants. For this tree, drying out is more dangerous than frost. In hot weather, the tree is watered every 5-7 days at the rate of 4 buckets of water for a young tree and 6 buckets for a mature tree.

Important!If the fruits crack, this is a sign of a lack of moisture, and if the top dies off and the leaves turn yellow, this is an excess of moisture.

Top dressing

The plum reacts almost instantly to the absence of the necessary elements: with a nitrogen deficiency, the tips of the leaves turn yellow, with a lack of phosphorus, they turn gray, and with a deficiency of potassium, they turn brown. At the same time, when the soil is oversaturated with nitrogen, the shoots stop growing, do not have time to ripen and freeze.

That is why nutrients are introduced in stages:

1. When landing. The soil is poured into the pit, mixed with 15 kg of humus or manure, 0.5 kg of superphosphate, 100 g of potassium chloride (you can replace 1 kg of wood ash).
2. In the first year, there is enough fertilizer when planting. The next 3 years in the spring are fertilized with urea (20 g per 1 square meter).
3. After the tree has entered the fruiting phase, it is fertilized annually with the following mixture (per 1 sq. M of the near-trunk zone): 10 kg of manure (compost), 25 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate, 0.2 kg of wood ash.
4. During full fruiting, organic fertilizers are doubled, and mineral fertilizers are left in the same portions. In the spring, urea, manure or humus are introduced, and in the fall - phosphorus and potassium dressings.

After fertilization, the soil is dug to a depth of 15 cm. Closer to the trunk, the depth is reduced so as not to damage the roots.

Soil care

In the first two years in the summer, you will have to deal with weeds, regularly loosen the soil around the trunk into a small depression and add humus or peat (a bucket per tree). To control weeds, many mulch the soil with sawdust (layer - 10-15 cm) within a radius of 1-1.2 m.

When the tree is mature (over 2 years old), the near-stem area can be treated with herbicides. Root shoots should be removed before processing.Herbicides are applied in calm dry weather and make sure that the drug does not get on the trunk and leaves.

Plum varieties for the Leningrad region: planting and care

To understand what climate prevails in the northwestern region of Russia, it is enough to recall the weather typical for St. Petersburg. Most often, residents of this region observe the sky covered with clouds, because of which the sun rarely comes out, but it rains, on the contrary, almost daily.

The climate of the northwest of Russia is moderately continental. High air humidity negatively affects the development of fruit crops.

Most of the fruit trees, zoned for the southern regions, do not bear fruit, are lagging behind in development, often suffer from fungal infections and are prone to rotting.

Harsh winters and late spring frosts do not contribute to high yields of fruit crops.

"How to plant a plum correctly"

This video will show you how to plant a plum tree.

The best varieties

Climatic and geographical features of the north-west of Russia to some extent limit local gardeners in the choice of fruit crops.

So, self-fertile plum varieties for the Leningrad region are considered the best option; they do not require additional pollinators to be planted on the territory of the garden plot.

The ideal plum for the north-western region is compact in size, tolerates severe frosts and late frosts in spring, is resistant to pathogens of various diseases, is characterized by early ripening and endurance to temperature extremes, and also belongs to self-fertile crops.

Below we bring to your attention the best varieties of plums for the northwest of the country.

Early ripening red

The plum variety Skorospelka red, called "folk" plum, is characterized by early fruiting. Despite the excellent winter hardiness, the flower buds of the fruit crop are prone to freezing.

Bears fruit regularly and abundantly. If we talk about taste, then the fruits of this stone fruit culture have a sweet taste and pleasant aroma, but there is a slight dryness of the pulp, which not all consumers like.

Early ripening round

Plum Skorospelka round refers to varieties of national selection.

It is famous for its frost resistance and good adaptability to various weather conditions. The fruits are not large, but very tasty.

Due to its pleasant sour-sweet taste, they are eaten fresh and in the form of preservation.

This variety is self-fertile, the Skorospelka red plum acts as a pollinator.

Kolkhoz renklode

The variety Renklod kolkhoz, or yellow plum, is best suited for the Leningrad region, since it is distinguished by its high winter hardiness and quick recovery ability, and is also highly valued for its resistance to various fungal diseases. Juicy and sweet fruits have found their application in industrial production for the manufacture of preservation.

If we talk about the disadvantages of plums, then it must be said about the self-fruitlessness of culture. The best pollinators are Eurasia 21, Vengerka Moskovskaya and Volzhskaya Krasavitsa.

Emma Lepperman

The yellow plum of the Emma Lepperman variety is ideal for the northwest of the country. This fruit crop is self-fertile, undemanding to growing conditions and unpretentious to care.

Plum Emma Lepperman belongs to the early varieties, the harvest is harvested at the very beginning of August.

Ripe fruits of an oblong-rounded shape are covered with a bright yellow rind with an elegant light red blush.

As gardeners note, due to its regular and abundant yield, this variety is considered one of the most profitable.

Edinburgh

When choosing plum varieties for the north-west of Russia, experienced agronomists recommend taking a closer look at the Edinburgh stone fruit culture.

Plum is characterized by high winter hardiness and quick recovery in case of freezing of the buds in spring, and also has good immunity and rarely suffers from various fungal and viral diseases.

Begins to bear fruit in the 5-7 year of planting. With the observance of the cultivation technique, it gives a bountiful harvest.

There are cases when at least 100 kg of ripe fruits were harvested from an adult tree. The Edinburgh variety has excellent taste.

However, do not rush to harvest, early plums are tart and not very sweet.

Eurasia-21

Plum for the northwest of the Eurasia 21 variety is a self-sterile crop and, accordingly, needs cross-pollination. As pollinators can be used such types of plum as the collective farm Renklod and the productive Renklod.

Eurasia 21 is highly valued for its excellent frost resistance and strong immunity to fungal diseases and invasions of harmful insects characteristic of stone fruit crops. Fruiting profusely, with medium-sized fruits (25–30 g) ripening early. The fruits of this variety have a rich aroma and a pleasant sour-sweet taste.

The disadvantages of Eurasia 21 are called low transportability, as well as a tendency to fall off fruits and cracking of the skin of plums with insufficient moisture.

Landing rules

Answering the question of novice gardeners how to properly plant plums in the spring in the Leningrad Region, it is recommended to start with the choice of 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 culture. 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 the groundwater table 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 and wind-protected areas of the garden.

So how to plant a plum sapling? It is necessary to prepare in advance a planting pit measuring 70x80 cm. The topsoil should be mixed with fertilizers and left to infuse for two weeks.

When planting a seedling, you need to carefully level the root, on top of which you cover the soil saturated with nutrients.

The root collar should not be buried.

Upon completion of planting, it is recommended to tie the seedling to a wooden peg, water abundantly and mulch the soil in the near-trunk circle with peat or sawdust.

Care secrets

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 absence 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 introduced into the soil. Do not forget to carry out sanitary and anti-aging crown pruning every year.

Fruit trees in the garden are periodically inspected for signs of harmful insects and symptoms of various diseases.

Preparing for winter

Despite the high frost resistance of most varieties of plums, zoned for the north-west of Russia, the plants need additional shelter for the winter.

First, you need to whitewash the trunk of the tree, and then insulate it by tying it with roofing material, on top of which a layer of glass wool and reflective foil are laid.

Such manipulations will help the fruit crop to withstand even in severe frosts.

On the correct planting of apple and pear trees in the Leningrad region

Everyone knows the poverty of soils in the Leningrad region.

These are either loams, when the fertile layer is barely fifteen to twenty centimeters, or sands with gravel (in the northern regions), or, at best, peat bogs. In peat bogs, although the soil is acidic, the layer of this soil is deep.

In our gardening, you dig a shovel on a bayonet, and then clay. These are not the fertile soils of Ukraine. I remember that my father-in-law and her husband were digging a cellar in the city.

Nizhyn, which is a hundred kilometers from Kiev.

Two meters of black soil - and this is not the limit! In such a land, whatever you throw, everything will rise and grow, if only the rain from time to time saturates the soil with moisture.

And here, in the zone of risky farming, we still have to work hard to grow this apple. And it is necessary to raise if we love and take care of our family, children, grandchildren.

Advice

It is important not only to get a seedling in a safe place, but also to plant it correctly.

Recently I came across an article about scientists from one pomological garden who visited one of the Western countries and got acquainted with the cultivation of apple trees.

The gardens are very beautiful: even rows of elegant apple trees with red-yellow fruits, apparently of the Idared variety, the aisles are neatly mowed, the tree-trunk circles are processed.

Garden of Eden, and more!

When we run out of apples, I buy this particular variety, Idared. It seems to me that their peel is not processed for long-term storage, and traces of wax or paraffin are not visible, they are closer to natural apples in size.

But it turned out that apple trees and the soil under them are treated with chemicals up to 32 times per season against diseases and pests. Something I didn't even want to eat these apples.

But let's return to our native land. Purchase of seedlings

I feel sorry for novice gardeners who purchase southern seedlings, obviously driven out on mineral fertilizers, or three-, four-year-old seedlings with chopped off roots and hardly packed in plastic bags. Not counting, of course, the seedlings of the same age, grown in huge, heavy containers. Such will take root, begin to bear fruit early, but they are expensive and not affordable for a simple gardener.

Advice:

Fluff lime or dolomite flour should be added to acidic soil, and in spring it is better to replace them with ash. A liter can of ash will be enough for planting one seedling.

Let's speculate. The root system of a fruit tree (Fig. 1) consists of skeletal and suction roots, the latter are located at the ends of the skeletal roots, they are delicate and light in color. Only the suction roots extract nutrients from the soil.

Open root system

First, I'll tell you about planting a one-year-old seedling with an open root system. If the seedling was dug out carefully, without damaging the suction roots, it was stored in a humid environment, its roots did not dry out, then with proper planting, the seedling will take root.

But a two-year-old or more seedling with an open root system is more difficult to dig out of the ground, its root system is more ramified, often going deep into the ground.

When digging, part of the roots breaks off and remains in the ground. The probability of rooting for such a seedling is reduced.

Pome crops, which include apple and pear, are planted in spring and autumn.

In the spring, the seedling should have unblown buds, that is, the plant should be without leaves.

The root system is not yet in the ground, the roots have not taken root, and there is nowhere to feed the leaves.

In autumn, seedlings with an open root system are best planted in September - early October, when the tree enters a dormant period and does not require nutrients.

Closed root system

I prefer closed-root annual seedlings.

The head does not hurt that your seedling has its roots torn off, that it is urgent to postpone all business and prepare the planting hole, that your seedling will dry out during transportation and storage.

I brought it, put it in partial shade or in the sun - and live in peace, not forgetting to water and feed.You can plant at any time of the day or night in spring, summer and autumn.

One important, but uncomplicated condition: a clod of earth during landing should not be destroyed. And this is understandable: the roots are not damaged during planting, they are not torn off, the conditions of detention are improving, new soil has appeared, where the roots can germinate, and not a single leaf will wither on the tree.

I remember I was delayed with planting an apple tree of the Renet Kichunova variety. It's October in the yard, the apple tree is still in the container, I don't want to send it to the dig site for the winter.

I planted it in the second half of October - and nothing, it wintered well, and this year, in the third year after planting, it was all in bloom.

It bloomed for the first time last year, and the first apples ripened on it, greenish-yellow with a characteristic rustiness at the petiole.

Planting seedlings

First, I'll tell you how we plant fruit trees in the conditions of our Babino on loamy soils. The experience came over the years, they suffered for a long time to get something. Now we have worked out the landing rules for ourselves, and they are giving results.
The first and unforgettable rule is not to dig a hole in the clay.

“A pit in clay is a grave for a seedling” - a long time ago, even at lectures, I heard this truth from Yu. M. Chuguev, a scientist from Smolensk.

Earlier, reading the literature on gardening and not analyzing what we read in relation to our conditions, we dug holes in the clay.

What is a pit in clay? This is a vessel in which water accumulates and stands all the time. The roots of the plant rot and it dies.

Now we plant, digging only to the clay, or even not digging at all. We choose a place on the site, taking into account that there must still be a pollinator sapling nearby to get a full harvest.
We mark a circle with a diameter of 1 m 20 cm.

Advice:

Sandy soils do not retain moisture and are poor in composition. We add humus, rotted manure, peat and dried crumbling clay to such soil. We add humus, rotted manure, river sand to peat soils and be sure to deoxidize.

We dig up the earth, choosing weeds, and ennoble it by adding peat, river sand, humus or rotted manure.

Sometimes we put rotted sawdust, hay or mowed grass on the clay, sprinkling it with rotted manure on top, as if making a warm bed. Then we fill the hole with ennobled earth and compact.

On the center of the circle we put a sheet of inverted turf 30 × 30 or 40 × 40 cm in size. The thickness of the turf is from 15 to 20 cm. On this turf we put a bag with a seedling.

For backfill, we need fertile soil prepared according to the previous recipe. When planting a seedling in the spring, you can add fertilizer "Spring Kemira" (100-120 g), and in the fall - "Autumn Kemira".

When the trees begin to bloom and bear fruit, we no longer use mineral fertilizers, but only humus, rotted manure and green fertilizer. But while the trees are growing, you can add mineral fertilizers when planting.

After such a refueling of the planting pit for the next year, you can not carry out top dressing.

Let's return to the seedling, which is on the turf, and the fertile soil is prepared for backfill. With a carefully razor knife, cut the bag on both sides and remove it, trying not to destroy the clod of earth in which the seedling grew.

We quickly fill up a clod of earth with a seedling with a prepared fertile mixture, compact it, make a low side around the perimeter and water it with two buckets of water. We carefully inspect the vaccination site and do not fall asleep when planting.

Some gardeners take for grafting the upper end of the cutting (scion), where there was a bud from which the shoot grew, while the grafting is located at the lower end of this cutting. On one-year and two-year-old seedlings, it is clearly visible.

An annual seedling is usually a shoot from 0.7 to 1.2 m, without side branches. For the appearance of lateral branches, pinch the top of the seedling.

Before installing the seedling with a lump of earth on the turf, on the south side of the center, we drive in a stake, or better - a board with a pointed end, so that in the first year the tender bark of the seedling is in the shade.

When planting in peaty or sandy soils, it is necessary to add the missing components.
It's not that difficult, but exciting and interesting.

Elena Litvyakova,
Photo by the author

"Garden affairs" No. 6 (22), July 2008

:

Plum growing

If Russian gardeners have already "mastered" the apple tree, then there are few stable developments in the intensive cultivation of plums.

The culture is promising: it occupies a prominent place in the gastronomic preferences of Russians, is unpretentious in care and feels good in various climatic zones.

Selection of varieties ↑

The choice of plum varieties and their ratio in the garden should be based on sales plans. With intensive cultivation in the 3-4th year of planting (entry into planned fruiting, a hectare of a plum orchard is capable of producing 20 tons of harvest).

If the farm focuses on wholesale sales, then a plot planted with one variety should provide a wholesale batch even in a not very favorable year (or in a young garden), when the yield is 20-30% less.

Also, the gardener must clearly understand what is a wholesale lot for him: 5, 10 or 20 tons.

In a plum orchard, there should be at least three varieties: in an unfavorable year, this will, to a certain extent, save from a significant decrease in yield, because varieties will react differently to stressful conditions.

Non-self-fertile varieties will require a special pollinator; there may even be one (or better two) other commercial varieties. A more valuable variety can be allocated more area: for example, give it 80%, and pollinators - 10% each.

The main thing is that at least one full-fledged wholesale batch of fruits can be formed from the harvest of each variety.

The varieties must be resistant to specific diseases - some of them are capable of destroying the entire plum crop.

It is advisable to choose large-fruited varieties (the mass of fruits of the selected variety should be at least 50 g).

In general, the choice of varieties should be most influenced by consumer preferences and how saturated the market (most often local) is with fruits of certain varieties.

From the experience of the farm: the purchase price for the fruits of the popular Stenley variety, which is now grown by many farms in southern Russia, is somewhat lower.

In this zone, it is necessary to plant a variety that ripens earlier or later than the Stenley variety.

Unlike the apple tree, which has a very short harvesting window (optimal 5-7 days for each of the varieties, and when it comes to laying for storage), the harvest of one plum variety can last 1.5-2 weeks - the fruits hold well on the tree even after ripening. For transportation over long distances, slightly unripe fruits are harvested. The duration of the harvest is easy to plan: if the harvest is good, then with an 8-hour working day, the worker can harvest about 500 kg of fruit.

Fruit conveyors

Should a large number of varieties be accepted for cultivation in order to form a fruit conveyor?

For a gardener who counts on a wholesale buyer, 3-4 varieties of plums will be enough, which will ripen within 2-3 weeks.

Such a garden will require a simpler, more uniform care for all varieties of care, its harvest can be quickly harvested and focus on other types of work. Will be selected varieties early, medium or late - it does not matter.

The main thing is that their products are in demand where they plan to sell them.

Planting and formation scheme ↑

Young plum trees on the farm are planted according to the 5 x 3 m scheme. The crown height is 3 m, the projection is oval and elongated along the axis of the row. The formation is a spindle with a wide lower tier.

For this, 3-4 skeletal branches are left at the seedling at a height of 80 cm, everything that is higher is formed as a classic spindle with overgrown branches.

The skeletal branches of the lower tier contain overgrown wood; after a few years, the lower tiers of the crowns of neighboring trees are closed. The skeletal branches of the lower tier are permanent and will serve until the end of the tree's life.

Irrigation in a plum garden is usually not planned, the tree is able to provide itself with moisture on its own. Since in Russia only one rootstock is widespread for plums - cherry plum, there is no particular choice.

The row spacing in the plum garden depends on the tractor that works there - the equipment must move freely in rows during processing.The distance between trees in a row depends on how quickly they plan to form a fruit wall and what its height will be.

At small distances in the row, the plum will be high - it is a vigorous breed, and the tree will strive to form its natural crown volume. There are plum orchards with a fruit wall 4.5 m high.

To harvest in such a garden, you need a special platform, and to carry out protective treatments, a special sprayer. Giving a tree enough space in a row is cheaper and easier than buying special sprayers and platforms.

However, a plum orchard with a less dense arrangement of trees in a row will increase its yield longer, its potential yield will also be slightly lower.

Saplings ↑

The seedlings should have a well-developed root system and a height of 1.6-1.8 m. It is better to take crowned seedlings, in which 3-4 branches of the first tier of the crown have already been planted at a height of 80 cm - then it will be easier to form young trees.

However, annual crowned seedlings are also quite suitable.

The main thing is that the planting material is of the same type and aligned in size - this will greatly facilitate the formation of the crown and ensure the simultaneous entry of trees into fruiting.

It is better to lay a garden in the fall: the plum is hardy to winter frosts, but spring dry winds and ground droughts are very harmful to newly planted trees. This is especially true in the southern regions, where the springs are hotter.

A plum orchard, which is located on the right site (not in a lowland, in a place protected from the winds), will be able to bear fruit productively for 20-25 years. The plum does not have a clearly defined frequency of fruiting: spring frosts or unfavorable pollination conditions can only slightly reduce the yield.

Plantations on rootstock will be effective both on dry land and when equipping the garden with drip irrigation.

The latter will contribute to a faster transition of the garden to marketable fruiting and will provide 25-30% higher yields.

The size of the fruit of the irrigated garden will also be somewhat large.

If we are talking about the use of vegetative rootstocks, then you cannot do without drip irrigation.

Formation ↑

Saplings on rootstocks do not need trellis.

If the garden scheme provides for a wide lower tier with skeletal branches for the crown, then in young trees of varieties with a pyramidal crown, young skeletal branches must be bent back. This can be done with pegs and rope in the summer in the second or third year after planting.

Cropping ↑

The pruning is carried out as with the apple tree in early spring, following the elements of cyclic pruning and spindle shape. Green operations will not interfere either: if at the beginning of summer you break off the green shoots growing vertically, this will help to avoid cutting them out, already coarse, next spring.

The breed forms fruit buds on annual and perennial wood.

Pollination ↑

The way the plum was pollinated has a significant impact on the yield.

Successful flowering can be promoted if foliar applications of urea and boron are carried out in the spring before and after flowering, as well as in autumn. Boron will promote germination of the pollen tube, while nitrogen will enhance growth. However, this will not replace pollinating insects.

Protection and nutrition ↑

In amateur gardens, the plum tree is annoyed by the plum tree, but an experienced agronomist can easily cope with this threat. In areas where there is a large population of plum and oriental moths, care should be taken to provide adequate protection.

In general, 5-6 pesticide treatments are sufficient, during which fertilizers can also be applied in tank mixtures.

If the plot on which the garden is laid has a fertile and not tired soil, in the early years it is possible to do there only by foliar application of fertilizers. When the garden enters marketable fruiting, nutrition should correspond to the amount of nutrients taken out with the crop.

Climate dictates decisions

Vazhova Marina
chief editor of the project "Gardens of the North-West", member of the Union of Artists of Russia, amateur gardener

I sincerely adore those gardeners who, creating a garden, growing plants, did not make mistakes. This is not given to me. In my seven years of gardening mania, I've had plenty of them. With some I stubbornly fight, with others I have resigned.

When visitors admire my garden, compositions, leaving, I think: “Okay, okay, you just don't notice everything, otherwise you would have tempered your ardor”. And I would like to warn against those blunders that affect many years.

So I decided to give some advice so that others do not make the annoying mistakes associated with growing herbaceous perennials.

I want to warn you right away: my garden is located in a rather warm region, in the Pskov region, not far from the Pushkin Mountains.

This is a former lordly courtyard, the land is mostly greasy, more than half a meter of fertile layer, and the groundwater is deep.

If you have similar conditions on your site, then you can safely read on, otherwise my experience may not be useful to you, you will have other problems.

Advice 1. Do not use thickened plantings, creating a flower bed or mixborder from perennials.

Many plants quickly grow a bush, stretch out, outstripping each other in the struggle for light. Stronger and older ones suppress sissies and young growth.

After their flowering and pruning, I sometimes find stunted chrysanthemums, which seemed quite vigorous even in the spring.

Tip 2.Avoid group planting plants that prefer poor soil. "What is this with you, really pyrethrum !?" - guests are amazed when they see raspberry daisies the size of a coffee saucer and more than a meter in height.

If the weather is dry, then the spectacle is impressive, but as soon as the rains go, all this splendor falls apart, covering the lower plants and blocking the paths along the paths.

Garters and supports are used, but this does not help much, the ensemble is hopelessly spoiled.

Tip 3.Use supports around the entire perimeter for large plants such as peonies, volzhanka, stonecrop. The garter will not help, the whole mass of the stems will fall to one side.

Advice4.Do not plant plants in group plantings that are difficult to get rid of later.

These are such perennials as tenacious (especially purple), cypress euphorbia, oriental poppy, daisy, horned violet, silver wormwood, zelenchuk, many types of bells and cornflowers (chamomiles), miscanthus and sedges.

I repeat that we are talking about fertile and oily soil. My friend, who lives two kilometers from me, does not want to grow in any way, no matter how much I gave her, the soil in her garden is scanty and dry.

Every year I struggle with the oriental poppy, digging it out from great depths, but it only becomes more powerful from year to year. And euphorbia cypress and physalis Franchet (Chinese lanterns) became a real scourge of my plantings.

The tenacious, launched into a mixborder in order to prevent weeds from growing, itself turned into a malicious weed. I don't have the strength to fight her every summer, I do it every three years, usually by hiring strong and resilient men.

Tip 5.Plants that are not demanding on nutrition should be planted in specially depleted soil. You will need to add more sand and some chalk to your soil to deoxidize.

But not dolomite flour, it improves soil fertility.

Many undemanding plants feed heavily at the expense of flowering, their stems become thick and brittle, they can be affected by fungal diseases, and pests attack them more often.

Lychnis crown, cornflower mountain, monarda, cyanosis, echinacea, helenium, heliopsis, coreopsis - this is not a complete list of these ascetics.

So, in my garden, the alpine aster, planted specifically along the path for late spring flowering, began to bulge out of the soil, bloomed modestly, and sometimes did not bloom at all. Transplanted to a remote corner of the garden on dry, calcareous, heavy soil (I have such a piece of land in the garden), she showed all her talent and bloomed for a very long time with bright lilac daisies. It is a pity that no one saw.

Advice6.

Get yourself a "school" where you will plant newly acquired plants for testing in order to find out how they will behave in your conditions.

Then in the future it will be easier to choose a role for them in a group landing. Be sure to provide the plant with an annotation plate and do not forget to add it to your registry so as not to buy the same species again.

Tip 7.Take the plant as a gift with caution. If you do not know anything about him, drop him away from the main landings, preferably in a "school", where you can observe him and not lose.

Gifts are often the aggressor. Seven years ago I was presented with a tiny sour. My admiration knew no bounds: burgundy foliage, bright yellow flowers.

It's good that an experienced gardener who came to me, seeing this gift, shouted: "Pull it out immediately!" and, without waiting for me to do it, he pulled it out myself. Now I am very grateful to him, but then I was very offended by him.

Seven years have passed, but no, no, and somewhere this purple landing will come out, grown from just one generation of seeds of just one sour cherry, besides, uprooted!

Finally, there is one piece of advice without a number. Be critical of all the advice you receive. Nature is a subtle organism. Remember: "What is good for a Russian, death is for a German."

Plums in the Far East. Growing and Care Secrets | HubInfo

Blooming plums will adorn any garden

Plum has been and remains one of the most promising fruit crops in the Far East.

The value of the plum lies in the successful combination of such important qualities as high winter hardiness of plants, resistance to damage from sunburn, high and annual yield and good fruit taste.

Both delicious and durable

Plum fruits are distinguished by an excellent combination of sugars and acids. In addition, they contain vitamins and biologically active substances, which increases their importance in human nutrition. Plums are consumed fresh, dried fruits, juices, compotes, preserves, jams, etc. are prepared.

Far Eastern varieties of plums are the fastest growing among the world assortment of this breed. Plum trees are relatively durable.

Under optimal growing conditions, careful control of pests and diseases, their productive age is 15-20 years.

The yield of some varieties in optimal years reaches up to 80 kg per tree.

In the Far East, the most widespread are: the Ussuri plum and the Chinese plum. Many taxonomists believe that the Ussuri plum is a subspecies of the Chinese plum. Their only difference is the higher winter hardiness of the Ussuri plum.

Chinese plum is a better adapted species for the harsh conditions of the Far East. Almost all varieties were obtained with the participation of this species.

Chinese plum is the most adapted species for the harsh conditions of the Far East. Almost all varieties were obtained with the participation of this species.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

When growing plums, it is necessary to take into account its biological characteristics.

Due to its high winter hardiness, it is more than other fruit crops adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the Far East.

Plum is characterized by superficial distribution of roots, this allows plants to tolerate waterlogging of the soil and at the same time to sharply respond to a lack of moisture in the soil.

Lack of moisture in the spring leads to shedding of the ovary after flowering.

The reason for the shedding of the ovary after flowering may be a lack of calcium in the soil, which is necessary for the formation of a stone.

Plum is characterized by high winter hardiness, however, in some severe winters, significant freezing of wood was noted. Such damage further negatively affects the yield and life expectancy of individual skeletal branches and the whole tree as a whole.

Under the weight of the fruit, sometimes not only the skeletal branches break off, but the whole tree. In addition, the weakening of the aboveground part caused by wood freezing leads to the formation of root shoots, which reduces the yield and quality of the fruit.

Plum belongs to cross-pollinated plants. Normal fruiting is possible only when several varieties are planted on a plot that pollinate each other well. It is important that the selected varieties have the same flowering time and time of entry into fruiting.

Seat selection and landing

In order to get a harvest of high-quality fruits annually, it is best to place the plum on even, slightly elevated, illuminated, protected from the wind and provided with moisture, nutrients, areas.

The lowered areas of the relief have a number of significant disadvantages for the growth of fruit trees, including plums: in the absence or weak slope, stagnation of water is created, which leads to the rapid death of the root system and the whole tree as a whole.

Cold air masses flock and stagnate to low places, and in the absence of protection, strong winds cause drying and freezing of skeletal branches in winter.

On weakened plum trees growing in such areas, fungal and bacterial diseases appear en masse.

If hills and ravines are used for planting, then preference should be given to their middle and even lower parts, but, if possible, from the northern side, since the snow cover in this part lasts longer, which delays the vegetation of plants. This protects the plum from frost during the flowering period.

When planting on slopes, terraces are needed to prevent washing away of the fertile layer in the middle part of it.

Given that the soils in the Far East are infertile, that is, they have a thin root layer, followed by waterproof clay or stony rocks, then before planting plums on the site, it is necessary to increase the fertile layer by introducing organic fertilizers (peat compost, rotted manure, etc.).

Sod-podzolic soils, in addition to a small fertile layer, also have an acidic reaction, which inhibits and slows down the growth of the plant.

Top dressing

Far Eastern plum varieties are noted for high fertility, they are almost not characterized by the frequency of fruiting. However, it is possible to obtain high and annual yields only when a complex of agrotechnical measures for the care of plum plantations is carried out.

In the first five years, the plum is dominated by growth processes, therefore, it is necessary to timely and correctly feed the plants.

The main feeding with organic and mineral fertilizers is carried out in early spring before the start of the growing season, per 1 sq.

m: organic 10-15 kg, complex mineral 40-50g.

On poor soils, organic fertilizers (manure, peat compost) should preferably be applied annually in the first 3-5 years, and then in a year.

Nitrogen fertilizers for the growth of shoots are applied in two periods: in the spring before the beginning of the growing season and in the summer - in the form of top dressing in the soil or foliar on the leaves (at the rate of 30 g of urea, 200 g of superphosphate per 10 l of water) in order to reduce the summer shedding of the ovary.

When the growth of shoots ends, the plants should be fed with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to increase winter hardiness. It is better to exclude organomineral dressings in autumn in order not to cause secondary growth of shoots, especially in years with optimal temperatures and high air humidity.

Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers during this period are best applied as foliar dressing, that is, on the leaves. For this, phosphorus fertilizers are poured with water in advance, and then mixed with potassium fertilizers from the calculation of 300 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium salt per 10 liters of water.

After fertilization, loosening is performed, that is, they are embedded in the soil.

Peeling of the ovary

When growing plums, we often encounter such a phenomenon as massive shedding of the ovary 10-15 days after flowering.

This happens for several reasons: unfavorable weather conditions during the flowering period, which prevent normal pollination, lack of moisture in the soil and, finally, a lack of mobile forms of calcium in the soil.

There is also a second wave of shedding of the ovary - July, but here the reasons are somewhat different.In general, this is significant damage to leaves by pests and diseases, as well as a lack of moisture and nutrition

To preserve the harvest, it is necessary when planting to bring lime into the planting places, and best of all wood ash (300 g per planting site), to monitor the soil moisture. The main thing is to prevent massive damage to the leaves by aphids by other pests.

Lime should be applied not only during planting, but also in the future, once every two to three years.

Shaping and pruning

Without timely pruning, the crown of the tree thickens, fruit formations die off and fruiting shifts to its periphery. Fruits formed inside the roots are of poor quality. Far Eastern plum varieties need to be pruned throughout the life of the plant.

Formative pruning is carried out from a very early age in the second or third year after planting and continues until mass fruiting.

When forming a tree, one should strive to ensure that the main skeletal branches are evenly distributed to the cardinal points.

If the tree is properly formed at a young age, then only thinning pruning is required in the future.

Thinning and sanitary pruning involves the removal of branches that are broken off and thickening the crown.

Rejuvenating pruning is done on older trees. It consists in removing all old wood. On the remaining branches below the cut, dormant buds sprout, from which they form a crown of young shoots.

Shoot grafting: 1 - cultivated shoots 2 - wild shoots

3 - the place of grafting of the tree

You've probably heard about the Leningrad "White Nights". The peculiarities of the local climate do not end there, so it is not easy to grow a fruit tree in the North-West region. Today you will find out which varieties of plums are best for the Leningrad Region.

Features of climatic conditions

Residents of St. Petersburg are already accustomed to the gray, gloomy, cloudy sky. The sun rarely appears, but it rains often. Hence the increased level of humidity, which contributes to the infection of plants with fungal infections, rotting of the root system and difficulties with pollination. Severe winters in the region and treacherous spring frosts do not contribute to the lush vegetation.

Only varieties with a high degree of winter hardiness, endurance and early ripening of fruits can survive the cold and recover. Plants growing in areas near the forest also suffer: in winter, small rodents and hares can significantly damage the bark of adult trees, and destroy young seedlings completely. Also, preference is given to small trees with a neat compact crown, which can be planted to save space.

It is preferable to purchase plums belonging to self-fertile varieties that have been zoned in the soils of this region. These plums make excellent pollinators for each other (although they can perfectly self-pollinate), and you won't have to worry if the soil and weather are right for them. Fruit fruits with different ripening periods will provide you with berries for the whole summer and autumn.

The best varieties and cultivation

Taking into account the climatic conditions, self-fertile plum varieties for the Leningrad Region will be the best choice. But if you have the opportunity to plant more than one tree, then you can pick up several excellent options for self-fruitless plums. According to gardeners, the following are the best plum varieties for the Northwest.

Ochakovskaya yellow

One of the oldest Russian varieties. An excellent yellow plum for the Leningrad region. A low tree, up to 2.5 m high, with a pyramidal crown. Self-infertile, therefore it needs pollinators. Proper care can ensure a yield of over 70 kg per tree. Fruits are medium in size, with an uneven color of light green and yellow shades, with an excellent honey taste, reminiscent of molasses. For the winter, the tree needs to be covered, it does not have a high degree of frost resistance.

Renkold collective farm

Another optimal representative of yellow plums for the North-West will be Renkold kolkhoz Michurin selection. Medium-sized trees, medium-sized fruits (about 23 g), the color of the skin and pulp is yellow, sweet and sour taste, with a rich chemical composition. Bears fruit annually and generously, tolerates low temperatures well. The seeds of this variety are considered to be one of the best rootstock materials.

Gift to St. Petersburg

The very name of the plum announces its purpose for the North-West region. A hybrid variety with a high degree of frost resistance and the ability to quickly recover from damage. A low tree with a wide thick crown. Begins to bear fruit in the third year after disembarkation. Fruits are bright orange in color, juicy, sweet and sour, with a pleasant aroma.

Oryol dream

A low tree, about 2 m high, with a classic medium thickened spreading pyramidal crown and slightly raised shoots. Plum Oryol Dream belongs to self-fertile early-fertile varieties, begins to bear fruit in the third year after planting in open ground. Yields are average, but can be higher with cross-pollination.

The tree has a high degree of frost resistance, and cold and frost are not terrible not only for shoots, but also for buds. The tree is resistant to common fungal infections, clasterosporia. The fruits of the Orlovskaya plum are rather large, more than 4 cm in height and 40 g by weight. Skin color is bluish red. The assessment of the commercial quality of plums is high. Table fruits, sweet and sour taste.

Etude

Plum for the North-West of the Etude variety was bred by Russian breeders. A large tree with a rounded crown. The fruits are quite large, usually deep blue with a burgundy tint, juicy, sweet-sour. The fruits ripen early. Both the tree and the buds perfectly tolerate low temperatures and cold. The plum is also resistant to common stone fruit diseases and pest attacks.

Alyonushka

One of the most popular varieties in the west of the region. Low, with a pyramidal medium thickened crown, similar to a peach. The fruits are large, rounded, weighing about 40 g, deep red in color. Juicy, with a pleasant sweet taste and piquant sourness. Self-infertile, fast-growing, resistant to clotterosporia and moniliosis.

Volga beauty

Another great variety for the gloomy region of Russia. A large tree with a spherical raised crown. Fruits are attractive, medium and oversized, for dessert purposes, ripen early. Needs pollinators, bears fruit annually and abundantly. Excellent cold resistance.

It should be noted that even frost-resistant varieties require elementary agrotechnical measures. Experience shows that planting plums in the Leningrad Region in spring is more productive than in autumn. The seedlings planted in spring have more time to adapt to the soil and weather conditions.

The optimal type of soil for plums is sandy loam and forest loam.

The pit is prepared a few weeks before planting, moistened and a complex top dressing, humus or compost is applied. The seedlings should be two or three years old, with a well-developed, healthy root system. The place of growth should be reliably protected from drafts and gusty winds, not swampy.Groundwater should be located at least 2.5 m from the earth's surface.

In the first year, the tree does not need any care measures, except for watering and shelter for the winter. Then the plums are gradually cut to form the crown. Then the damaged branches and old shoots are removed. They also increase the number of watering during flowering, fruit formation and before winter. Of course, you need to focus on the level of precipitation. From the second year, they begin to apply fertilizers. In spring they prefer organic and nitrogen-containing, in summer and autumn mineral ones. It is best to apply fertilizers in liquid form, so they are better absorbed by the plant.

It is recommended to mulch the trunks to avoid waterlogging. After wintering, the tree is inspected for damage, frozen and damaged branches are removed. Also, during pruning, they get rid of improperly growing shoots. To protect the plum from diseases and pests (in particular, aphids and moths), in the spring, the tree is prophylactically treated with insecticides and fungicides. Further, they are guided by the situation: if necessary, the tree is processed several times.

It is important to remember that choosing a good variety is only half the success. A bountiful harvest can be ensured through proper and timely care.

Video "Correct Plum Planting"

This video will show you how to properly plant a plum tree in your garden.

The yield of fruit crops, including the plum tree, depends on the correct choice of the variety. From this article you will find out which varieties of plums are considered the most suitable for the Leningrad Region.

Climatic features of the northwest

To understand what climate prevails in the northwestern region of Russia, it is enough to recall the weather typical for St. Petersburg. Most often, residents of this region observe the sky covered with clouds, because of which the sun rarely comes out, but it rains, on the contrary, almost daily.

The climate of the northwest of Russia is moderately continental. High air humidity negatively affects the development of fruit crops. Most of the fruit trees, zoned for the southern regions, do not bear fruit, are lagging behind in development, often suffer from fungal infections and are prone to rotting. Harsh winters and late spring frosts do not contribute to high yields of fruit crops.

Video "How to plant a plum correctly"

This video will show you how to plant a plum tree.

The best varieties

Climatic and geographical features of the north-west of Russia to some extent limit local gardeners in the choice of fruit crops. So, self-fertile plum varieties for the Leningrad region are considered the best option; they do not require additional pollinators to be planted on the territory of the garden plot.

The ideal plum for the north-western region is compact in size, tolerates severe frosts and late frosts in spring, is resistant to pathogens of various diseases, is characterized by early ripening and endurance to temperature extremes, and also belongs to self-fertile crops.

Below we bring to your attention the best varieties of plums for the northwest of the country.

Early ripening red

The plum variety Skorospelka red, called "folk" plum, is characterized by early fruiting. Despite the excellent winter hardiness, the flower buds of the fruit crop are prone to freezing.

Bears fruit regularly and abundantly. If we talk about taste, then the fruits of this stone fruit culture have a sweet taste and pleasant aroma, but there is a slight dryness of the pulp, which not all consumers like.

Early ripening round

Plum Skorospelka round refers to varieties of national selection. It is famous for its frost resistance and good adaptability to various weather conditions.The fruits are not large, but very tasty. Due to its pleasant sour-sweet taste, they are eaten fresh and in the form of preservation.

This variety is self-fertile, the Skorospelka red plum acts as a pollinator.

Kolkhoz renklode

The variety Renklod kolkhoz, or yellow plum, is best suited for the Leningrad region, since it is distinguished by its high winter hardiness and quick recovery ability, and is also highly valued for its resistance to various fungal diseases. Juicy and sweet fruits have found their application in industrial production for the manufacture of preservation.

If we talk about the disadvantages of the plum, then it must be said about the self-fruitlessness of culture. The best pollinators are Eurasia 21, Vengerka Moskovskaya and Volzhskaya Krasavitsa.

Emma Lepperman

The yellow plum of the Emma Lepperman variety is ideal for the northwest of the country. This fruit crop is self-fertile, undemanding to growing conditions and unpretentious to care. Plum Emma Lepperman belongs to the early varieties, the harvest is harvested at the very beginning of August. Ripe fruits of an oblong-rounded shape are covered with a bright yellow rind with an elegant light red blush.

As gardeners note, due to its regular and abundant yield, this variety is considered one of the most profitable.

Edinburgh

When choosing plum varieties for the north-west of Russia, experienced agronomists recommend taking a closer look at the Edinburgh stone fruit culture. Plum is characterized by high winter hardiness and quick recovery in case of freezing of the buds in spring, and also has good immunity and rarely suffers from various fungal and viral diseases.

Begins to bear fruit in the 5-7 year of planting. With the observance of the cultivation technique, it gives a bountiful harvest. There are cases when at least 100 kg of ripe fruits were harvested from an adult tree. The Edinburgh variety has excellent taste. However, do not rush to harvest, early plums are tart and not very sweet.

Eurasia-21

Plum for the northwest of the Eurasia 21 variety is a self-sterile crop and, accordingly, needs cross-pollination. As pollinators can be used such types of plum as the collective farm Renklod and the productive Renklod.

Eurasia 21 is highly valued for its excellent frost resistance and strong immunity to fungal diseases and invasions of harmful insects characteristic of stone fruit crops. Fruiting profusely, with medium-sized fruits (25–30 g) ripening early. The fruits of this variety have a rich aroma and a pleasant sour-sweet taste.

The disadvantages of Eurasia 21 are called low transportability, as well as a tendency to fall off fruits and cracking of the skin of plums with insufficient moisture.

Landing rules

Answering the question of novice gardeners how to properly plant plums in the spring in the Leningrad Region, it is recommended to start with the choice of 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 culture. 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 the groundwater table 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 and wind-protected areas of the garden.

So how to plant a plum sapling? It is necessary to prepare in advance a planting pit measuring 70x80 cm.The top layer of soil should be mixed with fertilizers and left to infuse for two weeks.

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

Care secrets

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 absence 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 introduced into the soil. Do not forget to carry out sanitary and anti-aging crown pruning every year.

Fruit trees in the garden are periodically inspected for signs of harmful insects and symptoms of various diseases.

Preparing for winter

Despite the high frost resistance of most varieties of plums, zoned for the north-west of Russia, the plants need additional shelter for the winter. First, you need to whitewash the stem of the tree, and then insulate it by tying it with roofing material, on top of which a layer of glass wool and reflective foil are laid. Such manipulations will help the fruit crop to withstand even in severe frosts.