Features of planting and caring for cherry plum in central Russia

If the pressure has jumped and your head hurts, you can eat a little cherry plum, two hundred grams. The pain will pass, the body will recover. The healing properties of this plant are mentioned in the Vedic treatises of Ayurveda. The famous tkemal sauce is made from cherry plum. This southern plant is well acclimatized in temperate gardens.... Let's take a closer look at the features of planting and caring for this plant in central Russia.

We grow cherry plum in the middle lane and the Moscow region

Tkemali, cherry plum, migrated to the European continent from the Caucasus and Asia. The tree is unpretentious and capable of interbreeding with plum, peach, sweet cherry, cherry and apricot... These properties have allowed breeders to develop varieties that have taken root well in mid-latitudes.

In the 19th century, tkemali was crossed with a Chinese frost-resistant plum. The hybrid was named "Russian plum". It was this plant that served as the basis for breeding many varieties that can grow in the middle lane. Some varieties can withstand frosts of thirty degrees.

Why you need to grow cherry plum in the country, the dignity of a tree

Gardeners have been successfully growing trees for a long time even in more northern latitudes, for example, in the Kirov region. There are varieties that can be planted in the Far East... Therefore, the statement that greed is a southern plant is no longer entirely true.

Russian plum has a number of advantages:

• grows on almost all soils... But it does not tolerate overly acidic and alkaline earths. This shortcoming can be corrected. The increased acidity of the soil is neutralized by adding lime or dolomite flour (about 300 grams per square meter). Gypsum is added to alkaline soils in the same proportion;
• takes root quickly and begins to bear fruit in a year;
• high yield... Some varieties can yield up to 30-35 kg per tree;
• because I come from the south, tolerates heat well;
• individual varieties ripen at the end of July, early August;
• divorces in different ways: can be grafted, grafted and planted branches;
• beautiful early honey plant;
• contains vitamins useful for human health, minerals, acids. Recommended for many diseases;
• widely used in cooking... Cherry plum is used to make sauce, jam, compotes, marshmallow, marmalade, sherbet. The result is a delicious and aromatic wine and liqueurs.

All these advantages have made the Russian plum, as the cherry plum is called, a popular plant among gardeners.

Popular varieties

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, varieties have been developed that take root well in frosty winters. At the same time, the quality characteristics of the fetus have been significantly improved. The drupes have become larger. The yield has increased. The shape and color of fruits of different varieties of trees pleases with its diversity, from amber yellow to burgundy and purple... You can choose varieties with different qualities. Sweeter, sour-sweet, juicy, or those that are suitable for drying.

Most of all they took root in middle latitudes:

• varieties Shater, Kuban comet, Found... These are the varieties that have enough large fruits (up to 40 grams) burgundy with yellow pulp.All three varieties tolerate winter well. Differ in yield. Ripen in August.
• varieties Gift of St. Petersburg, Zlato Scythians, Maara... These are undersized and medium-sized frost-resistant varieties with yellow berries. The fruits are not very large... It is appreciated for its resistance to diseases and good winter hardiness.
• Variety Traveler... An early Russian plum with bard fruits. Good pollinates other varieties of cherry plum.
• Llama... A very beautiful tree with burgundy purple fruits and reddish leaves. Fruits before 40 gram.

When is it better to plant a tree - in spring or autumn?

If you decide to plant cherry plum in your dacha or your personal plot, then it is better to do it in the spring, but purchase the plant in the fall. At this time, a larger assortment of planting material. When planting in autumn, there is a risk that the tree will not have time to take root before frost.

A seedling bought in the fall can be dug in. To do this, make a hole up to half a meter. Lay the tree at an angle to the south. It is dug in to the middle of the trunk and sprinkled with earth on top.

How to plant cherry plum

In most cases, soils in mid-latitudes with high acidity, so lime must be added. It is necessary to plant several seedlings at once so that they pollinate each other.

Although frost-resistant varieties have been bred, cherry plum is a thermophilic tree by nature. Therefore, they are planted on the south side, in places protected from the wind. The plant loves an abundance of light.

Disembarkation procedure:

• digging a hole in the depth and along the perimeter before 70 centimeters;
• distance between planting pits from 2,5 before 3 meters;
• the soil is loosened well, add humus, lime, mineral fertilizers (double superphosphate-500 grams);
• at the bottom of the pit make a mound;
• plant a seedling, slightly shaking roots;
• fix next to the support, to which a tree is tied;
• well watered, up to 4 buckets of water;
• tops cut off;
• above soil is mulched, you can peat.

More winter-hardy seedlings obtained from cuttings.Seedlings in containers can be planted without holes, lightly dig in and sprinkle the earth on top.

Spring care

In the first year after planting, trees do not need to be fed, as they will have enough fertilizers applied during planting.

Trees older than two years old are fed in the spring... Before the tree begins to bloom, add ammonium nitrate (up to 90 grams per square meter), at the beginning of summer potassium (up to 50 grams), superphosphate (up to 180 grams).

In early spring, water bends are made so that the roots do not heat up. At the same time, pruning is carried out. Remove dried branches. Thin the crown, leaving branches that are located at a distance of up to 20 cm apart... The tops of the branches are pinched.

The old bark is removed and the trunk is treated with a solution of copper sulfate (3%). In April, they are sprayed for pests.

If the spring is dry, then the plant is watered in the spring. 2-3 times.

Summer care for cherry plum

• Watered every 10 days 3-4 buckets.
• Loosen the soil around the tree.
• If a powerful ovary, then erect props.

In August, they are fed with organic fertilizers diluted with water.

Preparing the tree for winter

• Do one more organic fertilizing and mineral fertilizers.
• Before the foliage falls watered deep at the root (up to 40cm)... For these purposes, a deepening is made.
• Remove dead bark, whitewash the trunk, carry out another spraying from pests.
• Root processes are removed, the leaves are harvested and burned.

If a hollow or wounds appear on the trunk, then they are covered up. One of the recipes: 150 grams of copper sulfate, 2.5 tablespoons of lime and ash per 5 liters of clay diluted with water.

How to properly cut cherry plum, crown formation

The best time for crown formation and tree pruning is early spring, before the juices begin to move.

Like a plum, they form a crown in the form of a bowl... The first year, three branches are isolated and left, with an inclination of up to 60 degrees. In the second and third years, three more skeletal branches are left. This is done evenly around the entire perimeter, so that a circle is obtained. The tops are cut at the level of the third skeletal branch. Cut off large branches are treated with garden pitch.

It is better to form non-frost-resistant varieties in the form of a bush.... In winter, they are wrapped in snow and tolerate frost more easily. To form a bush, the branches are shortened to half a meter and spread apart (up to 6 branches). For this purpose, loads are used.

Summer pruning is carried out in the first years after harvest.... The tree develops vigorously at this time, and the branches can reach 2 meters. Therefore, they are cut off by about 70 cm.

Cherry plum, along with traditional fruit trees, apple trees, plums, apricots, and cherries, has taken a worthy place in the gardens of the central zone and the Moscow region, since with proper care, you can get a high yield. The fruits of the tree are a storehouse of useful substances. High content of vitamins C and A, cures vitamin deficiency. Helps rid the body of radionuclides and harmful heavy metals... Treats colds. Recommended for people with high blood pressure and rheumatism. Purifies the blood.

Plus, it's a delicious berry. It is suitable for conservation and drying. In cooking, there are many recipes for dishes with Russian plum.... That only are pickled tomatoes with cherry plum.