You rarely see Chinese plums in our gardens - this fruit tree, despite its long history, is just beginning to win the hearts of amateur gardeners. We will find out how this exotic tree differs from ordinary plums, and whether it can be grown in harsh climates.
Features of Chinese plum
The main features of Chinese plum are its unique winter hardiness and bewitching flowering. This culture can be grown in almost any climatic zone of Russia - it is so cold-resistant. And in bloom, the Chinese plum can compete in beauty with the famous sakura. Flowers appear on branches before leaves appear, turning a tree into a blooming ball.
Selection history
This Chinese plum is really from the Middle Kingdom. The homeland of this amazing tree is the mountainous regions of Manchuria. In China, it is called tricolor or loosestrife. The Chinese cultivate different varieties of this tree for several millennia. The fruits of the "Chinese" were eaten by emperors - the tree occupied an honorable place in the imperial gardens.
In the 16-17th century, Chinese plum appeared in Japan. The Japanese appreciated the splendor of plum blossoms and the taste of its fruits. Before being in Europe and Russia, the Chinese plum first came to the United States - it was brought there from Japan.
Russian breeders spent a lot of time breeding varieties adapted to Russian winters. At one time, I. Michurin crossed Chinese plums with home plums, trying to create varieties that combine frost resistance and a pleasant taste. Modern varieties feel great in regions with harsh winters.
The abundant flowering of Chinese plum does not guarantee a large crop - it depends on the quality of pollination.
Description and specifications
Chinese plum blossoms early and bears fruit early. This advantage often results in losses - since the tree blooms in early spring, there are great risks of poor pollination.
Botanical Description:
- Wood. Low, with a round, spreading spherical crown. A compact tree looks like a ball. Especially during flowering.
- Leaves. Elongated, large, shiny, completely smooth.
- Fruit. More often round or heart-shaped, smooth, with juicy fibrous pulp. Varieties with elongated fruits are less common. The color of the fruit is yellow, scarlet, burgundy, red, as well as their combinations and shades. The peel is very strong and dense.
- Flowers. Each flower bud has 3-4 flowers. That is why the tree is densely covered with buds.
Agrotechnical characteristics:
- Beginning of fruiting. The first crop appears 2-3 years after planting.
- Productivity From one tree receive from 10 to 40 kg of plums.
- The weight of the fruit. Plums weigh an average of 30-40 g. In the best varieties - up to 70-80 g.
Fans of Chinese plum appreciate their taste characteristics. But for many consumers, the fruits of the most modest garden plum turn out to be tastier than Chinese plums - dense, hard, with cartilaginous flesh. We can say that the fruits of this culture are designed "for the amateur."
Comparison of Chinese plum
Differences of Chinese plum from ordinary varieties:
- Abundant flowering. The branches are densely strewn with pink flowers. This is a very beautiful sight, but it ends very quickly. The tree is in the shape of a pink ball for only a few days.
- Low height. All varieties of "Chinese" are low - no more than 2 m. Such trees are easier to care for and harvest.
- Smooth bark. Many plum varieties have a small fluff on the bark, while the Chinese variety does not have it - Chinese plums are absolutely smooth.
- Oblong leaves. Unlike ordinary garden plums, Chinese leaves are not rounded, but oblong.
- Fibrous pulp. The “Chinese” fruit has a harsh flesh, it is very difficult to separate the bone from it.
- Specific aroma. The pulp of the fruit smells like apricot or melon.
- Spherical crown. The shape of the ball is formed in Chinese plum even without pruning.
- High calorie content. For ordinary plums in 100 g - 40-42 kcal, for Chinese - 70-80 kcal.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of Chinese plum:
- High frost resistance. It transfers temperature to minus 45-55 ° С.
- Good transportability. Due to the fibrous pulp and dense skin, the fruits are able to withstand long transport. Even under normal conditions, the fruits last for half a month longer than many varieties of garden plums.
- Early maturity. The tree grows quickly and is characterized by early fruiting. The first fruits appear a couple of years after planting. Every year, productivity increases.
- Stability of high yields. In favorable weather, the branches are dotted with fruits - they have to be propped up so as not to break.
- Universal application. The fruits are tasty, fresh, canned. They make wine, use it in baking.
- High immunity. Resistance to most diseases of stone fruits. "Chinese" are less interested in pests.
Disadvantages of Chinese plum:
- Early flowering. Flowers bloom a couple of weeks earlier than ordinary plums - at the very beginning of May. When grown in a temperate climate, the tree often undergoes return frosts - this leads to damage to the buds. Frosts lead to crop loss - frozen buds die and fall off.
- Poor pollination. The tree blooms early, and if the weather is cool and damp, then there are no pollinating insects - this negatively affects the yield.
- The fragility of the tree. Life expectancy is 15-20 years.
- Susceptibility to decay. The culture often rots due to rooting of the root neck. To prevent this from happening, the tree is well prepared for wintering.
- Self-infertility. Most varieties need pollinators. And even for self-fertile, it is better to provide pollinating varieties - to increase productivity.
- Nutritional value. In terms of calorie content, Chinese plums are comparable to grapes, and are twice as good as ordinary ones. They are not suitable for diet food.
Varieties of Chinese plum
Chinese plum is represented by many varieties that have preserved the best qualities of the progenitor - cold resistance, endurance and productivity. Consider the most popular varieties that differ in ripening, fruit quality, tree height and other characteristics.
Sissy
The variety is distinguished by delicate, tasty fruits. The tree is slightly higher than usual - up to 2.5 m. It differs in late fruiting - 5 years after planting a seedling. The fruits are round, bright scarlet. The fruits begin to ripen in mid-August. The variety is frost-resistant and productive, up to 40 kg of plum is collected from a tree. Tasting score - 4.5 points. Fruit weight - 25 g.
Benefits:
- the bone is easily separated from the pulp;
- the stalks are easily, without damage, separated from the fetus;
- high productivity;
- pest resistance.
Disadvantages:
- tendency to fall off;
- low maturity;
- inability to self-pollination.
Oryol souvenir
Mid-season variety bred in the Oryol region. Here he predominantly occurs. The height of the tree is 3 m. The crown is sprawling, sparse. Fruit weight - 30-35 g. Color - black-purple, on the skin - bluish-gray coating. Amber-colored flesh, sweet and sour. Tasting score - 4.0-4.2. Fruits are loose, but dry. Ripening is the first decade of September. The first crop is 5 years after planting. Harvest from a tree - up to 20 kg. In a particularly productive year, the crop can double.
Benefits:
- resistance to clastosporiosis;
- large-fruited.
Disadvantages:
- partial autonomy - pollinators are needed;
- insufficient juiciness of the fruit;
- may be affected by moniliosis.
Early
This is one of the most famous and popular varieties of Chinese plum. The height of the tree is up to 2 m. The fruits are rounded, weigh 26-30 g. Color - yellow, orange, their combinations and shades. The plums taste sweet and sour, with hard flesh. Productivity from a tree - up to 35 kg. Fruiting, starting in mid-August, continues until mid-October. Recommended pollinators are cherry plum or Red ball. It withstands frosts down to minus 30 ° С.
Benefits:
- maturity - the first fruits appear in the second year after planting a seedling;
- adaptation to any climatic conditions.
Disadvantages:
- self-infertility;
- the difficulty of separating the seeds from the pulp.
The gardener made a short review of the Skoroplodnaya cultivar:
Alyonushka
The height of the tree is slightly more than 2 m. The fruits are lilac-burgundy, sweet-sour to the taste, with small seeds. Productivity - 20 kg per tree. The best pollinator is the Skoroplodnaya variety. Frost resistance is average, compared with the most cold-resistant "Chinese" - withstands frosts up to minus 30 ° С. Tasting score - 4.2 points out of 5 possible.
Benefits:
- unlike ordinary Chinese plums, in Alyonushka the bones are easily separated from the pulp - this makes the variety convenient for harvesting;
- large-fruited - the fruits weigh about 35 g.
Disadvantages:
- Alyonushka attracts aphids more than other varieties;
- self-infertility - it is necessary to plant pollinating varieties.
Golden ball
Early ripe variety - ripens in early August. This variety has the highest tree height - up to 4 m. Fruits are bright yellow, round, with sweet, juicy and soft pulp. Productivity is high - branches are covered with fruits. About 30 kg of plum grows on one tree. Fruit weight 55-65 g.
Benefits:
- beautiful and tasty plums;
- aesthetic beauty of wood;
- large-fruited.
Disadvantages:
- possible shedding of fruit;
- self-infertility;
- shredding of fruits in lean years.
Manchurian beauty
This variety appeared on its own - without the participation of breeders. The height of the tree is 1.8 cm. The fruits are round, flattened, maroon with a blue coating, weigh 15-20 g. They have a juicy and soft flesh, the taste is sour. The fruits ripen in late August. Ideal pollinators are Ussuri or cherry plum. Productivity - 10 kg per tree.
Benefits:
- universal fruits;
- drought tolerance;
- good transportability.
Disadvantages:
- tendency of the root system to rot;
- self-infertility;
- low productivity;
- the tendency of the fruit to fall.
Red ball
Product of the Soviet selection. The table variety is universal. The height of the tree is 2.3-2.5 m. The crown is spherical. Fruits are large - up to 45 g, bright scarlet, rounded. The flesh is lemon yellow. Taste - 4-4.2 points. Self-fertile, but pollinators are welcome. Frost resistance - medium. Productivity - 18 kg per tree.
Advantages: practically does not suffer from kleasterosporiosis.
Disadvantages:
- low taste;
- the difficulty of separating the bone from the pulp.
Superior
A variety bred by Japanese breeders. Belongs to partially self-fertile varieties. Nearby pollinators are needed - cherry plum or any kind of Chinese plum. Crops are stably high. Fruit picking - from the second decade of August. Fruits weigh 70-75 g. Tasting score - 4.7 points. The color of the fruit is yellow-pastel or orange, pink blush is possible on the side of the baking of the sun. Tree height - up to 2.5 m.
Benefits:
- large fruits;
- dessert flavor;
- the bone is separated from the pulp;
- resistance to smallpox (shark) and codling moth.
Disadvantages: needs pollinators.
You can watch the review of the Superior variety in the video below:
When and where to plant?
Prepare a site for planting Chinese plum in advance. The soil is dug up to a depth of 70 cm. If the soil is acidic, make compost, sand, dolomite flour.
Landing site requirements:
- The soil. Prefers fertile alkaline soils.
- Groundwater. At least 1.5 m from the surface.
- Lighting and wind. Sunny, well protected from the wind plot.
It is strictly forbidden to plant Chinese plum in the lowlands.
Chinese plum, unlike ordinary plum trees, is planted mainly in autumn. This frost-resistant culture, well-rooted during the winter, in the spring directs all forces to growth and development.
Chinese plum does not find popularity in the southern regions - in the Crimea, the Kuban and in the Krasnodar Territory. Especially sweet varieties with enhanced flavor characteristics are preferred here. In addition, Chinese plum does not tolerate drought - much worse than frost. But it is valued in regions with harsh winters - in addition to the Central region, it is grown in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.
Varieties of Chinese plum recommended for cultivation in different regions
Region | Region areas | Suitable varieties |
Central Black Earth | Tambov and Oryol Lipetsk Kursk, Voronezh and Belgorod |
|
Central | Tula Smolenskaya Ryazan Moscow Kaluga Ivanovo Vladimirskaya Bryansk |
|
Far Eastern | Khabarovsk region Seaside Sakhalin Oblast Magadan Kamchatka Amur |
|
Landing pattern and step-by-step process
Landing pattern:
- The size of the pit is 70x70 cm.
- The distance between neighboring pits is 1.5 m.
- The distance between the rows is 2.5 m.
Step-by-step instructions for planting a seedling:
- A pit for landing is prepared in three weeks.
- Immediately before planting, damaged roots and dry shoots are cut off from the seedling.
- The topsoil is mixed with manure (10 kg), superphosphate (300 g) and potassium salt (50 g).
- A hill is formed in the pit. Insert support for the seedling - a peg, which should protrude 70 cm above the ground.
- Lower the seedling into the pit, straighten the roots and fall asleep 1/2 pit.
- Tamp the soil and pour 10 liters of water into the pit. This is done in order to remove all voids - otherwise the roots of the tree will be dried.
- They fill the hole with soil residues and make a near-trunk hole near the seedling - about 40 cm in diameter.
- Tie a sapling to a peg and watered with three buckets of water.
- After the water is absorbed, a layer of peat is poured into the hole - 5 cm thick.
- A couple of weeks after planting, the seedling is watered.
Plum care
The Chinese plum is hardy and unpretentious, but it, like any fruit tree, needs some care. It is important to prevent the root neck from warping up - because of this, the tree may die. To avoid problems, make a mound around the tree - 40 cm in height.
When and how to water?
All plums love moisture and Chinese varieties are no exception. Trees require regular, systematic watering. It is especially important to provide the tree with moisture in a drought. The tree is given so much water that it penetrates deep into the soil by 40 cm. After irrigation, the trunk circle is loosened - to a depth of 5 cm, and mulched with compost, sawdust, peat. The rate of watering during extreme heat is 10 liters of water per square meter. Irrigation area - crown projection.
Feeding
In the first year of planting, fertilizers are not required - they are sufficiently laid in the landing pit. But next year, the tree needs to be fed with nitrogen fertilizers - they are needed to form new shoots.
Preparation of a mixture for spring dressing, based on 10 l of water:
- Mullein - 2 kg;
- urea - 25 g;
- ammonium nitrate - 25 g.
In the summer, during fruit ripening, the tree is fed again. Under the root make, per 1 square. m:
- wood ash - 200 g;
- phosphorus - 60 g;
- potassium - 20 g.
Chinese plum reacts negatively to chlorine - this element should not be in the composition of fertilizers.
The third top dressing for the season is done in the fall, after picking the fruit - the tree is fed with potash fertilizers - 100 g per adult tree.
Tree pruning
Chinese plum is pruned for the first time during planting. As soon as the seedling is buried, it is shortened by about 1/2 of its height. Thanks to this pruning, the tree quickly adapts to the new conditions.
Usually pruning is carried out in early spring - dry and damaged branches are cut, forming a crown. As soon as the last frosts pass, cut off all vertical and thickening shoots. Also cut off last year's shoots by 1/2. In regions with warm winters, pruning is allowed in the fall.
In winter, pruning is carried out at temperatures not lower than minus 15 ° C. The tool must be disinfected, and the slice is closed with garden var.
Preparing for the winter
Immediately after the first autumn frosts, all the fallen leaves are collected - it can be laid in compost. The procedure for warming Chinese plum:
- As soon as the average temperature is set below 0 ° C, the tree is wrapped in burlap - in 2-3 layers. You can use other covering material, the main thing is that it lets air through.
- In warm and snowy winters, snow is raked off the trunk - so that it is exposed. This is done to prevent rotting of the root neck.
- Snow is regularly shaken off the branches so that they do not break off under its weight.
- In the spring, melt water is removed from the near-stem circle - its stagnation must not be allowed. Water is diverted by digging a groove.
Preparing a tree for winter: wrapping a trunk with fir branches
Diseases, Pests and Prevention
Chinese plum, compared with conventional varieties, is much more resistant to diseases and pests. But she can be affected by some diseases.
Diseases and pests of Chinese plum
Diseases and Pests | Symptoms of lesion | Control measures |
Kleasterosporiosis | affects the aerial parts of the plant - red-brown spots appear | Processing Bordeaux mixture of 3%. |
Moniliosis | rotting fruit and drying leaves | Processing Bordeaux mixture of 3%. Whitewashing the trunk with copper sulfate. |
Moth | larvae eat up the pulp of fruits | Spraying with insecticides. Immediately after flowering, and then in early July. Feramon traps are also established. |
What are the ways of reproduction?
Chinese plum is propagated by bone or inoculation. The first option is suitable only for propagation of a type species. In order for the varietal qualities to be transmitted to the tree, they resort to propagation by vaccination.
Breeding options:
- With a bone. When propagating by seed, mature fruits that have fallen from the tree are selected. Bones are separated from the packed fruits, the flesh is removed, they are dried on the street, and then they are carried away to a dark place - to lie down. In the autumn, bones are planted in the ground, planting on top is sprinkled with mulch.
- Vaccinated. The survival rate with this reproduction is 50%. Vaccination options:
- from spring to late summer cuttings;
- in early spring - for the bark;
- before the sap flow begins - in a split;
- late autumn - cuttings in the crown.
Reviews
Most gardeners with experience in growing Chinese plum speak positively of this fruit crop. Along with the taste and aroma of fruits, gardeners are attracted by its unique agricultural characteristics in Chinese plum. But there are also comments about the shortcomings. So, in particular, some gardeners noticed that the culture does not tolerate winters with thaws and can suffer from spring frosts.
Olga Sh., Moscow Region. Alyonushka has long been growing on the site. The fruits are fragrant and tasty, we eat with pleasure, we make compotes and plum brandy. Interestingly, the size of the fruit varies. There are years when plums weigh 50-60 g, and there are 30-40 g. But the tree bears fruit regularly, leaves no crop. There is only one problem - aphids. This misfortune pursues Alyonushka. Another minus is that the bones are not well separated.
Vladimir Ivanovich, Tver region In the garden I have two Chinese plums. When the temperature was minus 42 on one of the winters, their flower buds froze. The trees are beautiful and fruitful, do not require special care, pests bypass them. Quick plum gives large plums that look like peaches. Of the shortcomings, perhaps the need for pollinators.
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If you do not want to remain without a crop, plant one of the varieties of Chinese plum in your garden. This crop has excellent agrotechnical characteristics, allowing it to grow in the most severe conditions.
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