When to plant plums. Plum planting in spring

Surely many of you love to drink delicious plum compotes. The guest will not refuse a glass of pleasant cold plum wine or liqueur. And who prevents you from planting your own plum garden on the site?

Within the framework of this article, we tried to find all the basic answers to the questions that any gardener will somehow have if he wants to plant a plum on his site in the spring. For the more southern regions of our country, all recommendations can be attributed to the autumn period of time.

Plum varieties for planting

Plum is a very capricious tree in many respects, so you need to use only well-new zoned varieties - otherwise all your efforts may come to naught. Old varieties are susceptible to many serious diseases, so it is not worth paying much attention to them. For this, new varieties and hybrids are being developed!

Plum varieties for the southern regions

In the south of Russia, especially on the territory of the Volgograd Region and Krasnodar Territory, varieties of plums of a new selection, such as "Herzog", "Krasotka", "Milena", "Podruga", as well as elite hybrids: "17-6-49 "," 17-6-60 "," 17-6-80 "," 17-6-85 "and" 17-6-110 ". It is they who are least susceptible to clasterosporia and moniliosis. They are also characterized by high yields.

Plum varieties for the Moscow region

There are plenty of plum varieties on the territory of our country. More than several dozen different plums were brought out only for the Moscow region. In the Moscow region, both early and late-ripening plums are planted. Especially popular on the summer cottages of Muscovites and residents of neighboring settlements plums such as "Smolinka", "Memory of Timiryazev" and "Blue Bird" are used.

Plum varieties for the Urals

V early XXI century breeders of the South Urals were carried away by the creation of new, more zoned, varieties of plum for the Ural region. Perhaps that is why the planting of plums in this area received new stage cultivation of this culture. Among the new varieties of plums suitable for this region are such varieties as: "Ailinskaya", "Alycha early", "Pearl of the Urals", "Uralskaya krasnaya", "Uralskiy prunes", "Uralskaya zheltaya", "Uralskaya zolotistaya", "Shershnevskaya "And" Chebarkulskaya ".

Plum varieties for Siberia

In the eastern territories of our country, beyond the Urals, a colder climate prevails. Therefore, here, plums from the southern regions practically did not take root. The success of breeding came as a result of crossing elite varieties with the Ussuri plum, which grows in the Far East. The most famous varieties of such plums for Western Siberia can be considered Altai Jubilee, Yellow Hopta, Dawn of Altai, Manchurian beauty, Katunskaya, Red-cheeked, Orange, Peresvet, Pyramidal, Chemal's Gift and Chemal souvenir. You can also often find cherry plum hybrids.

When should a plum be planted?

The weather conditions in central Russia determine that the plum should be planted in the spring. Since during autumn planting, its seedlings do not have enough time to root in the soil and therefore, due to winter frosts, they often freeze out. It is better to plant plants with not yet opened buds, in the soil slightly warmed up by the spring rays.

Where is the best place to plant plums?

Plum prefers flat, well-lit areas, protected from wind and cold. Plum blooms very early, so the future harvest can be destroyed by sudden spring frosts.

Plum does not like lack of nutrients and moisture, so it does not need to be planted next to other fruit trees. It requires a considerable distance, which is determined by the variety and spreading of the crown.

Planting scheme for plums

Low-growing plum trees are placed every 2.5 meters in a row, keeping a distance of three to four meters in the row spacing. For trees of vigorous varieties, 4 meters and 5 meters are allotted, respectively.

Preparing the plum pit

Planting holes are prepared in the spring, at least one week before planting the seedling. The dimensions of a pit with sheer walls should be 60 centimeters deep and 60-80 centimeters in diameter. The topsoil excavated from the hole must be transferred separately to be used later.

It is advisable to fill the dug hole two-thirds with a mixture of this fertile soil and fertilizers (one bucket of humus or compost, two buckets of peat, 300 grams of granular superphosphate, 70 grams of potassium sulfate). If the soil is scarce and infertile, then the size of the planting pit should be increased to 100 cm x 60-70 cm), as well as, accordingly, the dose of fertilizers applied.

Planting a plum sapling

Before planting a seedling, you should carefully examine its roots, cut off all damaged and dried ends.

We hammer a wooden peg into the center of the hole, to which we will tie a seedling. Then place the seedling on the north side of the stake and deepen so that the root collar is five centimeters above the soil surface. The roots of the plum should be covered with the remaining top layer of soil without fertilizers, tamped lightly with your hands and shake the seedling as it is added so that there are no unnecessary voids in the root system.

After backfilling, the soil is tamped a little, a roller is made of earth along the edges of the planting pit.

In a waterlogged area, planting plum seedlings should be carried out on hilly ledges.

The planted tree should be watered abundantly with 2-3 buckets of water, and then covered with a layer of peat or compost.

Vigorous varieties of plum trees require peg attachment for the first 2 years after planting. The distance between the peg and the stem of the seedling should be about 15 centimeters. The seedling is tied to the stake with a soft twine or cloth at intervals of 30 centimeters.

Plum seedling care

In the first years after planting, you do not need to fertilize the plum tree. It is not yet able to absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil.

In the first year of life, the plum tree should be pruned and then pruned annually in April-May. This must be done to form a good crown.

For annual seedlings without a crown, after spring planting, the aerial part is shortened to a height of 70 centimeters. When pruning annuals with an existing crown, only the conductor should be pruned. After pruning, it should be 20 cm above the ends of the upper side branches. In 2-year-old seedlings, the branches are shortened by one third, and the handler should have a leading position.

For regular harvesting of a good harvest of plums, you should thin out the fruits after flowering and remove most of them. this procedure is the key to a quality harvest.

Plum can be grown throughout Russia, however, not all gardeners achieve success and large yields, but mainly residents of regions with short summers. The fact is that plum is a rather thermophilic stone fruit crop, which means that mistakes in choosing a variety and planting often lead to rather modest results.

Many agronomists and gardeners agree that it is better to plant fruit trees, including plums, in the fall, because during this period, the young sapling will increase precisely underground part, i.e. its root system (which is first and foremost necessary), and not aboveground, in other words, it will definitely not vegetate.

However, planting plums in spring has some obvious benefits:

• In the process of growing a seedling in a warm period, you will be able to quickly respond to everything possible problems(diseases, pests, lack of moisture) and immediately take the necessary measures to eliminate them.
• The spring supply of moisture in the soil will allow the seedling root system to adapt faster after planting and begin active growth.
• You have the opportunity in advance, even in the fall, to prepare landing pit so that the soil has time to settle by the spring, in order to avoid deepening the root collar during planting.

Alternative opinion

In fairness, it should be said that some gardeners, on the contrary, adhere to the old rule: seed crops(apple and pear) it is better to plant in the fall, a stone fruits(plums, cherries, cherries, apricots) - in the spring.

The fact is that stone fruits culture(including plums) are considered less winter hardy so their recommended for planting in spring so that before winter they have time to take root well and get stronger.

However, if you are a resident of the South of Russia, then this is not important for you. It's another matter if you are a representative of a region with a more severe (northern) climate.

There is even an opinion that in the southern regions it is better to plant all crops in the fall, and in the northern ones only in the spring.

Video: in what time frame is it better to plant seedlings of fruit and berry crops

Planting plums in spring and autumn: optimal timing

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

Note! Plum seedlings with a closed root system (in a container) can be planted all year round- from April to October, unless it is recommended to do it in the middle of summer, when it is very hot.

Spring planting

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

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

Advice! Don't wait for the ground to completely thaw out. It is very good to plant seedlings with an open root system immediately after the snow melts, but the ground has not yet had time to warm up and dry out very much.

Thus, it is highly desirable to have time to plant while the seedlings are still "dormant", otherwise this will necessarily negatively affect their survival rate and disrupt their natural development cycle.

By the way! The best time for planting seedlings - cloudy and calm weather: early morning or late evening.

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

• So, in the South of Russia, plum seedlings can be planted in open ground in the second half of March and early April.
• In the Middle Polos (Moscow region), the plum is planted not earlier than the second half of April.
• In Siberia and the Urals, spring plum planting is carried out in late April-early May.

Autumn planting

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

But! It is also not recommended to plant seedlings too late in the autumn, because the shoots must have time to mature well in order to successfully survive the winter. This is especially true for planting plums in cold (northern) regions, in the same Siberia.

However, if, God forbid, you are late, and frosts are expected within 1-2 weeks, then it is better to play it safe and postpone the planting of the plum until spring (you can save the seedling by digging it in the garden and covering it or planting it in a container and putting it in the basement, where the temperature is kept no higher than +3 degrees).

Interesting! Many experienced agronomists recommend plant plums in spring and buy seedlings in autumn since their choice is wider, and the quality is much higher.

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

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

Video: planting plums in autumn in October from a container

According to the lunar calendar in 2020

It can help you choose the optimal date for planting seedlings moon calendar.

So, auspicious days for planting plums in spring and autumn in 2020 according to the lunar calendar are:

• in March - 26-29;
• in April - 11-15, 24, 25;
• in May - 2-10;
• in September - 19-26;
• in October - 3-13, 18-21.

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

Unfavorable days, according to the lunar calendar for 2020, for planting plum seedlings, the following dates are:

• in March - 9, 19-21 , 24;
• in April - 8, 15-17 , 23;
• in May - 7, 13-14 , 22;
• in June - 5, 9-11 , 21;
• in July - 5, 7-8 , 20;
• in August - 3 , 4-5 , 19, 31 ;
• in September - 1 , 2, 17, 27- 28 ;
• in October - 2, 16, 24-26 , 31;
• in November - 15, 20-22 , 30.

According to lunar calendar, from the magazine "1000 tips for summer residents".

How to plant a plum correctly: instructions from A to Z (choosing a seedling, a place in the garden, preparing a planting pit)

Before running headlong for a seedling to the market or garden fair, you need to carefully study all the rules for choosing a plant, as well as choosing a place in the garden and preparing a planting pit.

What should be a seedling

When choosing planting material(of a specific variety), first of all, you need to pay attention to its origin. Best to choose zoned varieties draining yourself well recommended when grown in your climate zone, i.e. they adapted to weather conditions and the soil composition of your growing region.

Worth knowing! Saplings can be either with an open root system (OCS), and with a closed one (in a container).

It is better for beginner gardeners to buy seedlings in a container (although they are more expensive), and experienced ones can also purchase them with ACS.

A quality plum seedling should have the following characteristics:

• General appearance seedling should be healthy, without signs of wilting, damage by diseases or pests.
• The seedling itself must be not older than 2 years old (1-2 years old), since at this age the seedlings adapt faster to a new place.
• Height seedling should be within 1-1.5 m: any deviation up or down indicates improper care of it or excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers.

Another thing is that some sellers immediately sell cut seedlings, but this is rare.

• The seedling must have well-developed root system(without any growths and neoplasms), that is, in addition to the main root, there should be several more lateral roots (the older the seedling, the more roots it has), the length of which can be about 20-25 cm, while they should not be dry and broken.

By the way! Even if you are buying a seedling with a closed root system, you may want to consider lateral roots because they tend to stick out of the container.

Advice! And to check that the seedling really has a closed root system, you need to take it by the trunk and shake it. If it sits tightly - everything is fine, if not, then something is wrong here ... the seller just wants to cash in on you by slipping a seedling from the ACS, which he moved into a container a couple of days ago.

• At the bottom, on the trunk, you should clearly see vaccination site(connections of rootstock and scion), which will guarantee that this is a varietal tree, and not wild.

As a rule, inoculation is done by bud budding (they also say “grafted with an eye”), less often with a graft (ie copulation).

• It is also worth evaluating the quality of the upper part of the trunk (grafted part): the wood must be mature and strong, without any mechanical damage, sunburn, frost cracks and cracks in the bark. And you the trunk must be straight and not bent.

Note! If the bark on the trunk peels off in places without damaging its integrity, then this is a sign of improper storage of the seedling in winter, which led to its freezing.

• It is highly desirable that the seedling did not show any signs of the beginning of the growing season, i.e. was in the dormant stage, which means that its buds should still be sleeping (i.e. there should not be leaves on it).

Important! This applies to the selection and purchase of a seedling in the early spring period.

However, seedlings with a closed root system (in containers) in the spring are often sold already in the growing season, which is quite normal. Therefore, in this case, you also need to carefully evaluate their appearance, especially the color of the leaves.

Video: how to choose a plum sapling

Preparing for landing

If you want to properly prepare the seedling for planting, then immediately before planting the plum, you should wash its roots from the old soil, then dip it in a clay mash, and then update their (roots) tips, slightly cutting.

Important! It is highly recommended to renew the root tips by trimming them if they are either too long or you notice that there are damaged, diseased or broken roots (in this case, they need to be trimmed to a healthy place).

Some gardeners recommend completely soaking the seedling in water (with the addition of Kornevin) for a day or at least an hour. This will help restore biological processes in the roots and saturate them with moisture, especially if you see that the roots are slightly dry (and this should never be allowed).

Pick-up location

Plum loves warmth and a lot of light, which means that this stone fruit crop will grow well and bear fruit abundantly only in open and well-lit areas of the garden.

The ideal option for planting plums would be a place that, on the north side, will be protected from the drying winter winds (this could be your country house, some kind of outbuilding or fence), while the tree itself, naturally, it should be placed on the south side (or at least from the south-west or west), so that during the day it receives maximum amount sunlight.

You can not plant a plum in the lowlands where melt water stagnates for a long time or strongly wetlands.In other words, at the landing sitemoisture should not stagnate in the springwhen the snow melts.Otherwise, the plant will simply underpin the root collar, and its days will be numbered ..

The occurrence of groundwater in the area intended for planting plums should be at a level of 1.5-2 m from the surface of the earth.

Advice! If groundwater lie close, then you have no choice but to make an artificial embankment and plant a seedling already on it.

Important! Plums and other trees should not be planted near large, spreading trees (especially nut), since this always negatively affects their growth and productivity (if the seedling can generally grow and bear fruit normally).

At what distance

You have chosen the place, now you need to decide on the landing pattern.

If you want to plant several seedlings at once, then it is recommended to plant plums according to the scheme - 3 by 3, i.e. the distance between seedlings in a row and between rows should be 3 meters.

Advice! It is necessary to retreat at exactly the same distance from other plants on the site so that the wide crown of the plum does not shade them in the future.

Remember! The closer you plant trees, the more difficult it will be for you to control their crown in the future, in other words, you will need regular and mandatory pruning, including summer pruning.

You also need to take into account the fact that some varieties of plum are not capable of self-pollination (self-fertile), so they should only be planted in groups (at least two, and preferably three different varieties).

Required soil

To count on good growth and stable yields, the soil under the plums must have high fertility, be light and loose (water and breathable), and also have neutral acidity.

Worth knowing! All stone fruits love non-acidic soils and will thrive better in alkaline soils (7-7.5 pH) than even relatively acidic (5.5 pH).

The most suitable soil types for plums are the following: loams, peat bogs(but only deoxidized, i.e. limescale = acidity reduced to neutral) and sod-podzolic.

Of course, the most unfortunate option for planting plums (and almost all fruit trees) is a purely sandy and clayey soil.

Important! When planting a seedling in excessively sandy soil, add a little clay and more compost to it, and sand in clayey soil, this will help balance the composition of the soil.

Advice! In a cold and harsh climate, as well as if the land is heavy, or the site is very waterlogged and the groundwater is very close, then the plum (like any other fruit trees, especially stone fruits) is recommended to be planted on gentle hills("According to Zhelezov").

Video: planting a plum sapling in Siberia on a hill

Planting pit preparation: optimal dimensions

Naturally, as always, it is recommended to prepare a planting hole for planting a plum sapling or any other plant in advance. It is best to do this in the fall or at least 1-2 weeks before planting the seedling. During this time, the soil will just have time to settle to the desired level.

Important! When digging a planting hole upper layer the soil is thrown aside for later use.

Width (diameter) and depth of the planting pit for all fruit trees must be within 50-80 cm. In this case, the walls of the recess should not taper downward: it is better to make them vertical.

By the way! As a rule, on average, they dig a hole of 60 by 60 cm.However, for planting plums, many it is recommended to dig a hole 1 meter wide and 60-80 cm deep.

And here is a planting hole for a seedling closed root do just 2-3 times larger than the container itself.

If necessary, it is immediately laid on the bottom drainage layer 5-15 cm from broken brick or small stones (it is optimal to use lime or chalk crushed stone, in which there is a lot of calcium and which perfectly deoxidizes the soil = lowers its acidity), and then the prepared nutrient mixture is poured.

Important! If you have to plant in clay soil, then, in addition to the obligatory drainage layer, you also need to dig the deepest hole possible.

What (with what fertilizers) fill the planting hole - we prepare a nutritious substrate

So that a plum sapling can easily adapt to a new place and begin to grow actively, when planting it, it is recommended to fill the planting pit with a nutritious substrate.

To do this, it is recommended to pour a specially prepared soil mixture into the planting hole (which is thoroughly mixed until a uniform consistency). The nutrient substrate is usually prepared from the following components (mineral and organic fertilizers):

• all the top fertile soil (upper 20-30 cm), which you removed when digging a hole;
• a bucket (8-9 kg) of good humus or compost;

Additionally:

• a bucket (8-9 kg) of non-acidic peat (purely at will and opportunity, or if you have sandy soil);
• a bucket (8-9 kg) of sand (if you have relatively heavy / clay soil);

• 1-2 cups (200-500 grams) or 400-600 grams of bone meal (organic);
• half or 1 cup of potassium sulfate (100-200 grams) or 2-4 cups (200-400 grams) (organic analogue of potassium fertilizer).

Or instead of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, you can take 300-400 grams of nitroammophoska (it contains 16% nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) or diammophoska (10:26:26). At the same time, it is better to use nitroammophoska for spring planting, and diammophoska for autumn planting.

Worth knowing! When planting a tree (even in spring), it is not necessary to specially add nitrogen fertilizers (another thing if it is a complex fertilizer), since they stimulate the growth of the aboveground part to the detriment of the development of the root system (especially when planting in northern regions).

Important! However, some gardeners and agricultural scientists do not recommend laying mineral fertilizers into the planting pit, but it is advised to bring them in the future and already as top dressing, because it is believed that the plant (seedling) does not need fertilizers until it begins to bear fruit. Another thing is organic fertilizers such as compost, bone meal.

After filling the pit with a nutrient substrate in its middle, it is necessary drive in a wooden peg, which will further serve as a support for the young seedling.

Note! If you do not tie a young seedling to a peg, then when leaves grow on it, due to its high windage, strong winds will sway the trunk and cut off young roots.

Direct phased planting of a seedling

Step-by-step instructions for planting a plum sapling in open ground in spring and autumn:

• Fill the planting hole with fertile soil in advance, leaving a depression for the size of the root system of the seedling.

• If you are planting a seedling with an open root system (ACS), then you need to add a small mound in the center of the planting hole.

Another thing is if you are planting a seedling with a closed root system (ZKS). In this case, you do not need to make any mounds, but simply plant the seedling in the prepared planting hole, without disturbing the clod of earth.

• Drive in a wooden support or peg (if you haven't done so beforehand).

If you do not tie a young seedling to a peg, then when leaves grow on it, due to the high windage, strong winds will sway the trunk and cut off young roots.

• Place the seedling in the center of the mound and spread the roots along its (mound) sides down (the roots should in no case bend and stick up!), Because the roots should be placed in the pit as comfortably as possible, without twisting or bending.

Advice! If you have a seedling that was grafted with an eye (budding), then the budding site (eye = new shoot that grew from the grafting) should face north, and the cut should be south.

• Cover with earth, while shaking the seedling to eliminate voids between the roots.

Remember that the grafting site should initially be located 10 centimeters above the soil level. At the same time, it is convenient to control the landing level with a rod, which must be placed horizontally on the sides of the pit, when the pit is almost filled with soil.

• Compact (tamp) the soil, starting from the edges at the base of the seedling.

Important! Do not confuse the root collar (the place where the first root originates from the trunk) with the graft, which is higher (on the trunk) and, as a result, should be located 3-5 cm (you can simply attach 2-3 fingers) above the soil surface. After the tree settles in loose soil, the root collar will in any case take its normal position.

Attention! If you deepen the root collar, the tree will grow poorly and gradually die (because the root collar will shake out). On the contrary, if you plant too high, the roots of the seedling will be exposed and may simply dry out in the summer heat or freeze out in winter.

• Next, you need to make a hole (roller) along the diameter (perimeter) of the trunk circle with a height of 5-10 cm.
• Spill abundantly with water, pouring out at least 2-3 buckets (pour out gradually - wait for it to be absorbed and add more).
• Tie the seedling to the prepared support with a soft twine and secure in the correct position.

• Smooth out the roller, loosen the soil in the trunk circle and mulch it with peat, humus or compost.

Mulch will help prevent dry roots and excess moisture evaporation.

Note! Mulch should not be laid close to the trunk of the seedling, as this can cause the bark to undergo heating and, consequently, cause the development of fungal diseases.

In any case, the grafting site should be higher than the mulch.

Video: how to plant a plum

Plum care after planting: basic activities

Immediately after planting, the plum sapling must prune to level the root system with the aboveground part (this is done for a kind of "resuscitation" of the seedling after planting, since any planting and transplanting is an injury and stress for the plant).

How to prune plums after planting in spring or fall?

• You need to leave the main trunk 50-60 cm high, making a cut above the healthy kidney.

If there are side shoots, then they also need to be shortened, leaving 2 buds each.

It is not unreasonable to argue that one of the main conditions for the successful rooting of plums is a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil. Therefore, if the weather is dry, then after planting, timely and regular watering should be carried out (1-2 times a week), pouring out 2-3 buckets of water. In the future, watering will need to be carried out as needed, depending on the weather conditions (in spring and autumn, you can water 2-3 times a month, and in the hot and dry summer period - once a week). And after each watering, if you have not mulched the trunk circle, it is recommended loosen the soil at the base to improve oxygen access to the roots and at the same time weed the weeds off the trunk circle.

By the way! It is very simple to determine that the earthen lump is dry and urgently needs watering: you dig a hole deep into the bayonet of a shovel (25-30 cm), take a handful of earth from the bottom, and if it is dry, then water it urgently.

Advice! Either make a new hole every year, or initially dig not very deep (maximum - 3 cm), so that moisture does not accumulate in it in the winter-early spring period and the root collar does not get wet and melt away.

Additional dressings during this season, it is no longer necessary to carry out, since all the necessary nutrients were introduced even during planting, and they should be enough for the next few years (2-3 years).

And if in the future you don't like the variety or want to have several different varieties on the same tree at the same time, You can plant plum in one of the known ways.

Of course, it is required closely monitor the condition of your tree so that he is not suddenly struck by any diseases, pests do not attack.

The most annoying diseases that affect the plum (as well as cherry plum) are clotterosporia (perforated spot) and polystygmosis (plum red spot or cherry plum).

Plum polystygmosis

If the plum is attacked by aphids, then in the fight against this malicious pest of fruit trees you will help .

And in the fall, do not forget to properly prepare the plum for winter.... It is especially important to mulch and lightly cover (insulate) young seedlings.

And next spring, you will again have to perform a series of simple activities to care for your stone fruit crop.

Well now you know everything it takes to correct fit plums in spring and autumn, as well as what will be needed in the post-planting period. A few years later, the plum will certainly thank the owner in full for the care rendered with an abundant harvest of sweet plum fruits.

Video: how to plant a plum correctly

Every gardener will come to the conclusion that he will have to propagate the plum on his own for the further planting of a seedling in his area. Knowing these basics will help you carry out the work on your own without purchasing seedlings from nurseries, since seedlings of not the best quality are often sold there.

The first option is reproduction by grafting, for which you first need to grow a stock from winter-hardy variety... After about a year, work can be done. Shoots can either be purchased or cut from an already mature tree. Vaccination is carried out during active sap flow, which usually happens in May.

Plum rootstock grafting

Another option is propagation by cuttings. They also work in the spring before the movement of useful elements under the bark of a tree. It is advisable to harvest the cuttings in late autumn before the onset of frost, after which they must be postponed until spring, stored in a basement at zero temperature. Vaccination is carried out in the spring, preferably early in the morning. Carefully connect the scion to the stock and wrap the cut with plastic wrap, and treat the cut with garden pitch.

The easiest way is to propagate using root shoots. You should definitely use it if you decide to carry out such work for the first time. To propagate a plum, you need:

1. Pick a healthy and strong shoot and dig it out.
2. Cut off the root at a distance of at least 15 cm from the root collar.
3. Plant him.

When to plant trees? Planting times depend on the weather and climate. For example, in the Urals and Siberia, it is better to carry out work in the spring, but in the south - in the autumn. Given that the plum tree is a very capricious tree, the choice of a suitable place should be taken seriously.

Of course, the seedling will grow in any area, but without all necessary conditions the plum will definitely not bear fruit. Therefore, for planting, choose an illuminated area, protected from drafts. Try to choose a place so that no shadow falls on the seedlings - the plum does not like it very much. Also, the selected area should be slightly raised so that in the winter season a layer of snow does not accumulate around the seedling to a height of more than 60 cm.

Autumn work should be carried out about 50 days before the onset of frost. If you purchased a seedling too late, then it is better to postpone the planting in the fall by digging in a young tree.

Planting a plum sapling

It is very important to choose the right seedling, taking into account the following recommendations: it should have up to 5 powerful roots about 25 cm long, while it should not have damaged and broken off shoots; seedlings can be grafted or self-rooted - their difference is that self-rooted ones can recover after freezing; there are self-fertile or self-fertile varieties - for the latter, in order for them to bear fruit, the company of the former is needed, that is, two trees will have to be planted. The depth for planting seedlings should be at least 50 cm, width - about 100 cm.

The pits are filled with a mixture of the upper fertile soil layer, 50 g of potassium salt, 15 kg of humus and 100 g of superphosphate. If the soil is too acidic, add 0.5 kg of dolomite flour to each pit. But if you have predominantly peaty soils on your site, the fertilization scheme will be different:

• 50 g of potassium chloride;
• 300 g superphosphate.

Before planting a seedling in the center of the hole, we hammer in a wooden peg, which will serve as an additional support for the tree. Next, we put the plant in the hole, distribute its roots, fill it with the prepared mixture and tamp the soil a little. In this case, the root collar should be located at a level not lower than 5 cm from the soil surface.

After planting seedlings, you need to provide them. Only in this case, it is possible to guarantee the survival of the culture in a new place, and a good harvest in the form of juicy and ripe plums. Most important point- creation of a competent water regime, which looks as follows:

• After planting, water each tree with 2 buckets of water;
• each seedling needs to be watered about 3 times per season (it also depends on climatic conditions- in Siberia and the Urals, the number of irrigations, in contrast to the southern regions, will be less).

Be careful with autumn watering. If, according to forecasts, rain is expected, then it is better to refuse work. The thing is that if the soil is too moist and the weather is warm enough, it may happen that the seedling will begin to grow new roots and the green mass will grow. Some varieties may even have secondary flowering. All this will lead to the fact that in Siberia and other cold regions, the plum simply will not survive the winter. It is advisable to mulch the ground with straw or leaves, which will keep moisture in the soil.

Plum tree mulching

A prerequisite for proper care is feeding. In the first year, you should not fertilize the seedlings - the plums will have enough of those components that you brought into the pit during planting. But in the next few years, you need to additionally add 20 g of urea for each square meter plot. During the fruiting period of plums, add 10 kg of compost, 50 g of superphosphate, 20 g of urea and the same amount of potassium chloride.

An important stage of care is soil loosening. So, it must be carried out every time before fertilizing. They dug the trunk circle onto the bayonet of the shovel, trying not to be too zealous - dig it at a depth of about 10 cm. You should not work deeper so as not to damage the roots of the tree. You also need to loosen the soil after the rains to provide the seedlings with oxygen to the roots.

It is very important to protect a young tree from frost, especially if you live in the Urals, where winters are especially harsh. The first step is to whitewash the trunks, which is what any fruit trees on the site need. Work is carried out using lime, but you need to properly prepare the solution to achieve the desired result.

There are two options for the solution:

• mix 2 kg of lime in 10 liters of water;
• prepare the mixture according to the above recipe and add 1 kg of clay and 500 g of mullein to it.

Whitewashing plums before winter

We advise you to choose the second option, as the whitewash prepared in this way will last longer on the trunk. It is also advisable to add copper sulfate to the solution by mixing 300 g of the product in 10 liters of water. Thanks to this, the whitewash will play a protective role against clasterosporium disease.

When it snows, you need to cover the trees with shields made of old slate and sprinkle them with snow. Such a structure will protect the young seedling from the wind. In the southern regions, where, unlike the Urals and Siberia, there can be a snowless winter, it is advisable to insulate the seedlings with a layer of spruce branches and sawdust. And so that the plum is not damaged by rodents, add peppermint leaves to the insulation.

Agronomists argue whether planting plums is appropriate in the fall. The period when the active movement of juices begins, which means that the survival rate will be high, is spring. This is the best time to start a garden. But there are also supporters of planting plums before winter.

Nuances of spring planting

It is necessary to plant plums in open ground in spring as early as possible. For this, the time from April 20 to May 10 is suitable. During this period, the soil is already frozen and the plum sapling will take root. Planting later is not worth it. The choice of a warm season guarantees:

1. High chance of engraftment, since the roots are in warm ground.
2. Fast growth.
3. Winter resistance.

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare seedlings, tools, study the technology and learn how and what to treat a young garden from pests in the summer.

Preparation of seedlings

Trees can be bought or grown by yourself. Before planting, you need to treat the rhizomes from pests.

Requirements for seedlings:

• without defects and broken off areas;
• rhizome at least 3-5 pcs. 25 cm each;
• without plaque and extraneous formations.

Process

For plums, temperature, light and humidity are important. A sunny, not too windy place is chosen on the site. It is optimal to plant a plum near a building or fence that will protect it from the north and west wind. The acidity of the soil should be 6.8-7.2. The tree should not be planted on clay or swampy soil, on the southern slopes. Planting is best done together.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Dig a planting hole 50 cm deep and 1 m wide.
2. Fill 2/3 of the height with a layer of soil. Mix with ash, compost and other fertilizers.
3. Place the root collar of the seedling 5 cm above ground level.
4. Set the barrel upright.
5. Cover the hole with earth.

For young trees, a vertical support is placed. Pour 2 buckets of water at once, watered at least 4 times per season. The distance is adjusted depending on the type: spreading ones require at least 3 m, compact ones - 1.5 m.

Autumn planting

Not recommended for young plants in a permanent location. More often, before winter, you have to plant trees, which are then transferred to another place. This can be done in 1-1.5 months. before freezing of the soil, after the end of the vegetative period of the plant. No further care is required in the fall.

Preparation of seedlings

In order for the tree to endure the winter well, certain specimens are chosen for planting:

• plums with a well-developed root system, aged from 1 year;
• healthy trees;
• resistant to low temperatures varieties.

Planting a tree in the fall will have to be different than in the spring. You also need to fertilize the soil and prepare a covering material for wintering seedlings.

Process description

Simple rules on how to plant a plum in the fall in open ground in the country:

1. Prepare the soil. For 2 weeks, fill a 60 × 80 cm pit with soil, sand and fertilizers - manure, potassium salt, superphosphate.
2. Place the seedling at an angle, inclined towards the ground. In the fall, this is needed to cover it for the winter.
3. Drizzle.
4. Mulch with peat or hay.

In late autumn, the seedling is sprinkled with earth and covered. The snow that has fallen will protect you from low temperatures. Already in the spring, such a tree is transplanted to a permanent place.

Agronomists agree that planting in the fall is a necessary measure. You cannot leave the tree in a permanent place during the cold season. It won't take root root system can rot and the tree can get sick.

How to care for a plum

To get a good harvest, you need to take care of the seedlings. When planting before winter, care is not needed, because the tree does not grow. If you managed to plant a young plum in the spring, then you need to follow several rules:

• water 2-4 times, depending on the weather and climate;
• mulch the ground around;
• apply fertilizers (except for the first year);
• cut off the crown by 1/3, leave shoots 20-30 cm above the upper lateral branch on the shoot.

Do not forget about the typical pests and diseases of the plum. In the spring, in the second year of life, they are further fed with urea. During harvest - with manure and ash. In the fall - potassium and phosphorus supplements.

Conclusion

Practice proves that it is better to plant fruit in a permanent place in the spring, when the juices are actively moving. In the fall, they choose a temporary place for wintering, and in April they move it. Maintenance is simple, but annual - it includes pruning and fertilization.

Juicy, sweet, with a delicate taste, plum is one of the most popular fruits growing in summer cottages. It can be eaten freshly harvested, prepared from it aromatic jam, compotes and other preparations. At the same time, plants often become a real decoration of the garden - the plum blooms very beautifully in late spring, and its trees are lush and easily create a cute and cozy corner for relaxation in the garden.

Plum is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees that belong to the Pink family. It brings together over 250 plant species. Thanks to selection, varieties were bred from some species, which are now grown in summer cottages. They differ in fruit color and size, ripening times, and sometimes in taste. The most popular are the following:

Variety	Image	Description
		Large, dense, purple-red fruits. Early variety
		The fruits are juicy, with a rich sweet peach flavor, round shape and bright yellow... This early maturing variety is recognized as one of the best yielding yellow fruits.
		Early maturing, winter-hardy and high-yielding variety... The tree produces large, dark purple oval-shaped drupes, ideal for home harvesting, since it is very easy to separate the bone from the pulp
		Fully corresponds to its name, as it gives fruits within a couple of years after planting, and they ripen at the very beginning of the warm season. Plums are reddish, large, juicy
		The fruit is juicy, heart-shaped, and has a deep dark red color. Mid-season, very sweet plum variety
		Interesting mid-season variety producing tasty medium-sized red fruits
		A late variety, which takes a very long time to prepare for the fruiting period after planting. Fruits are large, yellow, with excellent taste
		A high-yielding, frost-resistant, yellow-fruited plum variety that produces small but delicious fruits

The types of plums that summer residents cultivate on their garden plots, there are a great many. But they have a lot in common with each other:

• the fruit is a drupe;
• flowers of a pink or white shade are collected in inflorescences or single;
• leaves are lanceolate, serrated.

Plum is cultivated practically throughout Russia, but it is rarely grown on an industrial scale.

This plant is not highly resistant to low temperatures, therefore, with sharp and severe frosts, there is a high risk of losing all trees to a single one and being left without a crop at all.

We buy seedlings

It is best to buy plum tree seedlings in specialized nurseries for growing garden plants, since in spontaneous markets there is a great risk of running into a sick tree or being deceived and buying the wrong variety that you would like. In nurseries, plums are most often sold on the so-called seed stocks - these are rootstock plants sprouting from seeds, to which a scion is grafted - another plant. Thus, we get that very tree, which will then give us fruits. Trees grown from these seedlings begin to bear fruit early and abundantly.

Also, sometimes you can purchase own-rooted seedlings, that is, those that are grown from root shoots or cuttings. They are good because in the event of a tree freezing, it can be restored, and it is also convenient to grow seedlings on your own.

It is best to choose plum seedlings that meet the following parameters:

Parameter	Numerical value
Age	1-2 years
Plant height	110-140 cm
Barrel diameter	1.1 to 1.3 cm
Trunk height before bifurcation	40-60 cm
Barrel diameter at 10 cm from the inoculation site	1.3-1.7 cm
Branch length	about 15-20 cm for a one-year-old and about 30 cm for a two-year-old
Root system	About 4 roots from 25 cm long

By following this table, it will be more convenient to choose the right plum saplings.

Conditions for growing plums

After planting, the plum tree grows for about 7 years - at this time it bears little fruit. Then, at 12-15 years old, the most productive period begins, when the plant will annually delight you with a huge amount of juicy plums. Then the tree begins to age, and gradually the yield decreases. These are average numbers, which largely depend on the type of plant. Before purchasing seedlings, you should create for the plum optimal conditions existence - the rate of growth and development of the tree, the beginning of the fruiting period and yield will largely depend on this.

Plum is a light-loving plant, so find a well-lit and sunny spot on your site. If it is slightly shaded in the morning or evening, it's okay, it won't harm the plum.

You should not plant a tree in a lowland - in spring or autumn, cold air can accumulate there, which is detrimental to the plant. It is good if the plum grows in the area of ​​the fence or house, where it will be protected from the winds.

An ideal place for the growth of plums - in the area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe fence or house

Humidity is also a significant factor when growing plums. It does not tolerate drought well, but you should not plant it where water stagnates in the soil. The soil should have good drainage and a pH in the region of 6.5-7.2.

You can not plant a plum near other trees - they will deprive it the required amount moisture

Plum planting in autumn

Plums are planted both in spring, starting in mid-April, and in autumn time until mid-October. The main thing is that at least 25 days remain before the first frost. The technology for planting plums in autumn is as follows:

That's it, the plum is planted.

When tying the plant, do not use wire - it can damage the bark of the tree.

Video - How to plant a plum

Video - Planting a plum

We take care of the plum

Plum trees are pruned annually, starting from the first year of life - thanks to this procedure, a neat and beautiful crown is formed. Old branches are also cut off - this is a healing pruning, which is done in April as needed.

In a fruiting tree, it is important to thin out the fruits by removing part of them. The remaining plums will be larger, tastier and juicier.

Since the plum is a thermophilic plant, it must be well prepared for wintering. For this, the plant is fed, and the soil around it is well compacted. The trunk of a tree should be whitewashed with lime mortar both in autumn and in winter - this will help it more easily withstand temperature extremes and variability of weather in the spring-autumn period. A lime solution is prepared as follows: 3 kg of freshly slaked lime is mixed with 2 kg of clay and diluted in a bucket of water. It also saves well from frost and watering the plant. To protect the plum from birds that can peck at the buds, it is covered with a net for the winter.

It is not worth fertilizing the plum for the first 2-3 years - the fertilizers applied during planting will be enough for it. But then you should regularly apply both organic matter and mineral fertilizers to the soil around the trunk. In the spring, nitrogen-containing complexes can be added to the soil; from the middle of the season, nitrogen-potassium and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are introduced. Before wintering, you can add a little organic matter and potash-phosphorus fertilizers.

The soil around the trunk is periodically loosened and weeds removed. It is also important to remove the root growth periodically, about 4-5 times during the summer. It spawns up to 3 meters from the mother tree. It is necessary to remove it, as the overgrowth weakens the mature tree and reduces the yield. The procedure is simple: the soil is dug up to the place where the shoot is connected to the main root, and it is torn off. If the shoots are removed in this way, they will grow less frequently and more slowly.

Video - Preparing young trees for winter