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Cherry plum Gold of the Scythians is an early, widely used variety. Its fruits ripen in July and are valued for their extraordinary taste and benefits for the human body. Usually such a plum is consumed fresh, however, compotes, sauces, and desserts are sometimes prepared from it. The tree blooms very beautifully, therefore it is used as a component of landscape design.
Variety description
The description of the Scythian cherry plum gold indicates that the variety is artificially bred by Moscow academicians on the basis of free pollination of the Kuban comet variety. In the early 2000s, the variety was included in the State Register.
This type of cherry plum is considered to be early ripe. A specific characteristic is juicy tasty fruits.
Individuals of the variety are medium-sized. An adult tree usually reaches 2,5 – 3,5 meters in height. Its crown is spreading, but not dense. Shoots are yellow. The leaves of the culture are large, have an elongated shape and a pointed top. The flowers are medium, during the flowering period they cover the tree abundantly.
The variety propagates by budding or on rootstocks. The best rootstock for Scythian gold is plum.
The fruits are large, their average weight is 35 grams. Such cherry plum is slightly oval. The color of the fruits is bright yellow, they are reliably protected from damage by a strong peel. The surface of the fruit has a slight coating. The pulp is juicy, soft, slightly sour in taste, has a strong pleasant aroma. The stone inside the fetus is large, it is not easy to separate it.
Video “Description”
From the video you will learn a lot of new and interesting things about this fruit.
Advantages and disadvantages
Characteristics of the cherry plum variety Gold of the Scythians suggests that this variety of plum perfectly adapts to environmental conditions. Therefore, the crop can be successfully grown in most regions with different climates. The variety is characterized by early ripening of fruits – in early summer. Scythian gold outwardly resembles other cherry plum plants, but has a sweeter taste.
Among the advantages of the plant, one can also note a constant sufficient harvest, early ripening, high resistance to cold, large fruits and their juicy sweet pulp.
However, the variety also has some disadvantages. Among them: self-fertility, low resistance to cold flower primordia. In addition, the harvest extremely unsuccessfully “survives” transportation.
Landing
Scythian gold is a hybrid that can easily adapt to different climatic regions. It is best to purchase seedlings in the area where it is planned to grow it. After all, such young plants will best take root due to the fact that they are already accustomed to the conditions of this region.
Cherry plum can develop and grow actively only with the proper amount of sunlight and heat. Therefore, when choosing a landing site, it is worth considering these factors. In the north or northwest, it is better to provide “protection” from drafts for plants. For the variety, the presence of pollinators is very important, so the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbits growth should be large enough.
In areas with a temperate climate, plants are recommended to be planted in early spring. The main thing is to wait for the earth to warm up. It is best to carry out the procedure in mid-April. The main thing is to be in time before the buds of the leaves begin to bloom.
In areas where frosts reach -10 ° and below in winter, planting can be carried out in early autumn. Before winter, individuals will have time to adapt to the weather conditions of the environment.
The most suitable soil for Cherry plum, as well as other stone fruits, is slightly alkaline. Excessively moist soil is best avoided.
Not the best option for planting the “Scythian” cherry plum is low areas where cold humidified air stagnates, and in spring – melt water. It is advisable to purchase seedlings at certified points of sale. You can study the reviews of gardeners on the Internet, and then choose the best store. It is very likely that at fairs and markets you will be “slipped off” a fake.
When finally deciding on a purchase, be sure to pay attention to the bark, shoots and roots. The bark should be smooth and elastic. It should not show signs of peeling. The branches of the plant should be flexible, if possible, cut off a piece from them and look at the wood. In a healthy seedling, it is white or slightly greenish, but by no means beige-brown.
The roots of an annual seedling reach a length of no more than 0,1 meters. All of them must be healthy and not dry or moldy. In two-year-old seedlings, the roots are 3 times longer.
Care
Cherry plum is an unpretentious plant. And the gold of the Scythians is no exception. However, you can’t just plant a culture, and then safely forget about it. Indeed, in this case, the harvest can simply not wait.
As for watering, individuals growing in temperate climates do not need them at all. The soil near the trunk only needs to be moistened after a long drought. In this case, 3 plentiful waterings are enough for the entire cycle of crop development: after the petals shed and the shoots stop growing, the fruit will begin to turn yellow.
If the pit was properly organized during planting, then next year the plants can not be fed at all. Individuals will need fertilizers only in the second year after planting Cherry plum on your site. It is best to alternate between organic and mineral supplements. Any cherry plum tree needs nitrogen and potassium, while it practically does not need phosphorus.
In total for a season, it costs about 5 times to fertilize crops. The amount of fertilizing depends on the fertility of the soil and its type.
In the first five years, cherry plum is cut to form a crown. All subsequent pruning is aimed at maintaining the already existing shape of the tree. The crown of the plant is not dense, so it is worth trimming it in the same way as a sparse-tiered one.
The crown formation procedure includes:
- In a planted seedling, the central stem and the 5 most powerful ones should be shortened by 0,1 – 0,15 meters, all the rest should be cut to the point of growth.
- A year later, on the second tier (located half a meter higher), only 3 stems must be left. The remaining stems and processes are eliminated in the same way as the previous time. On the lower tier, on each main stem, 3 branches are left growing at an acute angle with the same interval of branches. Everything else is cut to the point of growth.
- The third, last, tier is 1 branch, located half a meter above the second tier. All short branches are removed to the base. The main branch is shortened by 0,1 – 0,15 meters. When the tree reaches 3 meters in height, the top is removed so that the distance from it to the main branch is 0,3 meters.
After the formation of the crown, it will be necessary to systematically carry out sanitary pruning. In spring and autumn, all broken, dry, frozen and damaged organs are cut to the point of growth. Those that grow down and deep into the crown are also eliminated. They shade the fruits, as a result of which the latter do not receive the proper amount of sunlight and heat.
Harvesting
The first crop is harvested five years after planting the seedling in a permanent place. The fruits are removed from the branches in the middle of summer, cutting them off with a “tail”. The ideal day for this is warm (but not hot) and dry. If it rained the day before, it is better to refrain from harvesting. Fully ripened Scythian Gold can hang for another 5 days on a tree.
Harvest ripens in parts. You can fully harvest the crop in 2-3 times with an interval of a week. The specific collection period depends on the period of application of the fruit. The fruits are very soft, so it is undesirable to “chough” them from the tree so as not to damage them.
Cherry plum variety has a universal application. In addition to fresh consumption, it can be used to make juice, compote, wine and various types of desserts.
The fruits of the variety do not store well. The sorted and dried fruits, laid out in wooden boxes in 1 layer at a temperature of 5 °, remain fresh for only 20 days. By collecting unripe fruits, you can increase their period by another week at a temperature of 7 ° – 10 °.
Plums can be stored at room temperature for only 5 days. To store fruits for a long time, it is best to freeze them. The only limitation is the size of your freezer.
So, Zlato Scythians is an artificial variety of cherry plum, which is widely used for various purposes.
Video “Growing”
From the video you will learn how to properly grow this fruit tree.
