Contents
Plum is a fruit crop, a place for which every amateur gardener finds on his personal plot. If you choose the right variety, plums can be grown in most regions of Russia. Breeders have created a large number of winter-hardy varieties and hybrids, zoned to the conditions of a long frosty winter. This fruit crop is relatively fast-growing, which means that a few years after planting, you can count on the first significant harvest.
A variety of varieties with fruits of different colors and ripening periods, unpretentiousness in care, make the plum one of the most common crops in amateur and industrial gardens. For the middle lane, it is preferable to choose plum varieties with early and mid-early ripening periods so that the peak of fruiting ends before the first frost.
7 best varieties of plums
These varieties are distinguished by increased resistance to diseases and pests, good winter hardiness and dessert taste of fruits.
Early. An early variety, ripening by the 1st-2nd decade of August, has exceptional frost resistance. The variety is not affected by fruit rot, has an increased resistance to major diseases and pests of stone fruit crops. Fruits of a reddish hue with yellow sweet pulp weighing up to 30 g. Plum of this variety puts up with drought, during a period of lack of moisture, neither growth nor fruiting suffer.
Yakhontovaya. Plum of this variety has excellent frost resistance and resistance to insect pests and diseases of fruit crops. Fruits of yellow color have a light wax coating, a pronounced sweet and sour taste, reach a mass of 30 g. The Yakhontovaya plum variety is drought-resistant, 3 kg of fruit can be harvested from a tree for 50 years after planting.
Tula black. The variety is characterized by a high level of immunity to major diseases and pests of stone fruit crops, taste and frost resistance are somewhat lower than those of previous crops. The main purpose of dark blue fruits with a sweet and sour taste is to use for harvesting, preparing dried fruits. The fruit ripening period is mid-September.
Chinese. A winter-hardy variety of medium early ripening (mid-September) has a high immunity to pests and diseases of fruit trees. The variety has large, red fruits weighing up to 70 g of delicate sweet taste.
Blue gift. The sweet fruits of this variety weigh a little – only 15 g. They ripen in the 1-2 decade of August, the tree is frost-resistant, rarely exposed to diseases.
Giant. Delicate fruits of this variety correspond to the name – they reach a weight of 110 g, have a pleasant taste, sweet without cloying. Trees of this variety are unstable to fungal diseases, winter hardiness is low.
Stanley. An old American variety, popular to this day. It is in the state register of the Russian Federation, recommended for cultivation in the south of Russia. Medium-sized trees reach a height of 3 m. They have a rare crown. Large and very large fruits of dark purple and green color are covered with a wax coating. The pulp of the plum of this variety is sweet, dense and fragrant, the stone is separated. The purpose of the variety is to use it as a dessert, for drying for the future, for homemade preparations.
All of the above plum varieties are characterized by early fruiting (obtaining the first crop from the third year of life), good yields. They are used as a dessert or raw material for preparations: making compote, jam, jam, marshmallow, etc. Plums of these varieties are transportable, that is, they are suitable for transportation over long distances.
Early Yakhontovaya Tula Black Chinese Blue Gift Giant Stanley |
early plum varieties
Early ripening varieties are attractive for commercial use of the crop, as the crop can be sold at a profit.
July. Plums of this variety are used as a dessert and for preparations. The ripening period of red fruits with yellow and sweet pulp is the end of July. Productivity – 12 kg per tree, the first harvest is taken already in the 3rd year of the tree’s life. The average weight of ovoid fruits is 30 g. The tree has an average height, medium foliage, shoots take on an arched shape. Plum of this variety prefers abundant sunlight throughout the daylight hours and moderate soil moisture.
Zarechnaya early. The ripening period of large blue fruits of this variety is mid-July. The pulp of the fruit is yellow, has a pleasant sour taste, plums are covered with a wax coating. The tree of the variety Zarechnaya early bears fruit regularly, from 3-4 years of age, the average yield is 15 kg per tree. The purpose of the fruit is to use it as a raw material for harvesting.
Early. The variety has increased winter hardiness, the fruit ripening period is the end of July-beginning of August. Small fruits with red skin are transportable, have fragrant juicy pulp. The yield of the variety is 10 kg per tree, the Skoroplodnaya plum begins to bear fruit for 4 years of life. The purpose of the fruit is to use it as a dessert.
The July Zarechnaya early Early |
Medium-ripening varieties
Mid-ripening plums always find their connoisseurs among gardeners, as they have a bright color and rich taste. Fragrant fruits are most often used for harvesting and home winemaking.
Souvenir of the East. The table variety obtained as a result of selection work is characterized by high yield (up to 40 kg per tree) and large beautiful fruits with crispy, sweet pulp. The crown of the tree is low, located at a height of no more than 2,5 m. The color of large fruits is dark blue, weight – up to 40 g, pulp color – yellow. The purpose of the harvest is the use as a dessert, technical processing.
Romen. Used in amateur gardens, ripens in the 2nd decade of August. The variety is characterized by regular fruiting, has foliage of a reddish tint. High-quality fruits of medium size (up to 25 g), have red skin and flesh of the same color. Used for dessert and for processing for the winter.
Souvenir of the East Romen |
Late plum varieties
Most often used for conservation and harvesting for the winter in the form of dried fruits, they have good frost resistance. Gardeners in the middle lane and northern regions should be selective in choosing late-ripening varieties, since you can lose most of the crop due to early September frosts.
The president. The ripening period is mid-September, the tree of this variety is exceptionally productive, with good care, you can get from 40 to 70 kg of large blue fruits with juicy yellow flesh. The purpose of the fruit is universal, suitable for obtaining prunes, long-term storage and transportation.
EmpressThe tree of this variety is tall, up to 4 m in height, the ripening period is 2-3 decades of September. Plum of this variety begins to bear fruit for 4-5 years of life. It gives about 20 kg of dark purple large fruits with yellow and juicy pulp (up to 50 g). Purpose – processing and procurement.
President Empress |
Varieties of yellow plum
Plum yellow varieties resemble cherry plum in color, but these two cultures are radically different from each other, both in taste and in appearance.
Egg. The tree of this variety perfectly adapts to adverse weather conditions. Large, round fruits of mediocre taste ripen in late August-early September. They cannot be stored for a long time, they deteriorate already 4-5 days after collection. The beginning of fruiting falls on the 6th year of the tree’s life. The purpose of the fruit is processing for canning.
Altai Jubilee. It takes root equally well both in the south and in the northern regions. The variety of early ripening has small yellow-red fruits with juicy friable pulp. The beginning of fruiting is the 3rd year of the tree’s life. It is susceptible to chlorosis and pest attack. Plum of this variety is not transportable over a long distance.
Honey white. The taste of the fruit corresponds to the name, their flesh is juicy and sweet. The tree is tall (up to 5 m), early ripening, round fruits, medium size. The grade differs in high productivity, winter hardiness.
Egg Altai Jubilee honey white |
Chinese plum
This culture is a rarity in our gardens. Its fruits are attractive and appetizing. The Chinese inhabitant is ecologically clean, more frost-resistant, early in fruiting. This type of plum is characterized by unusual flowering: the crown is covered with a dense ball of inflorescences, giving spectacularity and originality to the landscape. The flowering period falls on rainy, cool weather, so flowers that are unable to self-pollinate do not receive the help of insects. To solve such a problem, cherry plum should be planted next to the Chinese plum, it is a reliable pollinator. The fruits of the plant are red or yellow, heart-shaped. The pulp is juicy, with an adherent bone and a special taste.
Varieties of Chinese plum: “Red Ball”, “Skoroplodnaya”, “Red Meat”, “Golden Ball”, “Anniversary”, “Shiro Seedling”. “Golden Ball” has the taste of pineapple.
Other varieties of plums
A wide range of plum varieties offered by breeders allows you to choose seedlings for various climatic conditions.
Top hit – a late-ripening variety with large egg-shaped fruits (up to 80 g) with tasty pulp with a slight sourness.
General’s – a frost-resistant variety for technical purposes, has small red fruits with soft pulp, making them non-transportable. Low-growing trees are frost-resistant, they are distinguished by abundant flowering at the end of May.
Morning – the variety has green-yellow fruits of medium size with yellow juicy pulp.
Nenka – high-yielding and frost-resistant variety with medium-sized fruits (up to 22 g). The tree is medium-sized, the crown has a wide pyramidal shape.
Alenushka – the variety is bred from the Chinese plum, so the leaves of the tree with a spherical crown look like peach leaves. Sweet large fruits of dark pink color have an inseparable stone.
Chemalskaya a large – the variety is early-growing, yields a crop for 3-4 years, frost-resistant, needs pollinating varieties. Both buds and wood are frost-resistant, the tree needs sufficient watering.
Spike blue suite – high-yielding mid-season variety with juicy and sweet fruits weighing up to 60 g. The crown of the tree is compact.
Red ball – dessert variety of large-fruited plums with rounded red fruits with juicy, light yellow flesh. The tree is medium-sized, up to 2.5 m tall, the fruits are transportable.
Eurasia 21 – a tall tree with red-burgundy juicy and sweet-sour fruits with a wax coating. Fetal weight up to 35 g.
Tula black (Bryansk late) – productive, self-fertile variety with an average ripening period. It has medium frost resistance, dark blue oval fruits with reddish flesh.
Blue Gift – mid-season, self-fertile, high-yielding variety. Large fruits have excellent taste, dark purple color.
Red-breasted Red – an early ripening self-fertile variety of folk selection ripens in August. The oval fruits with sweet dense pulp are purple in color.
Oh yeah – unpretentious early ripe variety even on loamy soil gives high yields. Requires the introduction of a large amount of organic matter and sufficient watering. The low-growing tree is annually strewn with purple fruits with fleshy sweet and sour pulp.
Kuban legend – A medium-sized tree has a pyramidal crown. Egg-shaped red-violet fruits with green flesh reach a weight of 35 g.
Screamed – the variety is zoned for the northwestern regions. The low-growing tree has a sparse weeping crown. The mass of oval burgundy fruits reaches 25 g, their stone is easily separated from the pulp. Plum is suitable for both dessert and canning.
Valor– mid-season variety of Canadian selection. Large egg-shaped fruits of blue color with juicy greenish-cream pulp reach a weight of 50 g.
Memory of Timiryazev – a medium-sized tree with a weeping crown has oval juicy fruits with yellowish flesh. The stone of plums with lilac skin is easily separated from the pulp.
Hungarian – transportable variety is intended for the production of prunes. Dark red oval fruits have a sugary dense pulp with a sweet taste. The bone is easily separated.
Mirabel – plums of this variety are similar to cherry plum, but unlike it, they have sweet pulp and an easily detachable stone. The shape of small fruits is oval, with pointed ends.
Ternosliva – a low-growing tree with excellent adaptability to various growing conditions. The variety is unpretentious to care, has a high yield, its purpose is conservation.
Damascene – has oval fruits of various colors (white, black, blue, yellow).
Canadian plum – the variety is self-infertile, needs additional pollination, due to early flowering it is not afraid of spring frosts.
Burbank Giant – frost-resistant diploid variety with large fruits of excellent taste. Resistant to monoliosis.
Kabardinka – the variety was created by breeders of the Stavropol Territory and Kabardino-Balkaria. Mid-season, ripens in mid-August. Spherical fruits have very tasty pulp, reach a mass of 45 g.
Angelina – the variety is characterized by a powerful crown that needs to be formed to accelerate fruiting. Plums of this variety are early-growing, they begin to yield a crop for 3 years after planting. The fruits are similar to those of cherry plum.
Masha – medium-sized tree of early ripening. Dark pink fruits with yellow flesh have an excellent dessert taste.
Top hit General’s Morning Nenka Alenushka Chemalskaya Spike blue suite Red ball Eurasia 21 Tula Black Blue Gift Red-breasted Red Oh yeah Kuban legend Screamed Valor Memory of Timiryazev Hungarian Mirabel Ternosliva Damascene Canadian plum Burbank Kabardinka Angelina Masha |
How to choose the right plum seedling?
The first step towards future high yields is the choice of a healthy seedling, prepared for sale and transportation in accordance with all the rules. It is best to purchase young plum trees from nurseries where they are grown by professionals.
The initial inspection of a plum seedling is an assessment of the condition of the bark and kidneys. The bark should not be damaged, and the buds should be slightly swollen and greenish when bought in the spring. Dry, dried buds are a sign of the death or freezing of a tree.
Basic requirements for seedlings
Plum seedling suitable for planting can be annual or biennial. An annual seedling is a thin, even trunk without branches. A two-year-old seedling is a trunk (at least 2,5 cm in diameter) with 3-4 branches – the beginnings of skeletal branches 50-60 cm long. Both of them take root well in a new place, although two-year-olds begin to bear fruit faster. Three-year-old plum seedlings are more sensitive to transplantation.
Particular attention when choosing a seedling should be given to the health of the roots. The root system should be fibrous, with a central root and many branches and thin roots.
Rules for the transportation and storage of seedlings
The optimal time for the acquisition and planting of plums in the middle lane:
End of March – beginning of April;
End of September – beginning of October.
For the south of Russia, these dates are shifted by 2-3 weeks forward (in spring) or backward (in autumn).
Seedlings with a closed root system take root best of all. A reliable seller will definitely cover the roots of the seedling with clay mash before selling to protect it from drying out and damage during transportation. If the root system is not protected, and the seedlings need to be transported, their roots are wrapped in a damp cloth, grass, straw. If the root system is dry, there is a risk of death of the seedling.
Conclusions
A large assortment of zoned plum varieties, suitable for cultivation in most regions, allows you to purchase planting material to your taste. The choice of a quality seedling with the expected characteristics, proper planting and care will definitely reveal the potential of the variety and help you get a good harvest.
Author of the article: Kuzmin Aleksey Alexandrovich, expert agronomist, specially for the site ayzdorov.ru