Cherry plum Gold of the Scythians: description and characteristics of the variety, pollinators and cultivation with photos

Scythian gold is a unique cherry plum, suitable for cultivation in cold regions and pleasing with a plentiful harvest of sweet fruits with a strong aroma and pronounced taste. When ripe, the fruit has a bright yellow color. The variety is successfully grown by both experienced gardeners and beginners, showing good resistance to the effects of pathogens and pests.

Characteristic variety

Workers of the Academy named after A.I. K. A. Timiryazev. Cherry plum Gold of the Scythians was bred by pollination of the Kuban comet plum known to gardeners at the end of the 20th century.

Tree height and crown size

The Scythian gold tree reaches a height of 2-2.5 m. The crown of the cherry plum is sprawling, rounded. The leaf shape resembles a typical plum: oblong, with serrated edges and a pointed end. The twigs are thick, yellowish in some places.

Flowering, pollinators and fruiting

Flowers Zlata Scythians white color, numerous. The flowering period falls on April-May, and fruiting occurs in June. For the most part, plums are not self-fertile, and cherry plum Gold of the Scythians was no exception. Pollinator trees should be planted nearby and have the same flowering time. Plums are considered the best for such purposes:

• Yellow Pavlovskaya;
• Ruby;
• gift to St. Petersburg.

Fruiting of cherry plum Gold of the Scythians begins 4 years after planting a seedling on the site. The yield of the variety is up to 20 kg of fruit from each adult plant. The fruits are bright yellow in color, juicy, tasty, very sweet and fragrant.

What diseases and pests is the variety susceptible to

Yellow cherry plum Gold of the Scythians, whose variety description promises increased resistance to frost and drought, is exposed to pests and pathogens, especially under adverse weather conditions. To prevent their appearance and increase the immunity of the plant, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments in a timely manner.

Freeze and drought tolerance

Plum Gold of the Scythians is considered a heat-loving plant that can easily endure a period of drought. In addition, this variety has increased winter hardiness and is cultivated even in regions with cold climatic conditions.

Advantages and disadvantages of culture: is it profitable to grow?

Plum Cherry Skif has significant advantages that set it apart from its competitors:

• early harvest;
• beginning of fruiting 4 years after planting on the site;
• regular crops;
• suitable for growing in cold climates;
• excellent taste characteristics of fruits and their universal application.

At the same time, cherry plum is not without its drawbacks, among which gardeners note:

• inability to self-pollinate;
• low yields;
• need for mandatory disease and pest prevention;
• fruits are not suitable for long-term storage.

Summer residents who grow cherry plums on their plots Gold of the Scythians agree to put up with minor shortcomings, believing that they are fully compensated by the numerous advantages of the plant.

Planting and caring for cherry plum

Proper planting and care is the key to a good harvest. It is important not only to choose planting material and a place for its cultivation, but also to provide cherry plum with further necessary conditions for pollination, ovary formation and fruit ripening.

Choose a seedling

For planting on the site, it is preferable to choose cherry plum seedlings aged 1-2 years. It is these trees that take root best and do not get sick during transplantation. Gardeners growing the Zlato Scythian variety in the middle lane confirm this fact.

Before purchasing a cherry plum seedling, a thorough examination of the root system should be carried out. There should also be no broken shoots or cracked bark.

Determining the place

Plum loves warmth and light, so it should be planted on the south side of the garden plot. The soil she prefers is loamy, with a neutral level of acidity.

Of the neighbors of the Scythian Gold plum variety, it gets along well with stone fruit trees. It is recommended to plant cherry plums near:

• cherries;
• apricots;
• plums;
• turn.

Of course, it is best to plant a seedling in the place where its pollinator grows. But next to nightshade, large trees or berry bushes, cherry plum should not be cultivated.

On the selected site, the groundwater level should be no closer than 1.5 m.

Technology and scheme of planting seedlings

Planting work is carried out in the first decade of September or in early April. Before planting cherry plum, a number of preparatory work must be carried out. A hole is dug with a depth of 0.6 m and a diameter of 0.7 m. Next, a nutrient soil mixture is prepared, consisting of humus, sand and peat.

Sapling Gold of the Scythians is installed in the planting pit in such a way that the root neck is located about 5 cm above the soil surface. Prepared nutrient soil is poured into the pit and compacted. If the tree is weak, then you must immediately install a wooden peg next to it and tie the plant to it.

After landing around the cherry plum, make a small roller of soil and pour 30 liters of water. After waiting until all the moisture is absorbed, the ground around the tree is mulched. For these purposes, use straw or peat.

Experienced gardeners advise preparing a planting hole in advance, at least a couple of weeks. If planting a cherry plum seedling is planned for spring, then a hole is dug in the fall, after which mineral supplements and organics are added there. When placing several plants on the site, the distance between them is left at least 3 m.

Irrigation and fertilization

In conditions of rainy summer cherry plum Scythian gold does not need watering at all. This crop is highly drought tolerant. However, if there is no precipitation for a long time, the tree should be watered immediately after flowering is completed, then again - after the end of shoot growth and a third time - when the fruits begin to pour and acquire a characteristic color.

It is best to irrigate the cherry plum by filling the formed near-trunk circle with water. Its depth is up to 20 cm, and the diameter is up to 1 m. Up to 30 liters of water are brought under each tree during irrigation. If the autumn turned out to be dry, then in October the so-called water-charging irrigation is carried out. In this case, the liquid is poured 2 times more. Water for irrigation is heated in the sun to room temperature.

In order to develop normally, cherry plums need top dressing and fertilizers throughout the growing season. In the spring, when the trunk circle is being digged (approximately the beginning of April), potassium s alt and ammonium nitrate are mixed into the soil.In early May, urea is introduced into the ground. 20 g of fertilizer are taken for 10 liters of water, 5 liters of solution are added under each tree.

As soon as the cherry plum The gold of the Scythians fades, it is fertilized with a solution of mullein. Fresh mullein is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:3. After that, superphosphate is poured into the same place (at the rate of 50 g of the drug per 10 liters of the mixture). For each square meter of the trunk circle, 2 liters of ready-made fertilizer are applied.

In the first decade of June, Scythian gold is sprayed with a 4% solution of carbamide. Toward the end of September, cherry plum is watered with a fertilizer consisting of superphosphate, potassium sulfide and water. Each plant consumes 20 liters of prepared nutrient mixture. If it is not possible to prepare the indicated top dressing, then they make a mixture of manure, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate and apply it before digging up the ground.

Caring for the trunk circle

After each watering or heavy rainfall, the soil in the near-stem circle should be well loosened and weeds removed.This will ensure good air permeability of the soil. So that the resulting moisture does not evaporate very quickly, the trunk circle is mulched. In this case, materials that are well breathable are used. Otherwise, pathogenic bacteria and pests can multiply under the mulch.

Shaping the crown of a tree

Proper crown molding increases yield and fruit quality. Cherry plum is cut 3 times a year. The first sanitary pruning is carried out in March-April, until the buds have blossomed. Remove damaged and frozen branches during the winter, trying to give the crown of the tree a sparse-tiered shape.

At the seedlings of Zlata Scythians of the first year of life, 3 shoots are left, extending from the main trunk at an acute angle (about 45) and located at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Together, they should form an angle of 120. The remaining branches are cut at the level of the ring.In the next 2 years, new ones with similar characteristics are added to the existing processes. After that, the formation of the crown is stopped, the central shoot is pruned at the level of the third skeletal branch.

In the summer, all branches of the Zlata Scythians are shortened to a length of 0.7 m. This contributes to the formation of new fruitful shoots. Places of cuts are covered with garden pitch.

Preventive treatments

Most often, cherry plum is affected by perforated spotting, soot fungus and milky sheen. To prevent the appearance of spotting, before the buds bloom on the tree, it is sprayed with Nitrafen. With the advent of foliage, the plant is treated with a Bordeaux mixture.

Soot fungus is most often the result of improper watering and waterlogged soil. Spraying with a solution of copper sulphate with laundry soap helps to defeat the disease.Milky shine appears after pruning in the cold. Its prevention consists in the timely removal of the affected branches. Cut points are always treated with a mixture of oil paint and blue vitriol.

It is possible to prevent cherry plum from being damaged by plum codling moth if, immediately after flowering, the tree is sprayed with "Akarin", and during the growing season, the Gold of the Scythians is treated with "Alfatsin". The brown fruit mite settles in the dying bark. You can fight the pest by treating the tree with Apollo before flowering.

During the growing season, use the drug "Zircon". Ladybugs help prevent damage to the cherry plum by the acacia false shield. Also, before flowering, cherry plum is treated with "Confidor" or "Fufanon". During the growing season, the Kinmiks tool is used.

Preparing the tree for winter

Before the onset of cold weather, cherry plum should be sprinkled with earth, and the near-trunk circle should be mulched.Compost, humus, peat are used as mulch. The thickness of its layer should be about 20 cm. If a large amount of snow falls, then you can throw it additionally around the trunk. Such a procedure will allow not only to create additional shelter, but also to protect the Scythian Gold from freezing.

Growing cherry plum is not very difficult even for beginner gardeners. With good theoretical preparation, you can get a harvest of tasty yellow fruits with a strong aroma and a huge supply of nutrients.

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