Plum in Siberia: planting and care, which varieties are better to grow, preparation for winter

The Siberian climate is a real test for gardeners and gardeners. It is not easy to get a harvest of vegetables and fruits here, even with proper care. Not every variety of plants is able to produce a crop in a short summer. Plum in cold Siberia, planting and caring for which in other regions is not very difficult, needs special care. In addition, you need to choose the right variety, the fruits of which will have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather.

Climatic features of the region

The climate of Siberia involves the cultivation of exclusively cold-resistant plant species. Breeders have bred many types of plums that correspond to this indicator, but are characterized by other shortcomings:

• due to frequent fluctuations in temperature, the buds of trees freeze over, therefore only varieties with a long dormant period can be planted in a cold climate;
• strong winds wither shoots;
• lack of severe frost and an abundance of snow contribute to the rapid death of the lower part of the plum trunk, while even snow removal does not save the situation: in this case, the root system freezes out.

After a series of studies, it has been concluded that fruit trees are best grown in steppe areas or where there is a moderate amount of snow.

What varieties of plums are best planted in Siberia

Which plum in a dacha in Siberia will not only not freeze, but will also give a harvest? Of course, frost-resistant and self-fertile. Many varieties are known to meet these characteristics.

Frost-resistant varieties

The most hardy plum varieties that can withstand extreme temperature drops in Siberia are considered:

• Honey (withstands frosts down to -30 °С);
• Skoroplodnaya (tolerates cold down to -35 ° C);
• Bee;
• Maynor;
• Chulyma;
• Admiral Schlei;
• Amateur (withstand cold down to -40 ° C and are hybrids of cherries and plums);
• Uvelskaya;
• Pioneer;
• Hopty Yellow (tolerates temperatures as low as -50°C).

Self-fertile plum varieties

To obtain a rich harvest of plums in Siberia, it is recommended to give preference to self-fertile varieties that do not need additional pollination. It is advisable to present the best of them with a brief description in the form of a table.

HungarianPlums up to 6 cm in diameter, purple when ripe. The yield is high. The tree grows up to 6 m, the crown is spreading yellow-green or blueberry color. The tree is rarely affected by fungal infections, grows up to 6 m -orange color with small red patchesDawn of AltaiSmall-fruited variety. Red-orange plums ripening in AugustHoneyLarge greenish-yellow fruits. Winter-hardy varietyMeinorPlums are maroon in color, have excellent taste characteristics, are suitable for harvesting for the winter PeresvetPlums are small, orange in color with good taste. Fruit ripening occurs at the beginning of August

Variety name	Description

Best sweet varieties

Sweet varieties of plums with excellent taste characteristics and attractive appearance are also grown in Siberia. It is advisable to present the best of them in the form of a table with brief characteristics.

Manchurian beautyThe fruits are fuchsia-colored, have a pleasant sweet and sour taste Altai Jubilee Oyuna Fruits of a pink color. Variety imported from ChinaBaikal amber Very sweet type of plum with orange-amber fruitsMorning Round yellow fruits. The variety has an average frost resistanceEntertaining Plum has a high yield. Purple fruitsValor Plums are large, maroon.Up to 30 kg of crop is harvested from an adult tree

Variety name	Feature
Pinkish plums with good taste

Plum planting in Siberia

Plum varieties for Siberia will please the harvest only if they are chosen the right place for planting and provided with proper care. Planting a tree is not difficult, the main thing is to know some subtleties.

Choosing a seat

A good place for planting a plum will be a hill, a mound or a hillock in the southern, southeastern or southwestern part. The site should be protected from drafts and well lit by the sun.

Ground water must not be located closer than 1.5 m from the soil surface. It is unacceptable to plant a plum in the lowlands, because it is there that cold air accumulates, melt water flows in the spring. In places with heavy snowfalls, mounds are poured in the garden, on which seedlings are subsequently planted.

Preparing the landing pit

Soils with a neutral level of acidity are suitable for planting plums. If the soil in the garden is acidic, then the nutrients are poorly absorbed, as a result of which the tree develops poorly and almost does not bear fruit.

Before planting, it is imperative to deoxidize the soil by adding fluffy lime to it. In the future, the procedure will need to be repeated every 2-3 years.

Light loamy soil is best suited for growing plums. To improve its structure, you can use leaf humus. It is important not to overdo it with fertilizers, otherwise the seedlings will fatten, release many extra shoots, become susceptible to pests and do not survive the winter well.

If the soil is depleted, then a bucket of compost, a little wood ash, superphosphate, lime, potassium sulfate is added to a dug hole 0.6 m in size.If the ground is heavy, then a bucket of sand is also poured into the landing pit. All components are thoroughly mixed, and then sprinkled with light and clean soil.

Terms and technology of planting seedlings

As soon as spring comes and warm weather sets in, earth is poured into the prepared hole and a plum seedling is planted on the resulting mound. The roots are straightened in a downward direction. The root neck should be either level with the ground or deepened to 7 cm. The plant thus established is sprinkled with light soil without fertilizer.

To prevent stagnation of water near the trunk, it is not necessary to form a deep near-trunk circle. The seedling is tied to a peg installed nearby and watered abundantly (at the rate of 2-3 buckets of water per 1 plum). As soon as moisture is absorbed, the soil around is mulched. It is recommended to use for this both hay and dried vegetation, as well as compost, humus.

Planting a plum seedling in autumn in Siberia is highly undesirable. Due to the early onset of frost, the tree will not have time to take root well and will die. If there is such an urgent need, then he should provide good shelter and try to carry out landing work as early as possible.

Growing and care

Plum care in different regions of Siberia may vary. Microclimate features are taken into account. In harsh climates, organic top dressing, irrigation and pruning are reduced to a minimum.

Irrigation and fertilization

Immediately after planting, plums are watered once every 7 days. Saplings aged 2 years and older are irrigated only 3 times per season. The amount of water needed is selected so that it penetrates the soil to a depth of 30 cm.

On average, this requires 4 buckets of liquid. Excessive moisture provokes the appearance of pests. The first irrigation is carried out in the middle of May, the second - after the end of the flowering period, the third - as soon as the fruits begin to ripen.If the autumn turns out to be dry, then in the middle of the season the plums are watered again so that they can better endure the cold winter.

With a properly planted plum tree and a sufficient amount of fertilizer applied, the trees are fed 2 times a year. In the autumn, fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are applied. With the onset of spring, the plant needs nitrogen and magnesium. Supporters of he althy farming can use organic:

• humus;
• wood ash;
• turf;
• manure.

Tree pruning and undergrowth removal

In Siberia, plums are pruned once every 3 years. Remove dried branches from fruit-bearing plants. Every spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, which involves the removal of processes that have been badly affected by winter frosts. You can not remove more than 30% of the branches.

To make the shape of the tree look neat and well-groomed, all side shoots should be cut off, leaving only one of them - the most beautiful. In the spring, root growth is cut off, which interferes with the normal growth and development of the plum.

Pest and disease control

In conditions of Siberia plum is affected by codling moth, aphids and sawfly. In order to prevent damage to the crop and prevent trouble, preventive treatments with special-purpose preparations should be carried out in time. They are purchased at gardening stores. The tree trunk is whitewashed with a solution of slaked lime. From folk remedies, the invasion of pests helps to prevent a decoction of chamomile, which is sprayed and watered over the plum.

If brown spots become visible on the foliage, then this may be a sign of damage to the tree by clasterosporiosis. You can fight the disease by treating it with fungicidal or insecticidal preparations.

Feathered friends help to cope with harmful insects. A birdhouse can be placed on the drain, but it is imperative to feed the birds. Otherwise, they can damage ripening fruits.

Prevent ground freezing

Preparation for the winter season begins a couple of weeks before the onset of cold weather. The trunk circle is fertilized with organic matter. For these purposes, humus, potassium sulfate and wood ash are mixed. First, with a shovel, they lightly dig up the soil and loosen it, then add the prepared nutrient mixture and water the plum with 3 buckets of water.

After carrying out these procedures, they begin to inspect the crown and the tree itself. Dry branches are cut off, and the raised and spoiled bark is carefully removed with a metal brush or scraper. It is important not to damage the he althy parts of the plum stem.

So that in the cold season the plant is not annoyed by pests that like to settle under the bark, it is treated with a specially prepared solution.You can buy it ready-made in the store or make it yourself. To do this, mullein, clay and lime are mixed in equal parts. If necessary, add copper sulfate at the rate of 25 g per 1 liter of solution.

Before the onset of cold weather, the near-stem circle of the plum must be insulated. Apply for these purposes burlap or straw. If the winter is expected to be very cold and harsh, then roofing material or slate is laid on the ground. It is advisable to cover a low-growing seedling in a hut from available improvised materials.

It should be remembered that strong gusts of wind can rip off the shelter and damage the plum, so it must be properly secured by driving a few pegs into the ground and tying a hut to them.

Things to consider when growing plums in Eastern regions

In Siberia, summers are unpredictable, and winters are long and cold. This climatic feature must be taken into account by gardeners who want to get plums on their plot.For this tree, it is more comfortable where the snow cover is not too plentiful. It is not afraid of the winter cold; spring temperature jumps do much more harm. After all, frost-resistant varieties easily withstand the Siberian temperature drop in winter, but spring return frosts kill the buds.

For cultivation in the eastern part of Siberia, plum varieties are selected that are dormant for a long time and slowly emerge from it. In this area, trees often suffer from rotting of the bark at the bottom of the trunk. Also, freezing of the roots often happens.

If there is a lot of snow, then the bark of the plum tree under drifts gradually dies off. Its cleaning gives rise to another problem: the freezing of the root system. Experienced gardeners resort to such a solution as freezing the soil. It allows not only to prevent dampening, but also to prevent the seedling from freezing.

In severe cold, freezing of the plum crown occurs, therefore it is recommended to focus on a long-term forecast and, if necessary, use covering materials or spruce branches.

In the east of Siberia, varieties of trees are grown not only with increased frost resistance, but also with good resistance to fungal diseases. Those who have a dacha and their own garden pay attention to the characteristics of annual shoots, since it is they who often suffer from winds and dry up quickly.

Plums are harvested in the eastern part of Siberia in late July - early September. Exact dates can only be established by studying the characteristics of the selected variety. Weather conditions have a certain influence on them. Fruiting in a seedling occurs 3-4 years after planting on the site. Plum lives about 20-25 years. After the tree reaches its peak yield, this figure gradually begins to fall. Over time, the plant dries out completely.

Experienced gardeners in the east of Siberia practice self-breeding of their favorite varieties by grafting plums onto seedlings from Canadian or Ussuri species.They have excellent frost resistance. In addition, these varieties endure all the troubles of local climatic conditions. But even such trees need protection and proper care.

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