How to plant a plum: the rules of cultivation and care, treatment for pests and diseases

Lovers of this fruit tree face problems when growing. Studying the information will help you avoid mistakes and understand how to grow plums correctly. There is nothing special about this. Following the recommendations will help you get a he althy and strong tree that will give a glorious harvest.

Conditions for growing plums

To grow a fruit crop, you must follow the subtleties and recommendations of experienced professionals. If you create optimal conditions for growth and development, the tree will thank the declared harvest.

Composition of earth mix

Knowing what kind of soil the cultivated plant likes, it is easier for the summer resident to choose a place for planting. The future harvest of seedlings depends on this.

Plum grows well on clay and medium clay soil. If the soil has a high calcium content, then the tree will begin to grow rapidly and bear fruit abundantly. High acidity is detrimental to plums, as is the close occurrence of groundwater.

Climatic conditions

Breeders develop tree varieties that are adapted and adapted to growing in any climatic conditions. Summer resident, choosing a variety, should take into account the peculiarities of the climate of the region.

Favorable neighborhood

Some cultures can't stand being next to each other. Therefore, when planting a tree, it is important to consider which plants are located in the neighborhood.

Don't plant a plum next to:

• walnut;
• hazel;
• fir;
• birch;
• poplar.

The tree is tolerant of a pear growing on the side.

Plum grows well next to cherries, apples, black currants. In some distance, raspberry bushes, strawberries, shade-tolerant flowers are planted.

How to plant a plum

The tree is grown in open ground. They plant it in different ways, the summer resident chooses the optimal and more suitable method. When landing, various subtleties are taken into account. Following the techniques leads to the fact that a he althy tree grows.

Optimal timing

Planting material is planted in spring or autumn, depending on the preferences of the summer resident. Gardeners recommend planting trees in warmer regions in autumn, and in colder regions in early spring.

When the soil completely melts in the spring, then seedlings should be planted. It is advisable to make it start sap flow.

In autumn, the summer resident himself guesses the term, based on the climatic characteristics of the growing region. It is advisable to plant seedlings 1.5-2 months before the first frost.

Optimal location on the site

In addition to the composition of the soil, the summer resident must take into account the fact that the plum, although frost-resistant, needs a place protected from wind and drafts. Groundwater should be at least 2-3 meters deep.

Do not forget about the sunlight, the tree should receive it most of the daylight hours.

Before planting a seedling, calculate the optimal distance from neighboring trees and shrubs.

Soil preparation

The land in the area selected for landing needs to be prepared in advance. It is recommended to plant planting material in fertilized soil.

With a lack of nutrients, they are applied immediately before digging. As an option, add humus, peat, river sand (if necessary), complex mineral fertilizers.

If the soil is acidic, add lime, wood ash or dolomite flour to neutralize.

Scheme and dimensions of the landing pit

Planting trees is carried out in pre-prepared pits. The scheme is calculated based on the size of an adult tree, depending on the variety, they are different. The approximate distance between plums when planting is from 2.5-4 m.

The planting hole should be 0.8 m wide and 0.5 m deep. It is advisable to plant the plum 10-14 days after preparation, not immediately.

For seedlings with a closed root system, there are no special differences in the planting pattern and the formation of the planting pit.

Disembarkation Technology

A stake is driven into the middle, it will serve as a support for fragile seedlings. Fill the hole with fertile soil.

Pour the earth into a slide, slightly above the edges. This is necessary so that after planting, the settled earth does not form a hole near the trunk. Rainwater will stagnate in it, this will lead to decay of the root system.

A seedling is placed on the formed hill, carefully sprinkled with a layer of soil. Shake the plant lightly to help the roots settle properly. Sprinkle again and water with water.

Plum care

The plant needs care not only in the first year. If the features of planting plum trees are observed, then it will be easy to care for them. By following standard agricultural practices, the gardener will get a he althy plant from a young plum tree.

Strengthening fruit branches with props

So that the grown seedling does not suffer from an abundance of fruits, it is necessary to install props for branches with berries.

Use any material at hand, often these are branches that are forked at the top. They are installed approximately in the middle of a branch with fruits, slightly lifting it up. Such support will help to avoid breakage. Especially with strong gusts of wind.

Caring for the near-stem circle

The soil near the seedling needs care, through it the plum receives nutrients. Required:

• loosening;
• weed and overgrowth removal;
• mulching;
• watering and fertilizing.

Weed grass is a carrier of viruses and bacteria, in addition, pests find refuge in it. Therefore, its timely removal will help protect the plum from diseases and insects.

Water and mulch

Plum loves moisture. Therefore, during the dry period, the tree needs abundant watering. How many times to water a tree per season is definitely difficult to answer. It is desirable that during irrigation the soil gets wet to a depth of 40 cm.

Irrigation rate per tree is 4-5 buckets. During the fruiting period, the amount of moisture is increased. Often watering is not necessary, it is necessary to moisten abundantly.

Mulching is practiced by many summer residents, the layer protects young roots from the sun. And in older trees, mulch reduces weeds and prevents rapid drying.

Feeding

Organic fertilizers are applied 1 time in 2-3 years, the first time the drain does not need them. When planting a tree, humus, peat and mineral supplements are added to the planting pit.

You need to take care of the growing seedling in such a way that the tree does not need nutrients. Then it grows perfectly, bears fruit faster.

Feeding calendar should be based on mineral fertilizers, less often organic. Do not apply a lot of nitrogen, the tree will begin to form a green mass, and there will be no fruits and ovaries.

In autumn, during the preparation of plants for winter, phosphorus or potassium is added. If the leaves on the tree turn pale, gardeners recommend spraying them with diluted s altpeter or urea.

Crown formation

In order for the plum to grow correctly, it is necessary to form a crown. Do it in spring or early summer. In July-August, only sanitary pruning is carried out.

When to trim

Summer residents are advised to form a crown in early spring in order to injure plants as little as possible. Some do it in the fall, after they have harvested all the fruits. Sanitation is done throughout the growth period.

Cutting patterns and technology

Without proper shaping, the plum tree will grow tall, making harvesting much more difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to prune from the first year of the seedling's life.

The schemes are different. Basically, gardeners use a simple formation. So that the tree grows low and gives a lot of fruit:

• the first year the seedling is cut in height, leaving the guide at 1 m from the ground;
• the second year, 6-7 skeletal ones are left around the central branch, the length is cut by 10 cm;
• for the third year, 3-4 lateral branches are left on each skeletal branch, they are shortened;
• following years remove all branches that grow inside the crown and reduce growth.

With proper shaping, the plum will give the declared yield, which the gardener can easily remove from the tree.

Do I need to cover for the winter

Plum in most cases withstands harsh winters. But she is sheltered for the cold, this applies to young trees. Older plants mulch for the winter, covering the root system.

How to handle infections and insects

Insect invasion - a misfortune familiar to summer residents. Timely processing helps protect plants from viruses and pests. They use chemicals, biological agents, folk methods. Gardeners recommend spraying with Bordeaux liquid, blue vitriol and other preparations.

Processing times

Various processing times are recommended against pests and diseases. It is recommended to root or spray the tree. By following the rules, the gardener will get a he althy plant and save the harvest.

Early spring

Processing at this time is carried out before the start of sap flow. Preventive measures begin to be carried out immediately after the snow melts and the soil dries.

The old foliage is removed from the trees, dry branches are cut, this is where pests and pathogens hibernate.

Without much risk, summer residents use chemicals, they are stronger, more effective and longer lasting. Tree trunks are whitewashed, cracks are treated with copper sulphate, cuts are treated with garden pitch.

Against many diseases, spraying with copper sulphate will help, making sure that the composition flows into all cracks. Insects are treated with insecticides.

During flowering

Processing at this time is carried out with caution, as some chemicals can linger in the plant for a long time and be transmitted to the fruits.

The red fruit mite is especially dangerous for plums. It is activated just at the beginning of flowering. The pest is able to destroy the ovaries, leaving the summer resident without a crop.

To fight insects use drugs:

• Apollo;
• Nissoran;
• Fitoverm;
• "Neoron";
• Sunmite.

Before use, you should read the instructions and weigh all the pros and cons. Summer residents use biological means to combat insects and infections or find folk remedies. Their action is not so long and effective, but it is safe for humans.

After flowering

Just as during flowering, chemicals cannot be used. Insects are dangerous for the plant, which prevent the formation of ovaries in the summer. Pests can destroy most of the crop or seriously damage the plum tree. These include:

• phish;
• leaflet;
• leafhopper and other insects.

Important treatment in early spring. But if the pests nevertheless appeared, the plants are sprayed even after flowering. Use folk remedies or biological preparations.

During fruit ripening

The best protection is folk remedies. He alth is more important than lengthy processing work. Folk methods are a soapy solution or ash. They use strong-smelling infusions that repel insects for a while, but do not help get rid of them.

Against diseases during the filling of fruits, infusions of herbs and agents of biological origin are used that do not affect the human body. For example, onion peel, garlic, tobacco.

Green fruits are attacked no less than mature ones, so the gardener constantly monitors the appearance of fruits.

At this time, baits are hung on trees that attract adults and help to destroy them. The fight against insects is ongoing.

In August, at night in calm weather, the garden is fumigated with smoke. Straw is set on fire, potato or tomato tops are added to it, if desired, they are changed to wormwood. This process will help get rid of many insects.

Autumn

After the harvest, chemicals are used again. The tree is preparing for winter, so immediately after fruiting is completed, preventive treatment is carried out against diseases and pests. Use complex tools. The timing of the processing is different, gardeners recommend doing this in September. If necessary, repeat the procedure in October.

It's not difficult to grow a plum tree on the site. To obtain the declared harvest, they create optimal conditions and competently care.

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