August is a time of grace for gardeners. Branches of fruit trees bend under the weight of ripening fruit. And it’s impossible to get past bulk plums. Hands and reach to rip them off.
Peach plum among them is no exception. Fruit lovers will not wait when it is already possible to taste these large, juicy, sweet and sour fruits, and the housewives - to cook aromatic jam. And in the garden, these trees with a rounded or inverted pyramidal shape look no worse than cherries or apple trees.
Grade description
Peach plum variety bred in France. Medium-height trees prefer fertile, moist soil. Severe winters do not tolerate well. Begin to bear fruit after about 6 years. Fruits are located on bouquet branches.
Yields of young trees are irregular, but after 15-20 years, peach plum yields at least 50 kg per tree. The fruits crumble slightly.
Ripening, usually simultaneous, occurs in early August. Ripened plums of a rounded slightly flattened shape have a yellow-green color with a side of a dark red hue. The surface of the fruit, reaching a weight of 50 g, is strewn with white dots and covered with a bluish waxy coating. Their flesh is dense and aromatic, with a delicate sweet and sour taste, the bone separates well.
It is not surprising that the pride of gardeners is peach plum. Description of the variety was made a long time ago. For pollination nearby it is recommended to plant such varieties as Vengerka and Greenclod Altana, otherwise it will not be so easy to grow this capricious southerner. But if she has taken root in your garden, then you will not only enjoy its amazing taste, but also be able to strengthen your health through the consumption of fruits.
Beneficial features
Plum contains vitamin C, magnesium, zinc and iron. But not many people know that among garden crops it is a leader in the content of vitamin B2. But it is he who normalizes carbohydrate metabolism in the body and removes carcinogens from it.
Plum is useful for cardiovascular diseases and bowel problems. This is not only a gentle laxative, but also a tool that lowers cholesterol and improves metabolism.
Choosing a place to land
Do not be surprised that you will encounter a rather picky plant. Just such a peach plum. The variety description contains information that this southerner loves areas that are well warmed by the sun and protected from the wind. It cannot be planted near the hedge, because it loves space, and in the lowland - in the winter air stagnates there, and the tree can freeze.
The soil should be fertile and sufficiently moist, although excess moisture is also harmful to the tree. Waterlogging causes the peach plum to stop growth, while the top dries out and the leaves turn yellow.
Landing and care
- Dig a hole about 50 cm deep and about 70 cm in diameter.
- A stake about a meter high is installed at the bottom of the pit, and a mixture is poured around it, consisting of part of the fertile soil that was removed from the pit, compost (2 buckets), superphosphate in granules (150-200 g) and ash (300-400 g).
- The seedling is placed next to the stake, not tied to it tightly, straighten the roots and sprinkle with the prepared mixture. In this case, the root neck should be approximately 5-6 cm above the level of the mixture, so that when it settles, it will be at ground level.
- After that, the pit is filled to the top with earth and watered the seedling with two buckets of water.
Proper planting is half the success for a plant like peach plum. Describing how to care will help you deal with her vagaries.
As already mentioned, she loves moisture. Just do not overdo it with watering. Most plum requires moisture in May ‒ June, during flowering and shoot growth, and in August ‒ September, when the fruits ripen and the roots grow actively. After watering, the soil around the tree must be loosened and mulched.
Since peach plum consumes a lot of minerals from the soil , it must often be fertilized. After all, top dressing is the key to a good harvest. Fertilizers are applied every fall (10 kg per 1 sq. M), and after the age of five this number is doubled.
In the spring, a year after the plum has been planted, crown formation can begin.
Although peach plum is finicky, it more than makes up for it with its delicious fruits. Those who grow it know that in the season they are provided with juicy, vitamin-rich fruits, and in winter - delicious aromatic jam.