Plum variety Alyonushka belongs to the group of so-called Chinese plums. They appeared in our country recently and differ from the popular and well-known home varieties, without which not a single garden plot can do.
Plum Alyonushka, a description of which can be seen today in many publications on gardening, was obtained at the Research Institute of the Russian Federation for the selection of fruit crops. The variety was bred during the crossing of such famous and popular varieties as the Red Ball and Chinese woman. In 2001, it was zoned in the Central Black Earth regions of Russia .
Plum Alyonushka: grade description
The tree of this variety is medium-sized, which greatly facilitates the care of it. Its height is not more than 2.5 meters. The crown is elevated, pyramidal, characterized by medium density. Shoots of reddish-brown color, straight, with middle internodes, completely pubescent. Lentils of medium size, convex, located quite rarely. The kidneys are slightly deviated from the shoot, conical shape, medium size.
Leaves
They are elongated, having an obovate shape, pointed, painted in a light green color. The apex is pointed, the serration of the edge of the leaves is bicornate. The leaf blade is opaque, smooth, slightly curved upward. Glands from one to three are located at the base of the leaf, as well as on a small petiole (20 mm). It is pigmented, medium thickness.
Flowers
Alyonushka is a plum with three-flowered inflorescences. Contacting petals, white. The whisk is open, its diameter is 12.7 mm. In inflorescence, as a rule, three flowers. The stigma of the pestle is slightly higher than the anthers. The calyx is bell-shaped; the sepals have no serrations . The stamens are 5.5 mm long and the pestle does not exceed eight millimeters.
In the middle zone, flowering begins on May 4 - 8. Plum Alyonushka (reviews of gardeners confirm this) begins to bear fruit three years after planting. This is a self-infertile, but rather early variety. Full ripening of fruits occurs in the second half of August. The tree yield cannot be called very high, but at the same time it is stable.
But differs in high frost resistance plum Alyonushka. Description of the variety , reviews of experienced gardeners indicate that the tree can withstand very low temperatures - up to –37 ° C. Surprisingly, warm winters are fatal for this variety, since the bark of the tree can rot in the lower part of the trunk.
Fruit
Alyonushka is a plum with large round fruits weighing up to 40 grams. Outwardly, they resemble dark pink or reddish balls with a clearly visible waxy coating. Many gardeners and summer residents like the plum variety Alyonushka . Reviews of her taste are enthusiastic.
The pulp of medium-density fruits, orange, extremely juicy. It has a sweet and sour taste and is distinguished by tenderness. The tasting score for plums is 4.6 points on a five-point scale; in appearance, the score for fruits is 4.8 points. The oval bone, poorly separated from the pulp. Fruits contain 1.39% acids and 8.77% sugars.
Landing
Alyonushka is a plum that has a fairly superficial root system, so it is extremely demanding on the amount of moisture in the soil. In addition, she loves well-lit sunny areas. This must be taken into account when planting a young tree on its site.
First you need to choose a place well protected from the wind - for example, a piece of land near the fence is suitable. This plum variety does not tolerate low soils with close occurrence of groundwater. As the tree begins to bloom early, care should be taken that it does not suffer from frost. It is best to plant this plum in the fall, in open, high and sunny areas, best on a hill that can be made artificially.
The soil should be non-acidic, fertile and unsalted, fairly light. Prepare it about thirty days before planting. Land for planting should be well dug up, remove all weeds, and if necessary, lime. At the same time, a landing pit is being prepared for Alyonushka and for three or four varieties of pollinators. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the landing pattern: 5x3 meters.
Alyonushka is a plum that does not require a too large pit: its depth should be no more than 50 cm with the same width. Two buckets of manure, well rotted, half a bucket of dolomite flour, very little ash and 200 grams of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to it. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, and in the very center of the landing pit a small mound from the top soil layer is poured .
Carefully place a seedling on it and dig in the roots with fertile soil. The root neck should be deepened by two to three centimeters. After planting, the seedling is abundantly watered at the rate of forty to fifty liters per tree and the mulch is mulched. In order for the seedling to take root more quickly and easily, it should be watered a little more often in the first thirty days after planting, not allowing the soil to dry. Then watering is gradually reduced.
It is necessary to think about the prevention of bark reheating. For this, trunks of seedlings are tied with covering material for the winter. Fir branches are great for this purpose.
Care
In the spring, next year, Alyonushka should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate or urea). At the same time, formative pruning is performed. The central trunk is slightly shortened, while the lateral processes are cut a few centimeters below the apex.
In the summer, top dressing is carried out at least twice. For this, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used, to which a little wood ash is added. In addition, the trunk circle must be regularly weeded, loosened and watered. In hot and dry weather, watered more often and more abundantly.
In the spring, it is necessary to treat the tree with preparations to protect it from pests and diseases, and also regularly and very carefully examine the crown in order to identify diseased and frozen branches that need to be removed in a timely manner.
Diseases and Pests
Alyonushka is a plum that is quite resistant to diseases such as moniliosis and kleasterosporiosis. It is extremely rarely affected by other fungal diseases. The most terrible enemy of this variety is plum aphid, which annually massively attacks this plant.
This is a small, but very dangerous pest that feeds on shoots and plum leaves. It is quite easy to find it by looking at the underside of the sheet. A little later, the affected leaves turn pale, dry and twist, and the tree begins to weaken, its growth is significantly slowed down.
This pest hibernates in the bark of the main branches, close to the kidneys. It is activated in May before flowering begins. Therefore, it is so important to conduct timely processing of the tree before the swelling of the kidneys.
How to deal with aphids?
First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the old, damaged bark, dry branches and leaves, carefully weed and loosen the soil around the trunk. Then thoroughly spray the tree with any insecticidal preparation. We recommend that you use the domestic drug "Spark".
Many gardeners prefer to use folk remedies: infusion of tobacco or potato tops with lime, soap solution. In the fight against aphids, garlic or onion decoction, infusion of wormwood or pharmacy chamomile helps well.
In the fall, when the leaves fall completely from the tree, the plum can be sprayed with a concentrated urea solution and certainly bleach the trunks with lime. It’s easy to take care of the Chinese plum Alyonushka. If you take the necessary preventive measures to protect and care for the plant in a timely manner, then you just need to get a good harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.
Plum Alyonushka: reviews of gardeners
Despite the youth of this variety, it has already managed to gain popularity and recognition among Russian gardeners and summer residents. The reason for this is the many virtues of the tree and the fruits. These include increased frost resistance, average productivity, small tree sizes, which are very decorate the site.
Most owners note the excellent taste of the fruit, resistance to many diseases and simple tree care. The variety has some disadvantages that you need to know about. This is primarily susceptibility to aphid damage and self-infertility, which forces pollinating varieties to be planted in the neighborhood. However, this is not a serious minus if such plants already grow on your site.
The Chinese plum Alyonushka is ideally suited for cultivation on a seasonal dacha. This is truly one of the most beloved varieties cultivated for mid-latitudes. And gardeners also note that Alyonushka is very decorative. It can become an adornment of any garden plot.