The flowering of gardens in Japan is a well-known and widely publicized event. At his mention, the first thing that comes to mind is sakura. However, there is another decorative tree that bears fruit in the Land of the Rising Sun. This is a Japanese plum. Reviews about it among gardeners are a rather rare phenomenon, however, like the plant itself, which is considered almost exotic in our area.
What is this fruit?
Its second name is Japanese apricot, or mumé. The plant is a representative of the family Pink, genus Plum. Most often it is a deciduous tall tree (5-7 m) with a greenish-gray smooth bark, less often a shrub. For a year gives a strong growth, green shoots. The leaves have an ovoid shape with narrow serrated edges, from below, and sometimes from above, they are pubescent. Japanese plum (photo you can see below) blooms very magnificent and long. An amazing sight lasts for 2-2.5 months: it begins in early spring, and fruiting occurs in July. The flowers are most often sessile, double or simple, with a strong aroma. They can be white or pink. The fruits are slightly sour, yellow or greenish in color, the bone from the pulp is poorly separated and has a clearly defined pitted surface.
In the wild, Japanese plum grows on mountainous rocky slopes (300–2500 m above sea level) in the northern and central regions of China. It is actively grown in Japan, Korea, Vietnam.
Japanese plum in culture
In their gardens, people began to grow this fruit tree since ancient times. The plant was supposedly brought to Japan in the 8th century from China, and now there are about 350 species of plums. It is the plum mum, and not the sakura, that opens the very first. The tradition of admiring flowers goes deep into the centuries. Wakayama Prefecture is especially famous for the splendor and beauty of flowering mum. The trees seem to be covered with a fragrant pink and white cloud. Flowering there begins in January and lasts until April. But in Europe, the plant appeared relatively recently: information about it has been found since 1878. Since then, a large number of decorative forms and garden varieties have been bred.
Cooking use
The fruits of Japanese apricot are eaten mainly in processed form, as they have a high acidity when fresh. Famous marinades and pickles are made from them. The traditional addition to a portion of boiled rice among the Japanese is umeboshi - pickled fruit. Also, Japanese plum serves as the basis for creating liquor, popular in Asian countries - umeshu (pictured).
According to the eastern calendar, the tree itself is a symbol of the New Year and spring. Therefore, often for the holiday, the Japanese give friends a small copy of plum in a pot
Growing from seed in summer and autumn
You can do this if you are lucky enough to encounter fresh fragrant fruits of a tree. The method is quite simple and does not require complex activities and hassle. Knowing how to grow Japanese plum from seed, you will get an exotic plant in the house. You can even cultivate it in the garden, though only in warm regions.
You can plant bones in the ground or in separate pots. The end of July - the beginning of August is best suited. Natural or artificial stratification will be required when germinating in late autumn or early spring, respectively.
If you are not going to plant a bone immediately after eating the fetus, you must dry it and save it until the fall, when the first frost begins. When the time comes, dig a small trench in the garden and fill it with nutritious soil from humus, turf and leafy soil, sand. Planting depth - 5 cm. Japanese plum gives seedlings, as a rule, in May next year.
Landing in early spring
In this case, we are talking about artificial stratification. The most suitable time is the beginning of April. To prepare the seeds near the end of January, put them in containers with drainage holes with wet sand. Then put the pots in the basement or refrigerator, where the temperature does not rise above two degrees. It is necessary to maintain the humidity of the sand. Well, in the spring you can transplant them into a soil mixture or open ground.
Japanese plum in our country
A true pioneer who introduced the amazing garden fruit to the global gardening community is Luther Burbank. He did a great breeding work and received new hybrids, some of them are popular to this day.
In its original form, Japanese plum on a summer cottage in Russia can grow only in its southern regions (Crimea, the Caucasus), where there are warm winters and early spring. But the hybrids bred by breeders have a higher winter hardiness, and the area of their cultivation is noticeably expanded. Growing is possible both from seed and with the use of seedlings.
Japanese plum: planting and care
The tree is characterized by abundant and regular fruiting. From the moment when it comes, the oppression of annual growth begins. In this regard, the tree requires annual cyclic trimming, crown rejuvenation.
It is noteworthy that all varieties of Japanese plum are not affected by sham, they are slightly susceptible to the sawfly and moth, which undoubtedly favorably distinguishes them from the rest.
How does the Japanese plum behave on the site? Care for her is supposed to be the same as for her usual relative. Let us dwell only on the main points.
- Landing can be carried out both in spring and in autumn. The pit must be cooked 2 weeks before the expected date. Its size should be 60 * 60 * 60 cm, the addition of humus is required.
- The periostemal circle must be mulched after planting and watering using peat or compost.
- Fertilizers (organic and mineral) are applied to the near-stem circle, depending on the needs of the plant. In the spring, nitrogen preparations are needed. They contribute to the growth and gain of green mass. In the second half of the growing season, the introduction of phosphorus and nitrogen-potassium fertilizers is recommended, and in the fall - organic (humus and compost).
- Root shoots must be removed within a radius of 3 m from the main tree.
- Some varieties require an event such as thinning fruit. When there are too many ovaries, it is necessary to partially remove them even before they begin to fill. This will improve the quality of the remaining crop and preserve the strength of the tree for next year.
- Japanese plum also needs pruning; it is recommended that it be carried out in spring or early summer, when there are no sudden changes in temperature during the day. This will protect the tree from disease.
- A good harvest is guaranteed by planting several varieties of plums with different ripening dates.
- Remove plums in a slightly unripe state and then they will last much longer.
Japanese plum varieties
- Alyonushka is the most famous variety. Appearance is very different from the usual European plum. The tree grows of medium height and has a dense spherical crown. The mass of fruits is up to 40 g, they have a pink color and a short peduncle. The pulp is sweet and juicy, does not separate from the bone. The variety has high frost resistance.
- Skoroplodnaya is perhaps the only variety that can be found and grown even in the Urals. The main advantage is a dwarf crown and a quick entry into the fruiting period. The fruits are bright red, smaller by weight - only about 20 g.
- Shirou (pictured above). It was withdrawn at the end of the 19th century by L. Burbank. The tree grows tall and has a pyramidal crown. Fruits weighing 25 g have a lemon color and soft juicy pulp with veins. This is a frost-resistant hybrid Japanese plum. "How to grow such a miracle at home?" - many will ask. It's simple: caring for it is the same as for ordinary, zoned species.
- Red heart (pictured below). The name is associated with the shape of the fruit. They are large (up to 60 g), dark red in color, juicy, with a pleasant dessert taste. The tree is tall with a spreading crown.
When grown in our gardens, Japanese plum deserves much more attention. The plant has a number of positive qualities, among which there is a high resistance to diseases, the keeping quality of fruits (ripened still green, they ripen at home without any problems, without losing their taste), unpretentious care.