Content
- 1 Secrets of caring for plums in spring
- 2 Plum care
- 3 Caring for plum blossoms
- 4 Caring for plums in spring: advice from experienced gardeners
- 5 Goals and importance of feeding plums in spring
- 6 Feeding methods
- 7 What does plum like from fertilizers?
- 8 Fertilizers when planting plums in spring
- 9 How to feed a plum in the spring before flowering
- 10 How to feed a plum during flowering
- 11 How to feed a yellow plum in spring
- 12 Feeding plums after flowering
- 13 Feeding plums depending on the age of the tree
- 14 How often to water a plum tree
- 15 Pruning plum in spring
- 16 Mulching
- 17 How to avoid mistakes when caring for plums in spring
- 18 Conclusion
Feeding plum trees in the spring is of utmost importance. This part of agrotechnical work is needed both for the tree itself and for the future harvest. The result of the entire annual cycle of agricultural work depends on how effective it is.
Secrets of caring for plums in spring
After the snow cover has practically disappeared from the garden, you can begin the spring cycle of plum care work.Activities carried out at this time are aimed at ensuring that the plant quickly enters the growing season, blooms and sets maximum fruit.
Plum care
The entire complex of measures for caring for plums in spring consists of the following parts:
- Sanitary pruning.
- Preventive spraying against diseases and pests.
- Whitewashing the trunk.
- Cleaning, loosening and mulching of tree trunk circles.
- Application of fertilizers.
If the spring is dry and sunny, the tree may need watering. In most cases, precipitation is sufficient.
Caring for plum seedlings
Immediately after planting, you need to start pruning the plum, starting to form its crown. Its side branches are cut off completely, while the central conductor is shortened to 0.6 m. The seedlings are not fed in the first 2–3 years, since the tree is sufficiently supplied with the fertilizers that were placed in the planting hole during planting.
Caring for an adult plum tree
At 5–6 years of age, when the tree crown is fully formed and the first harvest is obtained, the plum can be considered mature. Spring care at this time will consist of preventive spraying against diseases and pests, sanitary pruning, as well as fertilizing.
At this time, the roots of the tree will begin to produce abundant basal shoots, which must be carefully disposed of.
Caring for an old plum tree in spring
If the fruits have become small and annual growth does not exceed 10–15 cm, then it is time for the tree to undergo rejuvenating pruning.It is carried out in several stages and is usually divided into 4 years, in each of which a quarter of the crown is rejuvenated. Part of the old wood, side branches, sagging, diseased and dry branches are removed. The crown is shortened and lightened by removing the old branches that thicken its center.
After pruning, all cuts should be covered with garden varnish, and the plant should be fed to stimulate the development of young shoots.
Caring for plum blossoms
During the flowering period, no work is usually carried out on the tree. At this time, the greatest danger to plum blossoms is return frosts. To protect trees when temperatures drop, smoke piles are lit. This reduces soil heat transfer. In addition to smoke protection, tree watering and crown irrigation are also used. This also prevents flowers from being killed by frost.
Caring for plums after flowering
After flowering, the plum is re-treated against pests by spraying. In addition, after flowering, root fertilizing is done with 40 g of nitrophoska and 30 g of urea, diluting them in a bucket of water. 3 buckets are poured under each tree. This feeding is done only for mature trees.
Caring for plums in spring: advice from experienced gardeners
Before planting plum seedlings in the spring, experienced gardeners recommend digging up the future planting site in the fall to a depth of at least 0.7 m. This will significantly increase the air content in the soil and improve the survival rate of the seedlings.
The basal shoots produced in excess by the plum must be removed below the soil level. Otherwise, the situation will worsen and there will be even more escapes.
By the way, root shoots can be used as ready-made seedlings. The exception here is grafted plums.If the plum has been grafted, most likely a wild one will grow from the basal shoot. It can also be used as a rootstock, subsequently grafting a cultivated variety onto it.
Spring pruning can be combined with the preparation of cuttings for plum propagation. This will save a lot of time. If the tree is not grafted, cuttings can also be harvested from root shoots.
Goals and importance of feeding plums in spring
The main goal of feeding plums in the spring is to create conditions for maximum fruiting. In spring, the most active sap flow occurs, at which time nutrients are distributed throughout the tree. Their lack will lead to weak growth of leaves and shoots, the tree will take a long time to gain strength, and flowering and fruiting will slow down, be more extended and delayed. Productivity will decrease and fruit quality will deteriorate.
Feeding methods
You can feed plants using the bark method, introducing nutrients into the soil. From there they will be absorbed root system tree and spread throughout the entire periphery of the plant. For root feeding, dry and wet methods are used, which means applying fertilizer to the soil in dry form or in the form of an aqueous solution.
In early spring, when the ground is still quite moist, bait is applied dry, often simply scattering granular fertilizer directly over the last snow. The fertilizer will dissolve and gradually go into the ground along with melt water. When the soil dries out, it makes more sense to use the wet method. The fertilizer here is already in dissolved form and does not require additional watering for normal absorption by plants.
Nutrients can be absorbed not only by the roots, but also by other parts of the plant.The method of foliar feeding is based on this. Trees are simply sprayed with an aqueous solution of fertilizer, and its absorption occurs through leaves and shoots. The method of foliar feeding can greatly enhance the vegetation and growth of green mass, which is why it is used only after the leaves appear.
What does plum like from fertilizers?
Plum is not particularly demanding of fertilizers. From organic matter, you can use rotted manure, humus, and chicken droppings. You can have a plum feed and mineral fertilizers such as nitrophoska, ammonium nitrate, potassium monophosphate and sulfate, urea and superphosphate. It is imperative to use fertilizers containing magnesium.
Fertilizers when planting plums in spring
When planting, the plum seedling is covered with nutritious soil, which consists of equal parts of humus and turf soil with peat. To replenish the need for calcium, chalk or eggshells are additionally added to it, and to increase nutritional value - superphosphate (200-250 g per tree), as well as 3 tbsp. spoons of urea and potassium sulfate.
Be sure to add 0.5 kg of wood ash; if it is not available, add lime or dolomite flour, since plums love slightly alkaline soil.
How to feed a plum in the spring before flowering
Before flowering, trees are fed with an aqueous solution of potassium sulfate and urea. For 10 liters of water you will need 2 tbsp. spoons of each fertilizer. Under each fruit-bearing tree, you need to pour 3 buckets of such a nutrient solution, evenly irrigating the entire trunk circle or pouring fertilizer into holes dug at a distance of half a meter from the trunk.
How to feed a plum during flowering
During the flowering period, plants do not need to be fed.The fertilizers that were applied earlier are sufficient.
How to feed a yellow plum in spring
Yellow plum care is no different from ordinary plum. Therefore, all stages of spring tree care will be fair for her, including the timing and composition of spring fertilizing.
Feeding plums after flowering
After the end of flowering, it is recommended to feed the plum with nitrogen-containing fertilizers to stimulate the growth of green mass and shoots, as well as to accelerate and enhance the process of fruit ripening. It is done using the root method, adding an aqueous solution of urea and nitrophoska to the root zone (2 and 3 tablespoons per bucket of water, respectively).
How to fertilize plum trees in spring to increase yield
To increase yield, many experienced gardeners use the following:
- Yeast feeding. 20 g of yeast are diluted per liter of water and allowed to brew for about a week. After this, the infusion is diluted with a bucket of water and applied to the root zone.
- Eggshell. Enriches the soil with calcium, and at the same time slightly deoxidizes it. Before applying it, it must be crushed into powder and scattered around the tree trunk.
- Bread crusts. They are soaked in a bucket of water and left for a week. After this, the infusion is shaken, diluted with 3 buckets of water and applied by the root method. You can add a little whey.
Feeding plums depending on the age of the tree
In the first two years after planting, fertilizing is usually not done. The seedling has enough nutrients that were added to the planting hole during planting. As the age of the tree increases, the composition of the bait also changes.
How to feed a young plum in spring
From the third year of life, plum trees need to start feeding. This is done in early May. For feeding, use an aqueous solution of urea (2 tablespoons per bucket of water). 2-3 buckets of solution are applied under each tree.
How to feed an old plum tree in spring
Before flowering, adult plums are fed with a solution of urea and potassium sulfate. To prepare it, add 2 tbsp to a bucket of water. spoons of each component. Many gardeners replace these two preparations with complex fertilizer “Yagodka”, which requires 250–300 g per bucket of water.
After flowering, the trees are fed with an aqueous solution of urea and nitrophoska (2 and 3 tablespoons per bucket of water, respectively). You can replace such a fertilizer with a complex fertilizer containing the same components, for example, “Berry Giant”.
How often to water a plum tree
Plum is a rather moisture-loving plant. However, precipitation is usually sufficient for her. Watering may only be required during dry periods. This can be determined by the curling of the leaves and drying of the fruits, as the tree reflexively tries to reduce the area of evaporation and reduce moisture loss.
When to water a plum tree in spring
In spring, air humidity is quite high, so watering the plum tree is not required. An exception is made only during drought, then at the end of May, abundant watering should be done for each tree to stimulate fruit set and shoot growth.
Is it possible to water a blossoming plum tree?
There is no need to water a blooming plum tree. High humidity during this period negatively affects flower pollination.
How to water a plum tree in summer
During the summer, 3-4 waterings of plum trees are done.The amount may vary depending on the weather; in rainy summers, watering may not be needed at all. If atmospheric moisture is clearly not enough, watering is done approximately once every 2–3 weeks. 5–8 buckets are poured under each tree, depending on its age. During fruiting, the plum should be watered with caution; too much water can lead to cracking of the fruit.
Watering plums in the summer after fruiting
After harvesting, plums are watered only during dry periods. The last time this is done is after the leaves have fallen, this is the so-called moisture-charging watering. After this, watering the trees completely stops.
Pruning plum in spring
In the spring, before the start of sap flow, the trees are pruned. It is produced for the following purposes:
- Formative. This is done during the first 4 years of a tree’s life, forming its crown in one way or another (sparsely tiered, cup-shaped, etc.).
- Sanitary. This is done twice a season (the second time after leaf fall). All broken, dry, damaged and diseased branches are removed. At the same time, the crown is thinned and root growth is removed.
- Rejuvenating. It is made for old trees to rejuvenate the crown and extend the period of active fruiting of plums.
Proper pruning can significantly extend the life of a tree and protect it from many diseases.
Mulching
Mulching around tree trunks performs a number of functions. First of all, it retains moisture in the soil. In spring, mulch is an additional heat-insulating layer that easily heats up and retains heat in the soil. Peat or humus is most often used as mulch, so the soil is additionally enriched with nutrients.
How to avoid mistakes when caring for plums in spring
Both insufficient and excessive care are dangerous for plums. Therefore, an excessive amount of both watering and fertilizer will lead to problems rather than help the tree. It is necessary to strictly observe the timing and dosage of fertilizing.
When loosening the soil, you cannot dig deep, since most plum roots lie at a depth of no more than 0.5 m. For the same reason, you should not use fertilizers containing chlorine for plums.
Conclusion
Fertilizing plum trees in the spring is certainly necessary. However, when carrying it out, you need to take into account the composition of the soil, and also strictly adhere to the type of fertilizer, the indicated dosages and timing of application. Otherwise it will not bring any benefit. At best, this will be extra material costs, at worst, the tree itself will die.
