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Plum White honey actually bears yellow fruits, but this is what they become when ripe. Gardeners love the fruit because of its easily separated seeds and honey pulp. Growing a plum on your own plot is not difficult, you just need to follow simple rules of agricultural technology.
History of variety selection
The homeland of the white plum is Ukraine. The authorship belongs to the talented scientist L. I. Taranenko. Due to the amber color of the fruit, the early yellow honey plum is also called, and there is also a name such as White Ukrainian. When registering, the breeder designated the crop exactly as Honey White. Other names are considered folk. The plum has spread throughout all the republics of the former Soviet Union and has taken root in the private plots of gardeners.
The video talks about the White Honey variety:
Description of the White Honey plum variety
The domestic Honey plum is found in all republics of the post-Soviet space. The most commonly grown crops are:
- Farms throughout Ukraine. The yellow Honey plum has taken root even in Transcarpathia.
- Gardens of white plums are common in the Central Black Earth region.
- The white Honey plum is suitable for the Moscow region, and has taken root in the Belgorod and Kaluga regions.
The variety can be characterized by the following characteristics:
- The main difference is the size of the crown. The maximum height of the Honey plum tree can reach from 4 to 7 m. The crop is vigorous with a spreading crown.
- Yellow plum requires a large area to grow. The crown grows in diameter up to 5 m. However, the tree does not experience thickening. The branches of the yellow plum grow in moderation, there is nothing superfluous.
- The fruits are large. The weight of one yellow plum reaches 55 g. The fruit is spherical and even in shape. The peel and pulp are white when unripe. The fruit is considered fully ripe when it turns yellow with an amber tint. The taste of the pulp is sweet. Slightly acidic. The ripe yellow pulp is saturated with a delicate plum aroma. According to the tasting score, out of 5.0 points, the yellow plum received 4.5.
To make the description of the White plum variety complete, let's look at other features of the culture.
Characteristics of the variety
All descriptions of Belaya plum emphasize the unpretentiousness of the variety and resistance to bad weather conditions.
Winter hardiness of honey plum
The yellow plum variety has good winter hardiness. To this quality you can also add drought resistance. Regardless of climatic conditions, the yield and taste of fruits do not change.
Pollinators of the White honey plum
The Yellow Honey plum begins to bloom in early spring. In the south, the fruit ripens in July. Residents of the northern regions harvest in August. The variety is considered self-sterile. Pollinators are needed to produce crops. The best varieties are considered to be Hungarian and Renklod Kuibyshevsky. Ukrainian gardeners often call the white plum Honey Artemovskaya. To pollinate the crop, any related plum trees are planted nearby.
Productivity and fruiting
On average, the Honey plum begins to bear fruit in the fourth year from the moment of planting. It all depends on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology and climatic conditions. Up to 35 kg of harvest is collected from the tree. The weak point of the white plum is considered to be wood. When the harvest is abundant, the branches break. The trunk may even split. Supports made from sticks help save the crown.
Area of application of berries
White and yellow fruits are considered universal. The fruit can be frozen, eaten fresh, and used for all types of processing. Because of the beauty of the yellow pulp and dessert taste, plums are used to decorate banquet tables for celebrations.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Numerous reviews of the White Honey plum say that the variety is not afraid of moniliosis. The greatest danger to the crop is hole spotting, rust, as well as fungi that cause fruit rot.Preventive spraying with fungicides helps prevent the spread of diseases.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Honey Yellow plum variety was developed during a difficult period when the country's residents were in dire need of vitamin-rich food products. These were the post-war years. Breeders tried to make the variety productive under any growing conditions.
The advantages include the following:
- The variety is not afraid of temperature changes. The yield indicator is maintained if the plum suffers return frosts or drought.
- The yellow plum variety adapts to almost all weather conditions of the republics of the post-Soviet space.
- Early ripening of fruits, delicate dessert taste of the pulp. The yellow, universal fruit is suitable for making desserts, preserving, and can withstand long-term transportation.
- A big advantage is that when pollinated by other plum varieties, White Honey plums do not change the quality of the fruit.
The only drawback is the large crown size. To limit growth, gardeners resort to frequent pruning. Folk breeders are trying to cross White Honey with dwarf varieties to get a small tree, but without compromising the quality of the fruit.
Planting and caring for honey yellow plum
To grow white honey plum you do not need to have any special knowledge. However, a seedling simply planted on a plot may not bring the desired harvest. To get a good fruit tree, you need to follow simple rules of agricultural technology.
Recommended timing
It is better to propagate early honey plum by seedlings. The optimal time for planting is considered to be early spring, starting in March. The site has been being prepared since October. Gardeners in the southern regions prefer autumn planting of plums.The site is prepared at least two weeks in advance. The procedure consists of sprinkling lime and humus, followed by digging up the soil.
Choosing a suitable location
Early Honey Plum grows well in a sunny area with clay or sandy soil. The main requirement is the presence of large free space. Neighboring trees should be at a distance of at least 3 m, and it is better to maintain 5 m. The yellow plum variety does not like swampy areas.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby?
The White Honey variety gets along well with cherry plum and other plums. In addition, they are pollinators. Gardeners in cold regions recommend planting the White Honey plum with the Opal plum due to the similarity of some characteristics. Both crops are frost-resistant, tall, and have a spreading crown. The Opal variety is self-fertile and is a good pollinator for the white Honey plum.
The culture gets along well with cherries, sweet cherries, apple trees, apricots, and peaches. Elderberry growing nearby will protect the plum from aphids.
Bad neighbors include all types of currants, birch, pear, and walnut. Close proximity of coniferous trees is undesirable.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Experienced gardeners categorically recommend buying white plum seedlings only from a nursery. The main requirement for good planting material is a developed root system, an even trunk with intact bark. The presence of living fruit buds is mandatory. It is better to buy seedlings of the Yellow Honey plum variety with a height of up to 1.5 m. Taller trees will not take root well. A seedling with a closed root system is planted together with a lump of earth. If you bought a white plum with bare roots, before planting, soak them for a couple of hours in a bucket of water, adding the drug Kornevin.
Landing algorithm
Numerous reviews from summer residents about the Honey plum say that planting is carried out according to generally accepted rules. You need to do the following:
- They begin to dig a hole by removing fertile soil about 30 cm thick. It is put aside. All other infertile soil is removed from the pit. It won't be useful in the future. The size of the hole depends on the root system of the seedling. Usually 60 cm of depth and width is enough.
- If the Honey plum seedling is bare-rooted, drive a wooden peg into the bottom of the hole in the center. This will be a support for the tree.
- Chernozem and clay have poor drainage. If the site has heavy soil, the bottom of the hole is covered with small stones.
- A nutrient mixture is prepared from fertile soil set aside. The soil is mixed with 2 buckets of cow dung and 500 g of ash. From fertilizers add 100 g of superphosphate, 85 g of potassium chloride.
- A thin layer of ready-made fertile mixture is poured onto the bottom of the pit. The seedling is carefully immersed in the hole. If the root system is open, it is carefully straightened along the bottom.
- Backfilling is carried out with a fertile mixture. The root collar is left uncovered by about 5 cm of soil. The seedling is watered abundantly. After the soil settles, soil is added. The trunk is tied with a rope to a peg.
The final stage of planting is mulching the tree trunk circle. It is better to use peat. Mulch will retain moisture, creating favorable conditions for root establishment.
The video explains the rules for planting plums:
Aftercare for plums
The variety is considered drought-resistant, but will not refuse plum water. The seedling needs frequent watering until it takes root. Next, it all depends on the weather.Gardeners usually make sure to water the white plum in the spring after the tree has finished blooming and while it is bearing fruit. If the weather is dry, further watering is carried out every 20 days. After harvesting, 2 buckets of water are poured under the tree. The last watering is carried out in October. 8 buckets of water are poured under the tree.
Young seedlings are not fed. The nutrients that were added during planting are sufficient. At the 4th year of life, Honey Plum is fed with 20 kg of manure. Fertilizers include 100 g of superphosphate, 80 g of nitrate, 50 g of potassium. For older trees, the amount of organic matter is increased to 30 kg. Mineral substances are added by 40-50 g more. In autumn, Plum must be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
Young seedlings are pruned to form a crown. From the second year of life, excess branches that create thickening are cut off from the seedling, and elongated growth shoots are also shortened by one ring.
Rejuvenation pruning is done on old trees. All growths older than 5 years are removed. The Honey White variety produces a lot of shoots. It is removed at least 5 times per season. The neglected shoots will draw juices from the tree.
Preparation for winter begins with moisture-recharging watering. The trunk circle is covered with dry manure 15 cm thick. The bark in the lower part of the trunk is cleared of lichens and whitened with lime. Coniferous tree branches or special nets are used as protection against rodents. The protection is tied with wire, securely wrapped around the lower part of the barrel.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
According to the description of the Honey plum, it resists diseases and pests well.However, sawflies, aphids, scale insects, and weevils love to feast on the crop. For the prevention and control of pests, Nitrafin, Chlorophos and Karbofos are used.
Among the diseases, the variety is occasionally affected by rust, fungus, and hole spot. The best drug for prevention and treatment is considered to be Bordeaux mixture or a solution of pure copper sulfate.
Conclusion
White honey plum can take root in any area. You just need to plant the tree correctly. Most old gardeners leave only positive reviews about the Honey plum, considering it the best domestic variety. Many even turn a blind eye to the tall growth of the tree.
Our White Honey plum yielded a harvest the next year after planting. We live in the Rostov region.