Content
Plum grows almost throughout the entire territory of Russia and Ukraine. The number of new varieties is increasing, and lovers have the opportunity to try not small and sour fruits, but large, sweet and even honey plums. Giant plum is the same variety that pleases with its taste, size, and is great for compote, jam and pies.
History of variety selection
The Ispolinskaya plum was obtained by crossing two other varieties. Back in the 19th century, Americans crossed the Hungarian Azhanskaya variety and the Ponda Seedling. The name fully justifies the properties of the resulting variety. After all, “Giants” are giants or giants in Hebrew. The fruits are large, round and very tasty.
Description of the plum variety Ispolinskaya
The trees are strong. After all, you need to keep large, juicy fruits on the branches. Most often they are medium-sized and reach 4 meters in height. The crown is thick, wide, and resembles a pyramid. The leaves are dark green, the flowers are white and very fragrant.Plums are ovoid in shape and take a long time to reach maturity. The fruit itself is bright red, but it has a waxy coating that looks blue on the thick skin. One fruit weighs on average 50 grams. They are elastic, and this makes it possible to use them in a very diverse way. High stability during transportation is noted. 1 hectare brings the gardener approximately 230 centners of plums! The taste depends on the region of germination. Sunny areas produce more sweetness. The variety takes root well in the central and southern regions. The pulp is very dense, juicy, does not leave the bone and is yellow in color.
Characteristics of the variety
Those who want to grow plums with high yields should familiarize themselves with the main characteristics of the Ispolinsky variety. To achieve good results, it is important to know about plum planting, tree care and disease prevention.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The Gigantic variety is not picky. This is one of the most important advantages. Winters are not terrible, but the warmer it is, the better the plums. They are also not afraid of drought. But in the first years of the plum’s life, it will need constant watering. In winter, plums can survive frosts of -34 degrees.
Plum pollinators
The Gigantic variety does not require pollinators. It is not necessary to plant other plums near it. It begins to bloom at the end of April or beginning of May. And towards the end of August or in the first ten days of September, you can pick sweet and juicy plums.
Productivity and fruiting
The Ispolinsky variety begins to bear fruit three years after planting. This is a fairly short period of time compared to other plums. During the season, a gardener collects on average 45 kilograms of plums from one mature tree.
Area of application of berries
The Ispolinsky variety is unique in that it is used both for preparing various dishes and sweets, and for fresh consumption. Plums are sweet and juicy; they allow you to cook delicious compotes, preserves, and make marmalade.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Ispolinsky plum variety is resistant not only to frost. The tree has the ability to resist those pests that easily attack other trees. But it is possible that this variety is also sick; in order to protect it, it is necessary to carry out preventive procedures.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages include high yield, early ripening, taste, transportability, and unpretentiousness. Drought and frost resistance are at a sufficient level for central Russia, but the indicators are slightly lower than some other varieties.
Landing Features
In order for a plum to produce a good harvest, it is important not only to properly care for it, but also to choose a planting site, time, and properly prepare the site. Each variety requires special conditions suitable for itself.
Recommended timing
The ideal planting time for the Ispolinsky plum variety is spring. The transplant should be done in April, when the buds begin to bloom.
Choosing a suitable location
Even before purchasing a seedling, it is important to determine where it will grow. And there are several recommendations or even rules. The place should be well lit. Shadow leads to a small harvest. It is advisable to place the tree near buildings such as a garage, summer kitchen, etc. This is due to the fact that it is important for any variety to grow in warmth, no matter how hardy it is. The north side should preferably be closed from the winds.A hole for planting would not be the best choice; you need to choose a hill or an area where there is no stagnation of water. Groundwater should not approach the root by 1.5 meters. The giant plum is not as picky about soil as cherries or cherries.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby?
Each tree has compatibility with others. Some later carry pests, some damage with their roots, shade, and take all the nutrients from the soil. It is not advisable to plant all varieties of plum next to raspberries, currants, apple trees and pears. If elderberry and maple grow nearby, then the plum will only be better. This is a real salvation from aphids.
Selection and preparation of planting material
It is important to choose the right seedling. It is worth buying plums in trusted places, preferably with documents. The root system is what people pay attention to first. It must be developed. It is not recommended to take a seedling without a tag. There should be no spots or damage on a healthy trunk. Height – from 1 meter. It is better to take a two-year-old seedling.
Landing algorithm
In order not to damage the seedling and plant it correctly, you need to follow the algorithm:
- A post is dug into the hole, which will support the small tree.
- The pit is fertilized and soil is poured above the edges of the pit.
- Prepare the seedling and trim off the damage.
- The plum is installed so that the roots do not rest heavily on the walls of the pit.
- Water carefully so as not to damage the still weak roots.
- Yellowed leaves and straw are placed near the trunk.
Aftercare for plums
Proper pruning of plums helps to further increase productivity, get good large fruits, and protect them from diseases and pests. Immediately after planting a young tree in the ground, approximately a third of each branch is cut off.If growth has stopped, then cut the branch to the older wood. A good time for pruning is early spring, April. This cannot be done in the fall. If complete pruning is carried out, no stumps are left. If there are a lot of fruits and they pull the lower branches down, then they should be cut off. There is no need to chase the number of branches; on the contrary, it is important to thin them out, so there will be more harvest. Weak, sluggish and damaged shoots should not remain on the tree; they are removed. Each pruning procedure is limited to one quarter of the pruned shoots. When the plum has grown 2 meters, its growth should be limited to increase the number of fruits.
Urea and potassium sulfate in quantities of 40 grams are used as top dressing in spring. When the plums begin to fill, the substances are mixed, 30 grams of each, and fertilized. When all the fruits are ripe and have fallen, superphosphate is added in the same amount. In the fall, you cannot feed with nitrogen.
To protect against mice and hares, gardeners use special nets.
The gigantic plum loves moisture. It takes two buckets of water a day if the tree has already grown. Mid-summer is a dry time, and the fruits are filling, so at this moment you need to pay special attention to moisture. In August, watering is stopped.
During the winter, the tree is covered.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The Ispolinsky plum variety is often affected by the following diseases:
- Clusterosporiasis.
- Moniliosis, rot.
- Rust.
- Coccomycosis.
- Sooty fungus.
- Root cancer.
- Marsupial disease.
- Milky shine.
- Silkworms are harmful.
- Goldentails.
- Sawflies.
- Hawthorns.
- Codling moths.
To prevent and treat the tree, gardeners use copper oxychloride, Bordeaux mixture 1%, and fungicide. To protect against pests, Nitrophen, Karbofos, and Benzophosphate are bred.
Conclusion
Giant plum is one of the best varieties. The tree can boast of good winter hardiness, high yield, tasty, sweet and very juicy fruits. In general, the Gigantic variety is unpretentious, but in order to get a large healthy tree in the future, you need to follow the basic rules of planting, care and disease prevention.
