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Plum Blue Gift is a low-maintenance, winter-hardy, self-fertile variety. The fruits are small, sweet and sour, the tree produces stable yields. A noticeable advantage of the variety is its high resistance to fungal diseases.
History of variety selection
The variety was obtained by VSTISiP employees S.N. Satarova and V.S. Simonov from crossing the ancient plum Ochakovskaya yellow and the 1959 hybrid Pamyat Timiryazev. Since 2001, the Blue Gift variety has been included in the State Register and is distributed throughout the country.
Description of the plum variety Blue Gift
The variety is planted mainly in the south; the tree is gradually becoming popular among gardeners in the central regions of the country, for which it was recommended. If comfortable conditions are created, the mid-ripening Dar plum can also be grown in Siberia.
The compact tree of the Blue Gift variety is medium-sized, rises up to 3 m. The trunk is 60 cm high or slightly more, with gray rough bark.The crown is elongated, oval in shape, as created by the skeletal branches, and does not thicken much. Young shoots are pubescent, brown with a grayish tint. Rings with bouquet branches are created on them. The buds deviate from the branches. The dark green leaves are lanceolate, finely toothed along the edges, wrinkled above, with a pubescence below.
The white 5-petalled plum flowers of this variety are formed in such a way that self-pollination occurs easily. Small oval fruits with an inconspicuous side seam weigh 14 g. The skin is dark purple with a strong waxy coating. The very dense and juicy pulp of the Blue Gift plum is greenish-yellow, fibrous, with a granular structure. The peduncle is not too long, without pubescence. Dry fetal separation. The mass of the oval seed, which is easily separated from the pulp, is 1 g, or 7.1% of the weight of the fruit.
The refreshing sweet and sour taste of the Blue Gift plum variety is pleasant, appetizing fruits with a light aroma. They include:
- 8.5% sugars;
- 15.44% dry matter;
- 0.99% free acids;
- 7.17 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of plums.
Experts gave the Dar variety a score of 4 points.
Characteristics of the variety
The properties of the new plum are remarkable: it is suitable for industrial cultivation. The variety grows and develops well on loose, fertile soils close to neutral acidity. The site is prepared in advance by enriching the soil with alkali. Plums prefer loams, but not heavy soils, which are diluted with sand.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The hardy plum emerges from the winter with temperatures typical of the Central region without any significant losses and with moderate damage to the branches.The winter hardiness of the tree is rated at 2.5 points. Flower buds showed below average frost damage results. During flowering, the plum tree also does not suffer much from return frosts.
Blue Gift is a moisture-loving variety, like all plums. Care includes regular watering in case of insufficient rainfall during the periods of bud and ovary formation.
Pollinators of plum Blue gift
The variety blooms in the second decade of May. Ripe plums are harvested from the middle or third ten days of August.
The blue gift is self-pollinating, so it can serve as a good pollinator for early and late varieties of plums. Experienced gardeners advise planting 2-3 trees with different ripening periods on a plot in the middle zone climate. Other plums have a beneficial effect on the yield of the Blue Gift plum variety.
An approximate list of recommended varieties:
- Yakhontovaya, Skoroplodnaya, Morning, Opal – early plums;
- Eurasia 21, Entertaining, Egg blue – average;
- Memory of Timiryazev, Alexy, Tula black or Hungarian Moscow - late ripening.
Productivity and fruiting
You can taste the first plums from the 4th year of tree growth. The fruits of the variety are formed on last year's growth and bouquet branches. Plum with stable yield: during the test, out of 16 years, only 4 seasons were unsuccessful.
One mature tree produces up to 35 kg of fruit. Fruiting continues for 21 years.
Area of application of berries
Table plums are eaten fresh and frozen to preserve vitamins. Various jams, jams, compotes, sauces are made from the fruits, and juice is prepared.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Resistance to the main diseases of the species is estimated at 2–3.5 points, and to pests such as aphids and codling moths – 3–4 points.
Early spring treatment with drugs against the spread of diseases and the proliferation of pests is necessary.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The characteristics of the Blue Gift plum variety indicate its positive qualities:
- compact plum is convenient for intensive gardening;
- self-fertile variety;
- annual abundant harvest of fruits;
- attractive consumer indicators;
- the fruits are transportable;
- average resistance to frost, diseases and pests.
The disadvantages of the variety include small fruit.
Landing Features
When planning to start a plum orchard, they study the features of growing trees. Planting and caring for the Blue Gift plum is not difficult, but you need to know a few important subtleties.
Recommended timing
In regions with relatively short summers, plums are planted in the spring to create the most favorable conditions for the tree to survive. In areas with mild winters, the seedling feels comfortable even when planted in autumn.
Choosing a suitable location
Groundwater can approach the surface no closer than 1.5 m. Direct sunlight is important for the variety, without shading from buildings and tall trees. In cold climates, it is better to place plums on the south side of buildings, retreating from the wall to 3–4 m, in an area without stagnant water.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby?
- Gardeners claim that plum bears fruit well next to cherry plum and apple trees, and other varieties of plums, but not pears or cherries. In any case, the interval between trees is up to 4–5 m.
- You cannot plant plums in the shade of a tall tree, fruit or ornamental.
- Berry bushes and strawberries are welcome at a specified distance.
Selection and preparation of planting material
When purchasing seedlings, they are carefully studied:
- 1–3 year old trees;
- the bark is smooth, healthy, undamaged;
- the buds are swollen and alive;
- the roots are fibrous, with several shoots, elastic to the touch.
Before planting, bare-rooted seedlings are placed in a liquid clay mixture for 2–10 hours to moisturize and reanimate. Trees in containers are placed in a barrel of water so that the seedling can be easily released without tearing off small roots.
Landing algorithm
- Spacious pits are prepared to provide the plum with the necessary substrate.
- They drive in a peg to which the stem is tied.
- A seedling is placed on a mound formed from prepared soil and the roots are straightened.
- Cover with soil, compacting it.
- The root collar is raised 4–6 cm above the ground.
- They fill in the sides for the watering furrow, but first fill in the tree trunk circle, which is then mulched.
Aftercare for plums
The medium-growing variety has no problems with pruning. It is important to remove branches that grow from the conductor at a narrow angle, less than 45 degrees. From the beginning of autumn and early spring, broken and damaged shoots are removed.
The plum tree needs watering. For young trees, 10 liters is enough for 2 weeks, and for adults – 20–30 liters to moisturize the roots. After moisture-recharging irrigation in the fall, the ground is mulched with humus and dry grass, and then, before frost, the seedlings are wrapped in a special rodent net. Protect with a thick layer of paper or agrofibre.
Every 4 years, in the spring, the bark is cut with a knife to prevent it from cracking. Only the bark is cut into a strip of up to 20 cm. The sections are processed.
The Blue Gift plum is fed with the NPK complex from the 2nd year of growth; magnesium and boron are beneficial for the tree. Humus is often used for mulch.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The variety may suffer from moniliosis and klyasterosporiosis, other fungal diseases, which are prevented by autumn garden cleaning, spraying with fungicides in early spring, before and after flowering. Pests: weevils, caterpillars and other insects are destroyed with insecticides. Stripping the bark and removing diseased branches and fallen leaves also stops their spread.
Conclusion
The Blue Gift plum is hardy and productive. Its popularity is due to its self-fertility, winter hardiness and disease resistance. By planting this variety, you can enjoy the characteristic taste of plums in fresh fruits and preparations.
