House plum is a type of fruit-bearing plant from the plum genus, plum subfamily, rose family. These are low trees that live for about a quarter of a century, capable of producing crops for two-thirds of their life. Centuries-long selection has led to the emergence of an impressive number of varieties that differ in the appearance of the fruit, tree, taste, nutritional properties, ripening time, and degree of disease resistance.
What does a plum look like?
Around the end of the 3rd century BC, Theosphatus described two types of domestic plums grown at that time on Greek territory. One of them was distinguished by especially sweet and juicy fruits.
Scientists believe that the domestic plum appeared in Asia through extreme cross-pollination of wild sloe and cherry plum. From there the tree was brought to Egypt and Greece, where they began to actively cultivate it.
Plum is a tree or bush
Shrubs do not have a main trunk.Several of their woody shoots constantly replace each other throughout life: one dies off, and a new one immediately takes its place.
Whereas a tree with the onset of adulthood has one main trunk. In addition, the growth of an already formed plant is much higher than that of a bush, the size of which is from 0.6 to 6 m. The home plum is a tree with a main trunk and a growth limit of fifteen meters.
Description of the plum tree
Home plum grows up to 15 meters, its height depends on the variety and climatic features of the area. For the same reasons, the crown of the plant can be spreading, wide or narrow, elongated upward. The root system, located mostly at a depth of up to 0.45 m, has a rod shape.
What kind of leaves does a plum have?
The leaves of the home plum are arranged alternately on short petioles, up to 10 cm in length, up to 6 cm in width. The edge is jagged, the plate is wider at the base, narrows towards the end and becomes sharp. The reverse side of the leaf is slightly pubescent. Color changes in autumn, from summer green to pale yellow.
How plum blossoms + photo
Each flower bud has a simple shape and produces up to 3 white or pinkish buds with a diameter of 1-2.5 cm. Home plum flowers are collected in bunches or grow alone.
Their structure is usual:
- 5 green sepals;
- 5 petals white or pink;
- 23-30 stamens;
- 1 pistil, superior ovary.
The flowering period occurs in April in the southern regions, in May in the middle zone, and in early June in the Urals and Siberia.
Fruits of plum trees
The fruit of the domestic plum tree cannot be classified as either a fruit or a berry. Scientists define it as a drupe. Inside the fruit there is one large stone, flattened on both sides, with sharp ends.Around the seed there is a lot of juicy and sweet pulp, covered with a thin, dense skin with a smooth structure.
Homemade plum drupes vary in shape, taste and color, depending on the variety. These can be round or oval fruits, colored red, green, blue or yellow.
Homemade plum is rich in beneficial properties:
- reduces blood pressure;
- has a positive effect on kidney function;
- has a laxative effect;
- is able to cleanse the body of cholesterol and toxins.
The drupes contain useful substances:
- potassium, fluorine, sodium;
- proteins;
- alimentary fiber;
- carbohydrates;
- vitamins B, C, B2, E, PP.
Since ancient times, homemade plums have been used to relieve the symptoms of gout and rheumatism, heart ailments and metabolic disorders.
Where does the plum grow?
Thanks to selection, home plums can grow and bear fruit in different latitudes and climatic zones. Varieties have been created that are adapted to the harshest conditions.
Historically, the geography of domestic plum growth is defined from the eastern part of the Caucasus Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, which includes the territory of Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula.
Plum varieties with photos and descriptions
Homemade plum varieties are classified according to several characteristics.
- Food suitability. There are varieties suitable for food consumption, conditionally suitable and decorative.
- Taste. There are varieties that can only be consumed fresh, some are suitable only for culinary purposes for canning, and there are also universal varieties that are used for both.
- Ripening time. The ripening dates classify domestic plums into early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties.
- Fruit size, color and yield. There are varieties red, yellow, green, blue with large or small fruits, high or low yield.
red plum
Red varieties of domestic plums, according to plant breeders, are suitable for the climate of central Russia. The fruits of this varietal group with a thin and smooth shell have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and red color of pulp and skin.
In this case, pollinators must be of the same maturity period.
- Chinese plum or Red Ball has excellent taste and versatility in use. Gardeners love this variety for its low (2.5 m) tree growth and spreading crown, which makes harvesting much easier.
- Precocious domestic plum is also of Chinese origin. The productivity of the variety is high. The drupe has the shape of an even ball. The flesh is orange and tasty. The fruits are well stored. The tree overwinters easily, is unpretentious and resistant to diseases.
- General's The plum lives up to its name: large-fruited and with excellent taste. The variety is frost-resistant, grows as a short tree, and one hundred grams of pulp contains the daily requirement of zinc, as well as potassium, manganese and iron.
- Japanese home plum has a high degree of decorativeness, which is often used by landscapers to decorate plots due to its ability to grow quickly. The fruit pulp is difficult to separate from the seed. Fruiting is abundant.
Yellow plum varieties
Yellow-fruited home plum can have a reddish tint or a hint of green.There is a varietal group called Mirabelle, a subspecies called Renclod, and there are several yellow varieties bred on the basis of the Chinese plum.
Yellow domestic varieties are mainly heat-loving and do not grow well in mid-latitude conditions. The fruits are round, small and very tasty. Plants are self-sterile, which means they require nearby pollinators.
- Yellow ball belongs to the numerous subspecies of Chinese plum. The tree of the variety grows up to 5 m. The variety is frost-resistant, bears fruit in the third year, is well stored, and is resistant to diseases inherent in plums.
- Altai anniversary also self-sterile, high yield with proper agricultural technology, bears fruit in the third year of life. Grows well in the southern regions. In cold climates, the root collar is susceptible to damping off.
Green plum
Renclaude is a group of domesticated plums developed in France and named after the Queen.
Green renklod - the progenitor of all varieties of this group. It has a wonderful sweet taste. It is grown mainly in the southern regions of the country, although it is frost-resistant.
When grown in cold regions in winter, it is recommended to cover young trees and regularly whitewash older trees. High humidity is detrimental to the variety. The height of the tree is maximum 7 m, it bears fruit after five years.
The drupes are light green in color with a yellowish and bluish tinge. The flesh is green and greenish-yellow, sweet and juicy. For pollination, the varieties Victoria, Ekaterina, Italian Hungarian, and Altana are used.
Plum varieties with black or blue fruits
Blue varieties of domestic plums are valued for their good winter-hardy qualities, the sweetness of the fruits, and the self-fertility of trees when there is no need for pollinating plants. Blue homemade plums are universal in use.They can be used to make dried fruits, for canning and fresh.
- Egg blue. Bred from Skorospelka and Renklod Ullens. The tree is a long-liver, living for about 30 years. It grows up to 6 meters and is frost-resistant. Fruiting occurs in the fifth year, the yield is high.
- Blue gift. The fruits are small, fifteen grams. Ripen in mid-August. The tree is frost-resistant and almost never gets sick.
- Stanley. The fruits are large and can be purple or green. The tree does not grow more than 3 m, the crown is slightly thickened. The pulp of the drupe is fragrant and very sweet.
- Tula black. High resistance to diseases. Does not tolerate cold well. The taste is sweet and sour. The fruits are dark blue and are used to make dried fruits.
Early plum varieties
The fruits of this group are distinguished by their juiciness, special aroma and tasty pulp. Early varieties are best suited for fresh consumption. However, blanks made from them are also good. The ripening period is July.
- Zarechnaya early is especially popular among gardeners. The tree does not take up much space on the site; the crown is neat and oval in shape. The fruits are large, oval, dark purple in color with a bloom and a ventral seam. The pulp is easily separated from the stone, almost without sourness, very sweet. Fruiting begins in the third year after planting. Pollinators will be needed.
- Kabardinskaya home early. It grows up to six meters and has a thick, elongated crown. Fruits in the fourth year. No pollinators required. The fruits are large, the skin is hard, red-violet in color. The pulp is sweet and aromatic. The tree is heat-loving and will not tolerate cold winters.
Medium ripening plum
The fruits of this group ripen in mid-August and bloom in May. Many varieties are not frost-resistant. Perfect for canning.
Dombrovitskaya. A low-growing houseplant that grows up to 4 m. The drupe ripens in the second half of August. It begins to bear fruit in the third year. The fruits are large, oval-shaped, sweet-tasting, juicy, and easily fall off the seed. The variety exhibits resistance to fungal diseases.
Neubolia. Variety of Yugoslav origin. A tall tree with a spreading crown. The fruits are large, dark blue with a waxy coating. Fruiting in the second year of life. The plant will need pollinators. The harvest is rich and resistant to diseases.
Late plum varieties
Late-ripening domestic varieties bear fruit from late August to September. Almost all of them are frost-resistant and unpretentious in maintenance. The fruits of this varietal group are good for canning.
This includes such domestic varieties as plum Bogatyrskaya, Zhiguli, Svetlana, President, Empress, Hungarian Italian, Renklod Michurinsky. The best variety here is the Bogatyrskaya plum.
Late varieties of plums that are stored for a long time
Almost all late varieties are well stored. Especially here you can highlight the Italian Hungarian, it is stored for up to 33 days; Zhiguli - keeps well if removed slightly unripe.
Conclusion
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, homemade plums today have about 2000 varieties. The gardener should only choose the most suitable one so that the plant feels good in the surrounding climate, and therefore produces a high yield.
