What is good about the cherry plum variety July Rose and why it is worth growing
Cherry plum July rose opens the fruit season with its large, red-pink fruits with yellow flesh. The hybrid form of the plant is liked even by those who are not particularly enthusiastic about its taste. The taste of July Rose is balanced, sweet and sour. The fruits are suitable for universal use in cooking. The cultivar is easy to care for and has strong immunity.
Cherry plum July rose
July Rose is a hybrid created on the basis of the Kuban Comet cherry plum variety and the Skoroplodnaya Chinese plum. Open pollination was used in the work. The method involves obtaining hybrids from the seeds parent tree. Employees of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing named after. worked on the creation of a new variety. N. I. Vavilova (Krasnodar region). Authors: G. V. Eremin and S. N. Zabrodina.
The cultivar was included in the State Register of Russia in 1999. Another name is Early Comet. The plant received the best characteristics of the parent tree - high productivity and excellent taste of the fruit. The main difference from the Kuban Comet is its early ripening (late June).
Description of the hybrid and characteristics of the fruits
The tree is compact, 2.5-3 m high. The crown is moderately dense, flattened and rounded. The standard is of medium thickness, smooth. The bark is gray with small lentils.
The shoots are arched, horizontal, with weak branching, 25-35 mm in diameter. The bark is red-brown, the tips of the growing shoots are green.Bouquet branches are short, lifespan is 2-3 years. The buds are round, with green scales, and fit tightly to the shoot.
The leaves are large, oval, and the tip is sharp. The glands are located on an arcuate base; the edges are slightly wavy and bicinate. The surface is smooth, glossy, green, the back side is slightly pubescent. Sheet size - 44 x 64 mm. As the leaves grow, they take different positions - first they “look” up, then horizontally. Petioles with bright anthocyanin color, deep groove.
The diameter of the flower is 18-20 mm, the corolla is slightly closed. The petals are white, small in size: 7 mm long, 7.5 mm wide. The shape is round, medium corrugated, the top is wavy. The stamens are slightly curved, the anthers are yellow. Pistil length is 10-11 mm. The calyx is bell-shaped, the sepals fit tightly to the petals.
The fruits are large, weighing 29-32 g, the skin is elastic, dense, difficult to remove, dark red with a pink tint. The pulp is moderately dense, yellow, moderately juicy, the structure is granular and fibrous. The aroma is weak. Sweet and sour taste - 4.4 points. Sugar content - 7-7.8%, acids - 2.3%, dry substances - 9.8-11%, ascorbic acid - 5-6.7 mg.
After cutting, the flesh darkens slowly. The weight of the stone is 0.7 g, partially separated from the pulp.
The flowering period occurs in April, the fruits ripen at the end of June. The first harvest is harvested 3-4 years after planting. The fruits ripen unevenly, so the harvest period is extended.
Fruiting is regular, stable without pronounced declines and surges. The average yield is 10 kg per tree.
In the State Register, the July Rose is listed as self-fertile, but the originator declares partial self-fertility. Additional pollination is required to increase yield.Ideal for this purpose varieties Traveler and Found.
The fruits are suitable for universal consumption. Compotes, jam, juice are prepared from them and eaten fresh.
Optimal growing conditions
Creating favorable conditions for growing July rose cherry plum is the key to high productivity and health of the plant. The crop grows best in a southern area, provided it is protected from cold winds.
Landing perform in light soil with slightly acidic, neutral pH = 6.5-7.2 units. Wetlands with high groundwater levels are not suitable for this purpose.
Suitable regions
The cultivar received approval for cultivation in the North Caucasus region (Rostov region, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories, North Ossetia - Alania, Crimea, Adygea, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Chechen and Kabardino-Balkarian republics).
Sustainability
The hybrid is highly resistant to frost and moderately resistant to moisture deficiency. The culture quickly adapts to the place of cultivation and climate. Transportability and keeping quality of the fruit are average.
How to grow cherry plum July rose yourself
Planting and growing the July rose hybrid does not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. It is important to select healthy seedlings, plant according to all the rules and pay due attention to care.
How and when to plant
Cherry plum planting time falls in early spring. It is important to carry out the procedure before sap flow begins, when the seedlings are at rest. Planting material with a closed root system is planted in April - October, with an open root system - in autumn. The root system should be clean, fibrous, without damage or growths, the bark of the trunk and branches should be smooth.
Planting material is dug into the garden to preserve it until spring. To do this, make a hole in the area 30-40 cm deep and 80-100 cm long. 5-10 cm of river sand is poured onto the bottom and a seedling is placed on top. The roots are buried in the sand, and the top is left on the edge of the hole. To prevent moisture loss, the roots are immersed in a solution of clay and mullein. With the arrival of the first frosts, the hole is completely covered with soil, leaving the top of the seedling on the surface.
Reference. Planting material can be stored in the basement at a temperature of 0…+5°C.
A planting hole 70-80 cm deep is dug on the site. The poorer the soil, the larger the diameter of the hole. When planting cherry plums in heavy, clogged soil, the bottom of the hole is lined with broken brick, crushed stone or expanded clay 10-15 cm thick. On sandstones, a layer of clay of the same thickness is placed on the bottom to retain water.
In a large container, mix peat, turf, humus, sand in a ratio of 1:1:1:1, add 2 liters of wood ash and 300 g of superphosphate. The pit is filled with soil mixture and covered with a thick film or roofing felt.
Step-by-step instruction:
- With the arrival of spring, planting material is dug up or taken out of the basement and placed in a bucket with a solution of Epin, Heteroauxin or Kornevin for 3-4 hours.
- The planting hole is opened and part of the nutrient soil is raked out to freely place the seedling inside.
- A hill is formed in the center, a wooden support is driven in at a distance of 10-15 cm, a seedling is installed, and the roots are carefully distributed. The root collar is not buried.
- The hole is filled with soil and compacted.
- The tree is fixed to the support with elastic material so as not to crush the bark.
- The tree trunk circle is watered with settled water so that it reaches the roots.
- After the liquid is absorbed, the soil is loosened and covered with hay, compost, rotted sawdust, and peat.
- The central conductor is shortened by 60-80 cm, branches - up to 20-30 cm.
How to care
Caring for the July Rose cherry plum is not burdensome. Given the average drought resistance of the plant, the trees are watered every 3-4 weeks. The optimal moisture depth is 25-35 cm. Abuse of the procedure will lead to decay of the measles system. The first watering is carried out after flowering. Then the soil is loosened and mulched to stop the growth of weeds.
Top dressing
Cherry plum is fed 3-4 years after planting. Feeding scheme:
- Mineral sprinkle the tree trunk circle with fertilizers and dig up the soil. Use:
- phosphorus (superphosphate) - apply 20-30 g/1 m² annually in October;
- nitrogen (nitroammophoska, urea, ammonium nitrate) - 20-30 g/1 m² annually in April;
- potassium (monophosphate and potassium sulfate) - add 10-20 g/m² during irrigation annually in late May - early June.
- Organic sprinkle the tree trunk circle with fertilizers and dig up the soil. Apply:
- humus, compost, lowland peat - add 5-10 kg/1 m² once every 3 years in April or October;
- concentrated infusions - 1 l/1 m² every year at the end of May - beginning of June.
Recipe for concentrated infusion:
- 2 liters mullein;
- 1 liter of chicken manure;
- 5-7 kg of freshly cut grass.
Any of the components is poured into 10 liters of water and left for 5-10 days in a warm room. Dilute the concentrate with water 1:10 and water it.
Trimming
Types of plum pruning:
- Formative. The tree is shaped like a bowl. For 2-3 years after planting, 3-4 branches are selected, which in the future will become skeletal. Shoots should be located at a distance of 15-20 cm.They are cut to 30-40 cm, the rest - to a ring. After 1-2 years, 2 shoots of the second order are formed on the skeletal branches. The distance between them should be 50-60 cm. They are shortened to 30-40 cm, the rest are completely cut off. In the future, maintain the same length of branches.
- Regulatory. The procedure is performed in early spring to control the density of the crown, ensure good lighting and ventilation.
- Supportive. Trees are minted in June, when young shoots are actively growing. They are cut to 10-15 cm, thereby provoking branching and bud formation for the next year.
- Sanitary. Trees are pruned at the end of autumn after sap flow has stopped. Dry branches damaged by disease and insects are completely cut off. The same procedure is repeated in the spring after the snow melts.
The pruning shears are sharpened and disinfected with a 1% solution of copper sulfate, medical alcohol or a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide. The cuts are covered with garden varnish; stumps and twigs are not left behind.
Diseases and pests
The July Rose cherry plum has excellent resistance to major diseases. Stable immunity to clasterosporiasis is noted. Despite this, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment against fungal infections. The timing and methods of processing are presented in the table.
| Type of work | Processing method | Deadlines | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection of dry leaves, weeds, plant residues | Manual collection | Late fall | Destruction of wintering insects and fungi |
| Whitewash
|
Slaked lime solution with 1% copper sulfate solution
|
Autumn | Preventing sunburn and insect attacks |
| Treatment of crown and soil with copper sulfate solution | Use a 3% solution of copper sulfate or a 5% solution of iron sulfate | Late autumn, early spring
|
Prevention of fungal diseases and pests
|
| Pesticides
|
DNOC once every 3 years, then “Nitrophen” | Early spring | Prevention of fungal diseases and pests |
| Systemic fungicides
|
"Horus" - 7 days, "Quadris" - a week before harvest
|
After flowering, then every 2–3 weeks | Prevention of fungal diseases
|
Insecticides |
“Decis”, “Fufanon”, hereinafter referred to as biological products (“Iskra Bio”) | After flowering | Getting rid of pests |
Digging the soil |
To the depth of a shovel bayonet | Late fall | Beetles and larvae are defenseless and die from the cold |
Prevention is more effective in controlling insect pests. The table shows the main cherry plum eaters and methods for their destruction.
| Pest | Signs | Fighting methods |
|---|---|---|
Plum moth |
Small holes with gum droplets on the fruit | Prevention |
Centipede |
Shriveled green fruits, a pit eaten away from the inside and a larva inside | Prevention, manual collection of beetles in the morning |
Plum sawfly |
Beetle larvae inside the seed kernel | Prevention |
Advantages and disadvantages of cherry plum July rose
Benefits of the July Rose:
- early fruiting;
- high productivity;
- pleasant sweet and sour taste;
- large fruits;
- strong immunity;
- universal use in cooking.
Flaws:
- uneven ripening of fruits;
- average drought resistance.
Reviews from gardeners
The hybrid July Rose is popular among gardeners.
Valery, Alushta: “The July Rose cherry plum has been growing in my garden since 2010. The description of the variety is completely true. As it grew, it formed a neat crown. The fruits are very sweet compared to other types, especially wild ones. We eat most of the cherry plum straight from the tree, the rest is used for compotes, juices and jam.The fact that the fruits ripen unevenly is a big advantage for me. Ripe plums fall off, so I have grass growing under the tree to prevent them from breaking. The variety is very successful, the plant does not suffer from anything, so I do not treat it with chemicals.”
Inna, Aksai: “I’m not a fan of cherry plum, it’s too sour for me, and making jam requires a lot of sugar. But 7 years ago, my father gave us a July rose tree. We are delighted with this hybrid. The plant has strong immunity and rarely suffers from fungal diseases, except in rainy years. The fruits are juicy, large, moderately sour. I make compotes and jam from cherry plums and enjoy eating them fresh.”
Conclusion
The hybrid July Rose is popular in the North Caucasus region, where nature has created favorable conditions for growing the cultivar. It is distinguished by early ripening, high yield (about 10 kg per tree), immunity to fungal infections and ease of care. The large fruits have a thin, dark red skin with a pink tint, juicy yellow flesh and a pleasant sweet and sour taste.