Step-by-step instructions for planting cherry plum in autumn

Cherry plum is a relative of plum. Its fruits have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and a pronounced plum aroma. It is suitable for preparing desserts and sauces for meat.

Cherry plum is a heat-loving plant. Previously, it was grown only in warm regions, but thanks to the efforts of breeders, varieties were developed that could withstand harsh winters and grow in the central regions of Russia. The tree is planted in autumn or spring, depending on the region. Read more about planting cherry plums in the fall.

Cherry plum varieties suitable for autumn planting

Previously, it was impossible to grow heat-loving cherry plum in the Leningrad and Moscow regions, and especially in Siberia. But thanks to breeding, cold-resistant varieties that can grow in cold climates have appeared on the market.

In order for the tree to take root on the site, it is important to choose a variety suitable for a particular region.

The list contains the most popular varieties of cherry plum:

1. Scythian gold. An early variety that bears fruit in June. It has yellow, sweet and sour fruits weighing up to 40 g. It is resistant to winter cold snaps. The bone is difficult to separate from the pulp.
2. Found. Mid-season variety, bearing fruit in July. Frost-resistant, demanding on humidity. It produces sweet and sour yellow fruits, the weight of which reaches 35 g. The stone does not separate.
3. Traveler. Mid-season. It has yellow fruits weighing up to 30 g with a banana flavor.
4. Ruby. Mid-season, frost-resistant variety. Produces sweet fruits with dark red skin and orange flesh.
5. Timiryazevskaya. An early variety with high frost resistance and good immunity. The fruits have a burgundy skin and yellow flesh. The bone comes off easily. The weight of one fruit reaches 25 g.
6. Tent. Cold- and drought-resistant tree. It has fruits that are yellow inside and out, weighing up to 35 g. The stone is easily separated from the pulp.
7. Yarilo. Cold-resistant variety. It has red fruits inside and outside weighing up to 40 g with a rich taste and aroma.
8. Sigma. A frost-resistant tree that produces yellow fruits weighing up to 35 g.
9. Cuban Comet. Mid-season variety resistant to frost and drought. The weight of each yellow-sweet fruit reaches 30 g. The only variety presented is self-fertile.
10. Cleopatra. Frost-resistant and drought-resistant variety. Produces sweet fruits with dark purple skin and red flesh. Each weighs 40-50 g.
11. Granite. Late variety of cherry plum. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant. Produces yellow fruits with a waxy coating.

Almost all of the presented varieties are self-sterile. This means that for them to bear fruit, another cherry plum tree is needed on the site.

Note! Self-fertile trees can bear fruit without another cherry plum on the site, but the yield in this case will be lower.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

When choosing a cherry plum seedling, it is important to pay attention to its varietal characteristics. A plant that will grow in the middle zone (in St. Petersburg) or in the Middle Urals must have high frost resistance. Drought-resistant varieties and hybrids are suitable for the southern regions.

Young seedlings – no more than a year old – have the best survival rate. They must have a closed root system or be in water.

It is important to pay attention to the root system.It should be formed, the roots on the cut should be white. Small roots will die off when transplanted.

The seedling must be in a dormant state. This is evidenced by unopened and unswollen buds.

The seedlings are transferred in a bucket of water. It is advisable to deliver it to the garden and plant it as quickly as possible. If this is not possible, the plant is buried in the shade at an angle.

Place for cherry plum

In order for the seedling to take root and produce good harvests in the future, it is important to choose the right place for it. Otherwise, the plant will die.

Cherry plum is a moisture-loving plant. It grows well in areas with close groundwater.

It is important that the chosen location is well lit by the sun. Cherry plum does not like shade; if there is a lack of sunlight, it gets sick and does not set fruit well.

For planting cherry plums, choose the southern or south-eastern slope. It is advisable that it be closed from the winds from all sides.

Landing dates

When is the best time to plant cherry plum, depends on the region. Autumn planting is optimal for regions with warm climates. In this case, the plant is planted in the second half of October.

In the Moscow region and other regions with a temperate climate, planting in the autumn is also possible. The plant is planted in September so that it has time to take root before the onset of frost.

In the north of our country, seedlings are able to take root only in the spring. When planting in autumn, they will not have time to do this before frost and will die.

Rules for autumn planting of cherry plum

How quickly the plant takes root and whether it can survive the winter depends on how correctly the planting is done. Special attention is paid to this stage of cherry plum cultivation.

Required materials and tools

To plant cherry plum you will need a number of tools and materials:

1. Shovel and rake for planting and hilling seedlings.
2. Litmus paper to test for acidity. Chalk, lime or gypsum depending on the acidity level of the soil.
3. Fertilizers. Usually they use “Nitrophoska”, humus or rotted manure.
4. A means for treating the roots of a seedling - a growth stimulator with clay.
5. Mulch: sawdust, humus, rotted straw.

Step-by-step instruction

Planting a seedling is not difficult. The main thing is to strictly follow the recommendations:

1. The hole is prepared two weeks before planting the cherry plum. Dig a hole 60 cm deep and 100 cm in diameter. Two-thirds of it is filled with earth, 1 kg of “Nitrophoska” and 20 kg of humus are poured on top.
2. Check the acidity of the soil. If the indicators are elevated, add dry lime; if lowered - plaster. Sand is added to heavy soil, and turf is added to sandy soil.
3. Before planting, the roots of the seedling are immersed in a clay mash (1 kg of clay is added to 5 liters of water) with a growth stimulator, for example, “Heteroauxin” (it is added according to the instructions).
4. The seedling is placed in a hole on an earthen mound, the roots are straightened. Sprinkle it with soil mixture on top so that the root collar remains open. The soil around the tree is compacted.
5. The upper part of the seedling is cut at a height of 30 cm.
6. The seedling is watered with 5-10 liters of water. A layer of mulch is poured on top.

To help the seedling take root, it is recommended to tie it to a stake.

Advice. To get rich harvests, it is recommended to plant two cherry plum trees at a distance of 2-4 m.

Further care of seedlings

Growing cherry plum is not difficult. She is unpretentious and is rarely affected by diseases. However, it is important to provide the plant with proper care. It varies in autumn, summer, spring and winter.

in winter

In winter, the trees are dormant and therefore do not require special care.To protect the plant from the cold, it is recommended to make a small mound of snow around its trunk.

in spring

Spring care of cherry plum includes a number of mandatory activities. These include:

1. Getting rid of excess moisture. If there is a lot of snow in winter, grooves are dug near the cherry plum to drain moisture.
2. Treatment. The branches of young seedlings in the first 2-3 years of life are treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate without prior preparation. Dead bark is first removed from mature plants.
3. Digging the soil around the tree. The procedure is carried out in April. This is necessary for better supply of water and nutrients, as well as normalization of air exchange in the roots.
4. Watering. If there was no snow in winter and no rain in spring, the tree is watered once in the spring.
5. Removing overgrowth. It is either cut down or dug up and separated from the mother root to obtain a healthy seedling. Shoots appear no earlier than three years after planting.
6. Trimming. Gradually the plant is formed into a tree or bush. The second option is suitable for regions with cool climates. In this case, the branches are cut at a height of 30 cm from the ground, leaving 5-6 branches, which are shortened at a height of 50 cm and moved as far as possible to horizontal positions using stretch marks. If the cherry plum is formed into a tree, the crown is cut in the shape of a bowl, leaving 5-7 main branches. In the first year, only three branches are left from the trunk at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other and extending from the trunk at an angle of 45-60 degrees. Over the next two years, more branches are added according to the same rules. After three years, the crown will be formed, and the top of the conductor is cut off at the level of the third skeletal branch.Adult plants only need sanitary pruning, during which all dry branches that create unnecessary shadow are removed. The cut areas must be treated with garden varnish.
7. Feeding. In spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied. For 1 sq. m instill 90 g of ammonium nitrate before flowering. During the formation of ovaries in early varieties, 60 g of urea per 1 square meter is added. m.
8. Spraying the buds. For this purpose, a solution of microelements is used.

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In summer

Other events during the summer include:

1. Watering. If the summer turns out to be dry, the cherry plum is watered at least three times during the entire period. 10 liters of settled water at room temperature is poured under each tree.
2. Loosening. After each watering, the soil around the tree is loosened to a depth of 8 to 12 cm.
3. Weeding. During the loosening process, weeds are removed. This is especially important to do while the plant is young.
4. Mulching. It is recommended to mulch the soil around the tree. To do this, use peat, sawdust, rotted hay or straw. Mulch slows down the growth of weeds and eliminates the need for loosening.
5. Pruning shoots. If new growth appears in the summer, it is cut out.
6. Foliar feeding. Four weeks after the first feeding, the tree is sprayed again with preparations containing potassium, phosphorus and trace elements.
7. Organic feeding. It is introduced in August. For 20 liters of water take 1 liter of chicken manure. Mullein is also used in a ratio of 1:8.

in autumn

In autumn, cherry plums are prepared for wintering. This is done as follows:

1. The soil around the cherry plum is dug up and cleared of weeds.During the process, organic fertilizers and superphosphate are added. Under one cherry plum plant 6 kg of rotted manure and 30 g of superphosphate are placed.
2. Moisten the soil when the leaves begin to turn yellow. It is important that the water saturates the soil to a depth of 0.4-0.6 m.
3. At the end of October, dead particles of bark are removed from the trees. Cut out the shoots.
4. The trunk and base of the branches are covered with lime.
5. Fallen leaves and other plant debris are removed from the area.

Diseases and pests

Cherry plum is rarely susceptible to disease. However, some infections affect it. Proper care will help to avoid plant infection.

Cherry plum diseases:

1. Hole spot. Brown spots with a dark rim appear on the leaves, and later the infection spreads to the branches and fruits. This leads to deformation of the fruits and a deterioration in their taste; gum begins to leak from the affected areas on the branches. Prevention of the disease includes timely removal of fallen leaves, sanitary pruning of dry branches, and spring treatment with copper sulfate. For treatment at the stage of coloring the buds, the plant is sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture, the second treatment is carried out two weeks later, the last one – 20 days before harvest.
2. Milky shine. The leaves become covered with a white coating, the leaves acquire a brown tint, and the affected branches of the plant begin to dry out. This is a fungal disease, for the prevention of which the spring and autumn are treated with copper sulfate and the trunk is painted with lime. To cure cherry plum, the affected branches are cut off. The cut areas are treated with 1% copper sulfate and covered with garden pitch.
3. False milky shine. The leaves become covered with a white coating and the plant bears few fruits. Occurs when cherry plum freezes in winter.Frequent feeding and watering of the tree will help correct the situation.
4. Moniliosis. Gray bulges appear on the leaves, containing fungal spores. The branches turn brown, dry out and rot, and growths appear on them. The fruits also become covered with gray and brown spots and become unsuitable for eating. All affected specimens are torn off and burned. The affected parts of the plant are also removed. The cut areas are treated with copper sulfate and garden pitch.
5. Marsupial disease. The fruits become twisted, wrinkled, tasteless, do not ripen, and seeds do not form in them. The stems swell and bend. During treatment, remove all infected fruits and other parts of the plant. The tree is treated with Bordeaux mixture, which is also used for prevention.
6. Coccomycosis. The leaves become covered with red-brown spots on top and a whitish coating on the bottom, quickly turn yellow and fly off. The fruits do not ripen and fall off. All affected foliage and fruits are collected and burned. The tree is treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture or the HOM preparation.

Pests love cherry plum. These include:

1. Brown fruit mite. The leaves turn brown and die, the fruits do not form. Prevention is the removal of dead bark, treatment is treatment with Fufanon.
2. The mucous sawfly eats leaf blades. Prevention consists of timely removal of foliage and plant deposits from the area, treatment – ​​treatment of the plant in August with Fufanon.
3. Yellow plum sawfly. The larvae eat seeds, pulp and young shoots. Adult insects are collected by hand or shaken from the tree onto film and then burned. To avoid repeated damage, the tree is sprayed with Fufanon at the beginning and end of flowering.
4. Eastern codling moth. It devours young shoots, causing them to die, and the pulp of fruits. For treatment and prevention, the tree is sprayed after flowering and fruit harvesting with a saline solution prepared from 0.5 kg of salt and 10 liters of water. A young seedling needs 2 liters of solution, an adult tree – 7 liters.
5. Plum moth. The caterpillar lives in the fruits, devouring them and filling them with waste products. For prevention, fallen leaves, fruits and unnecessary vegetation are removed. For treatment, the tree is treated with Fufanon.
6. Plum aphid. It feeds on the sap of leaves and shoots, causing them to turn yellow and die. To combat the pest, the plant is treated with Karbofos.
7. Subcortical leaf roller. It gnaws holes in wood, leading to the death of individual branches or the entire plant. The affected parts of the tree are removed, and the cut areas are treated with garden varnish.

Is it possible to replant cherry plum in the fall to a new place?

Is it possible to transplant cherry plum to a new place? This question is asked by gardeners who initially chose the wrong place to plant. Answer: yes, you can, but subject to a number of rules and conditions.

Before replanting a plant, you need to determine its age. Trees no older than five years old take root best in a new location. More mature cherry plum forms lateral roots more slowly, which means it takes root less well.

Replanting cherry plums older than five years to a new location is possible only if there is a closed root system. But even in this case, there is no guarantee that the tree will take root.

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting cherry plum to a new place:

1. Immediately before transplanting, the tree is watered with 3-5 buckets of water. This will make it easier to remove it from the ground.
2. When the water is absorbed, the tree is dug around the diameter of the crown to a depth of 70 cm.The cherry plum is carefully removed from the ground along with a lump of earth, trying not to damage even small root shoots.
3. The roots with a lump of earth are covered with film or cloth. It is recommended to transport the tree to a new location on plywood so that the earthen lump does not disintegrate.
4. In a new place, the cherry plum is placed in a hole so that the root collar is located at the level of the soil surface.
5. The hole is filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus and “Nitrophoska”. The soil around the trunk is carefully compacted.
6. A layer of mulch (sawdust, peat, rotted straw) is poured around the tree. The cherry plum is tied to a support and watered abundantly.

Autumn replanting of cherry plums is done a month before the onset of frost.

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Conclusion

Planting a cherry plum seedling is a simple but responsible task. Its endurance and productivity depend on how correctly the place for the tree is chosen and prepared.

Caring for cherry plum is also easy. The main thing is to apply fertilizing in a timely manner, carry out pruning and prevent the development of diseases and pests.