Plum starting

Plum is a wonderful culture that is loved by both adults and children. Plum Startovaya has a high yield, for which gardeners love it. Her berries are very pleasant, fragrant, and the trees practically do not get sick with any diseases, they are also not afraid of pests. In today's article we will tell you about the main characteristics of the Startovaya plum variety, the peculiarities of planting and caring for the plum, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of plants. In conclusion, we will tell you how to deal with pests and diseases.

The starting plum was brought out by Russian breeders at the Michurin Research Institute. As a result of crossing other varieties, a very interesting hybrid appeared. The Startovaya plum was included in the state register a little more than 10 years ago, but this variety has already managed to fall in love with many gardeners in our country.

Plum Starter: variety description and characteristics

Plum trees The starting height is medium, the crown of the plants is quite dense, oval in shape. On the shoots, the bark is red-brown, sometimes they are covered with a silvery bloom. The buds are conical in shape, silvery brown. The foliage is regular in shape, emerald, medium in size. The texture of the leaf plates is wrinkled, the leaf is pointed at the tip, ribbed at the edges. Stipules fall off early enough. If we talk about the petioles, then in the Startovaya plum they are ordinary, sometimes pigmented. On the plum of this variety, large white inflorescences are always formed, the flowers resemble bells. The pistils have a beautiful yellowish color. The berries are always large enough. The fruit is dark purple in color, with a beautiful whitish tint. The plant berries have good taste and marketability. The plum tastes sweet and sour, pleasant, the seeds are perfectly separated from the pulp, so the housewives love these fruits very much. It should be noted that the flesh of the Startovaya variety plum itself is very juicy and yellow. The fruits are large enough, the mass of one plum is about 50 grams, this variety can be grown in many regions of our country. Plum feels best in the Central Black Earth regions. This plant is often grown in the south, for example, in Georgia, as well as in the north. It is best to choose loamy soils for planting. There Startovaya plum feels most comfortable.

General characteristics of the Starter plum

Plum Starter: photo of the variety

The Startovaya plum is considered frost-resistant, so if in your region the winter is usually mild, not with little snow, then you do not need to cover the tree in late autumn. It should be noted that these plants tolerate drought well. However, in the heat, watering the plant will need to be slightly more intense. Plum feels great in the suburbs, the climatic conditions there are quite comfortable, but you can grow plums, for example, in Siberia, however, in order to get a good harvest there, you will need to take special care of the plant. An indisputable plus is that this plum is self-fertile, the ovaries are formed on the plants intensively, however, in order to increase the yield, it is better to plant some kind of pollinator with Startovaya plum. Choose starter pollinators for plum - varieties that bloom with a given plant at the same time, for example, you can plant a Volga plum next to it. The fruits of the Startovaya plum ripen early, the yield, as we have already noted, is high. These plants are often grown commercially. Farmers collect 60 centners of fruit per hectare.On household plots, 50 kg of ripe and aromatic plums can be harvested from one tree. But the fruits are not stored for so long, usually no more than 1 month, so it is better to either use plums fresh or process them, they make excellent compote and jam. For the first time, the plum begins to bear fruit at the age of 4, if you planted a seed, then the plant will give its first harvest in 6 years. This plum is considered versatile, so it can be grown both on a personal plot and in an industrial form. Namely, on large areas. In farms, the fruits of these trees are used to make compote, jams, candied fruits and wines. If you freeze the plums, the flavor will not be lost. This tree is considered to be quite resistant to pests and diseases, therefore, plants do not need to be treated with insecticides and fungicides.

Plum Starter: pros and cons

Each variety has its own merits and demerits. If we talk about the advantages, then it should be noted: the yield of this plum is always consistently high, the crop begins to bear fruit very early, the plums can be transported over long distances, the taste and marketability of the fruits are excellent. Plum Starter has good immunity, so there is practically no need to treat trees from diseases and pests. The fruits are considered universal, they can be consumed fresh, processed. Plants are quite resistant to both low and high temperatures. The only drawback is actually the conditional self-fertility of culture. This means that Startovaya plum can bear fruit without additional pollinators, but it is important to know that in this case the yield of the plum will be low.

Plum Start: planting

Startovaya plum is planted in mid-spring or September-October. It is important to ensure that at least a month remains before the arrival of frost. By the fall, the strongest plants are planted, but the planting material must be of high quality at any time. Do not forget to cover them for the winter after the autumn planting of plants. If you plant plums in the spring, they will gain strength over the summer, and after winter they will begin to grow and develop intensively. Before planting a plum, you need to choose the right place. It is better to grow Startovaya on loamy soils. The acidity should not be too high. The plant also has a negative attitude to high humidity. If the groundwater is close to the surface, then the drain will feel uncomfortable there. Saplings are planted in well-lit places, as well as areas protected from the winds. If the place is right, then the fruits of the plum will be tasty and juicy. Particular attention should be paid to the neighbors of the Startovaya plum. Other plum hybrids can be planted next to this variety. As we mentioned above, a variety such as the Volzhskaya beauty is suitable for additional pollination. If the flowering period of neighboring plums is different, then there is no point in planting them side by side. It is not recommended to plant this crop near cherries, sweet cherries, walnuts. The latter inhibits the plant especially intensively. But you can plant a plum next to any berry or apple tree, these neighbors get along well. Before planting, you also need to choose the right planting material and prepare the plants. Plum is usually grown from seeds, cuttings. Moreover, the most economical option is to grow the Starter plum from the seed. To do this, you will need to split the bone first, remove the seeds and soak them for two days in warm water. After that, you can store the bones in a glass container. About six months before the planned planting date, it is recommended to stratify the seeds by sending them to wet sand in a cool place. After the plant grows up, usually after 2 years, the trees are transplanted to a permanent habitat.It is easy now and to purchase planting material in a specialized store, on the market or in a nursery. Pay attention to the condition of the root system of the seedling, the development of cuttings and layers. The plant should be free of any defects or damage. The planting material must be strong and healthy. It is such a tree that will give a bountiful harvest, it is easy to tolerate low temperatures. They are usually planted one-year-old or two-year-old. Moreover, each plant should have at least three main roots, and preferably five. In one-year-olds, the trunk height is slightly more than 1 m, and the diameter is slightly more than 1 cm.By the way, in a branched one-year-old, the stem height is about 50 cm, this also applies to branched two-year-olds, the only difference is in the diameter of the trunk, in older plants the thickness of the headquarters is greater. It is best to measure the diameter where the plant was previously grafted, about a few centimeters above this mark. But before planting the seeds, you will need to wait until they germinate. The soil and compost are also prepared in advance. When the roots begin to form, the plant can be planted either in a pot or directly into a shallow hole in the area. The plant is carefully placed in the ground, the soil must be fertile and loose. A planting hole for planting seedlings is prepared in advance. If you plan to plant plants in the fall, then the hole will need to be prepared about a month before the planned exhibition date of the plant. Do not forget about the distance between plantings, the plums must be planted so that the trees have a distance of at least 3 m from each other, you need to retreat almost 2 times more between the rows. If you live in the Siberian region, then you can leave up to 2 m between the plants, and 3 m between the rows. The planting hole should be deep enough, at least 70 m, the same hole should be in diameter. The upper sod layer of soil is cut off and laid aside, the pit is covered with prepared soil mixture. If the soil contains a lot of sand or peat, then it is better to fill the hole with an admixture of clay. Peat, superphosphate, humus, potassium sulfate and other top dressing are added to normal soil when planting plants. If the soil is acidified, then it is advisable to calcify the soil or add a little dolomite flour there. Will help to cope with acidity and ammonium nitrate, with the addition of lime. The soil must be loose, well structured. In the middle of the hole, a long wooden peg is necessarily dug in, in order to further tie a plant to it. The seedling itself is also placed in the middle, sometimes even eggshells are added to the pit, the root system of the plant should be well straightened when planting. Fertilizers should be covered with no more than two-thirds of the hole, everything else is filled with ordinary soil. The root collar should be located above the soil surface, rising by several centimeters. It is recommended to compact the soil so that the soil is not washed out, this also protects the root system from drying out. If you want moisture not to evaporate from the site, then pour mulch near the trunk. For this, you can use straw or dry grass. Do not forget to tie the seedling to a wooden peg and water the plant abundantly with water when finished. During this period, the tree will need a lot of moisture.

Plum Start: care

Plum Starter: photo of the variety

In order for the harvest to be truly plentiful, you need to properly care for the plant. The first thing to say about pruning. A good harvest can only be obtained from a well-cut tree. Therefore, do not forget to shape the crown. For the first time, cut the shoots before planting the plant. Usually the trunk is shortened by a few centimeters. At the age of two, cut to 30 cm in length, then the growth is shortened not so actively.An adult plant should have no more than 6 powerful branches growing at a slight angle to the headquarters. The crown is usually cup-shaped, so it needs to be maintained, if the branches are too dense on the plant, then the fruits will not have enough light, which means that the yield will begin to decline. Watering the plants is necessary only as needed. It is recommended to moisten the soil regularly only at first. If you are planting plants in the spring, then be careful, it is the spring soil that dries out quickly enough. It is best to water mature trees once a week. Young plants need 6 buckets of water, while mature plants need up to 10. And do not forget that plants also need to be watered in autumn. However, the plum does not like stagnant moisture, so the soil should not be moistened too abundantly. Don't forget to prepare your plants for wintering. If in your region, of course, the winter is mild and not with little snow, then you do not need to insulate the plum. However, in harsh climatic conditions, it will be difficult for plants to overwinter without proper preparation. To prevent the trunk from freezing, the bark is whitewashed, capturing the bases of the skeletal branches. If you have strong frosts in your region, then the plants are recommended to be wrapped in several layers of burlap. Empty bags are laid out near young plants and fixed with soil. The trunk circle is mulched with humus, sometimes covered with polyethylene, so that precipitation does not negatively affect the plants. Also, in winter, they sometimes throw snow to the base of the trunk, trample it in order to protect the plants from rodents. If the snowfall, on the contrary, is heavy, then the snow from the shoots must be knocked down so that the branches do not break. But since the beginning of spring, the entire harness is removed, the snow is removed from the trunk circle. If we talk about dressing, the Startovaya plum variety loves urea, wood ash, superphosphate, nitrogen fertilizers. It is recommended to feed the plants no more than three times a year.

Rodents, diseases and pests of the Startovaya plum variety

Particular attention must be paid to protecting trees from rodents. Very often, these animals make moves under the snow, violating the integrity of the plant's root system. In order to protect the Starter plum from such attacks, you can use the netting, which is dug into the ground around the tree in late autumn. However, the cell must be small, so that rodents do not crawl through it, and in order not to damage the root system in any way during the installation of this protection, retreat one meter from the center. Often gardeners simply set up rodent traps. For bait, lard, bread, pieces of vegetables, of course, cheese are used. Many people buy special drugs that help fight mice. If we talk about diseases and pests, then the Startovaya plum has a fairly good immunity, massive insect attacks are also very rare. It is not necessary to process the plants annually, but if you find symptoms of certain diseases, signs of pests on the site, be sure to spray the plants with the right solution.

Conclusion

Plum Startovaya is considered an excellent unpretentious variety. The taste and marketability of the fruits are simply excellent, and their purpose is universal. This plum is grown both massively and singly in personal plots. Taking care of the plant is easy and simple. If your region has a mild winter, then you do not need to cover the plants. At first, protect the seedlings from unfavorable natural factors, over time, the immunity of plants will become higher, so preventive treatments will no longer be needed. Plants can be planted both in spring and autumn. Gardeners note: there are no significant problems with the Startovaya variety plum. Culture always has a decent harvest. The housewives make wonderful jams and aromatic jams from these plums. In general, a high harvest and summer mood will be provided for you.