Colon-shaped plums appeared in our gardens relatively recently, but have already begun to enjoy considerable demand among gardeners. Let's figure out how to grow and care for these fruit trees.
What does a "plum-shaped" plum mean?
A column-shaped plum is a tree whose crown grows in the shape of a column. Its branches do not scatter, as usual, but stretch up and are often hung with a large number of fruits.
At the same time, a similar type of plums was not created artificially at all. Such a mutation was discovered quite by accident in the 60s of the last century by a breeder in America.
The scientist saw a thicker and vertically growing branch on the Macintosh apple tree. Her trunk was abundantly dotted with apples. This interested the breeder, and he tried to propagate this specimen, which in the end gave 2 years later the sort of colonial apple tree “Leader”. Similarly, pear and plum trees were also obtained, which are distinguished by good harvest and simple cultivation.
Tree description
Colon-shaped plum tree belongs to the family Pink. It is quite easy to recognize it by the following main signs:
- short stature;
- shoots growing not to the sides, but upward;
- narrow underdeveloped crown;
- thin branches covered with smooth bark.
The height of the grown tree is usually not higher than 2-2.5 m, which significantly distinguishes them from ordinary plum crops. The color of the plums can be yellow, blue or violet-purple.
Advantages and disadvantages of a columnar plum
A column-shaped plum, like any other fruit tree, has its advantages and disadvantages. We will deal with this in more detail.
Benefits of a Colon-shaped Plum Tree:
- Good harvest. Depending on the variety, from 6 to 11 kg of fruits can be collected from one tree. This is due to the small number of branches, which is why nutrients go directly to fruiting.
- Precocity. The first crop can be harvested already 2 years after planting, and by 4-7 years of life, the tree will enter its peak yield, which will not change for another 10 years. And only by the 14-17th year of life, the plum tree will gradually cease to bear fruit.
- Resistance to cold and endurance. Column-shaped trees tolerate frosts to -30 ° C, which allows you to expand the geography of planting plants from Siberia to the Krasnodar Territory. And the branches of such a plum are strong and calmly withstand the weight of ripened fruits.
- Crown shape. Since the tree has only one trunk, and there are very few "extra" branches, there is often no need to prune it.
As for the shortcomings, gardeners note a relatively short period of fruiting of the tree. By ten years old, the plum aging mechanism is activated, and the yield is gradually falling.
Therefore, if you are interested in a plentiful harvest, trees need to be updated. This can be done 13 or 15 years after planting, replacing old trees with new seedlings. However, trees that have ceased to bear fruit can not be uprooted, but left as a decorative decoration of the garden.
Pollination and "neighborhood"
Some varieties of columnar plums have the ability to self-pollinate (for example, Imperial, Commander, Ruby, Angers). But the bulk of these trees need pollinators to give a crop.
Pollination mainly occurs with the help of bees. But during cold snap, freezing or prolonged rains, their activity decreases, so experienced gardeners plant pollinating varieties nearby. And trees with the ability to self-pollinate, provide an opportunity to harvest even in adverse weather. Whole gardens can be formed from such varieties, but the crop may not be the way we would like.
As for the "neighborhood", then next to the plum get along quietly:
- plum trees;
- apple trees;
- quince and cherry plum.
From the bushes nearby you can plant raspberries, black currants, gooseberries. Since the crown of the columnar tree gives little shadow, lilies of the valley, hyacinths, primrose or other primroses can be planted under the tree. Thyme does not interfere with the development of wood.
It should be remembered that the plum does not tolerate pear, nuts, peaches, cherries, cherries and sea buckthorn as a "neighbor". Also, she will not like the proximity of birch, fir or poplar.
What are columnar varieties?
Varieties of columnar plum trees can have different ripening periods, differ in fruit color and self-pollination ability. Among the variety of species, the most common and popular varieties can be distinguished.
Imperial
Imperial is one of the most popular varieties. He is loved for large fruits (weighing up to 55 g) and a delicate, aromatic taste. The shape of the plums is round, with a pressed top and a wide base. The skin of the fruit is quite dense, but this does not in any way affect their taste.
Such a tree grows up to 2 m, and begins to bear fruit by the middle or end of August. It does not need pollinators, as it relates to self-pollinated varieties. The color of the plums of the Imperial variety is often pink-purple, but there are also fruits with a red-brown color.
Among the shortcomings of the Imperial, one can single out the need for abundant watering and the likelihood of flowering in the first year. If this happens, the inflorescences must be cut off, since such an early harvest can deplete a young tree.
Blue Sweet
The second most popular type of columnar plum. The fruits of this variety are also large and can reach a mass of 75 g. The shape is oval, slightly flattened. On thick skin there is a wax coating. The Blue Sweet grows to a height not exceeding 2 m. The taste is refreshing with sweet and sour notes.
About 12-15 kg of plums are collected from a tree per season. The fruits ripen closer to the end of August and need pollination. This usually happens with Blue Free or Stanley. The color of Blue Sweet fruit is purple. A flesh plum with a rose.
Among the disadvantages of the variety, it is possible to distinguish a possible bifurcation of the top of the tree due to frost, which subsequently can cause problems when restoring the shape of the crown. And just like the Imperial - this variety can begin to bloom in the first year. If this happened - you need to cut off all emerging inflorescences.
Yellow
The yellow-headed plum tree variety is famous for its early maturity and ability to self pollination. The fruits can already be harvested at the end of June. The growth of plums is 2.5 m, and the weight of the fruit is from 40 to 70 g each. The plums themselves are round in golden color. The taste is sweet honey.
Honey
The plum-grade honey-shaped plum gives yellow-golden, with a sweet taste, fruits that weigh up to 50 g. For pollination, it needs the varieties Renklod Karbysheva or Hungarian Donetsk. Begins to bear fruit in late July.
Mirabella
Mirabella is a variety of columnar plums that resembles apricots in appearance. One such fruit weighs about 40 g, and you can collect up to 15 kg of plums from one crop.
The tree begins to bear fruit in mid-August. Pollinators are not needed. As a plus, one can single out the ability of a tree to hold fruits on branches for a long time without shedding.
The tree itself is very small - about 1.7 m. The taste is sweet and sour, the color is yellow, maybe with a slight “blush” on the sides. The disadvantage of this variety is the poor separation of the bone from the pulp.
Russian
Another type of columnar plum, which can be considered dwarf, since the growth of such trees does not exceed 1.7 m. The fruits grow small (up to 40 g) and ripen closer to mid-August. Pollination occurs using cherry plum. The plums themselves are red-violet, have a sweet taste.
Ruby
Ruby is a self-pollinating plum variety. The weight of one fruit is about 60 g. The height of the plant is 2 m, the color of the fruit is red, the taste is sweet with an admixture of acidity. The minus of the variety is the collection of fruits in early September.
Commander
Another self-pollinated variety with oval violet fruits, weighing about 50-55 g. It begins to ripen by mid-summer. Height - up to 2 m. The fruits themselves are very juicy and sweet, with a slight acidity.
Oscar Plus
Oscar Plus is a variety whose fruits appear no earlier than September. The fruits themselves weigh 45-55 g each, have a spherical shape, and their color can vary from pink-purple to brown-red. Pollination of such plums is possible using trees with the same flowering periods. The height of the tree is about 2 meters. The taste is sweet with sourness.
Angers
Angers refers to self-fertile mid-season varieties. The burgundy with a purple tint, the fruits of this tree weigh up to 40 g and have a sweet, sour taste.
Olenka
Bright red plums with a slight purple hue. The fruits of this variety are small - their weight is only 25 g. For pollination and harvesting, it needs trees of the Stanley or Blue Free varieties.
Summary table of varieties by characteristics
To figure out which varieties are best for you, you can study the comparative table with the characteristics of the trees.
Table 1 - Characteristics of varieties of columnar plum
Grade name | Growing region | Ripening time | Colour |
Imperial | Moscow region and the center of Russia, North-West region (St. Petersburg region) | mid-end of August | purple red brown |
Blue Sweet | Moscow region and the center of Russia, Ural | end of August | dark purple |
Yellow | Moscow region and the center of Russia | end of June | golden |
Honey | Moscow region and the center of Russia, Siberia | end of July | yellow golden |
Mirabella | Moscow region and the center of Russia | mid august | yellow, there may be a slight “blush” from the side of the sun |
Russian | North-West region (Saint-Petersburg region), Ural, Siberia | mid august | red violet, dark red |
Ruby | Siberia | beginning of September | red |
Angers | Ural | mid august | burgundy purple |
Landing Features
The abundance of the crop and the health of the colonized trees depend on the technology of planting and growing these crops.
Planting column-shaped plums begins with a selection of seedlings. After that, a place for trees is selected, and the soil is prepared accordingly.
Selection of seedlings
The purchase of a particular variety of columnar plums depends on your personal preference. At the same time, focus on the resistance of the seedlings to the weather conditions of the region, diseases and the ability to give the required amount of yield.
When choosing a seedling of a columnar plum, look at its roots - they should be without damage and dry or broken shoots, have many branches. Branches should also be in good condition, with no signs of disease.
What else can I advise when buying seedlings of columnar plums:
- choose an annual culture, as an older seedling may be more difficult to take root in a new place;
- buy seedlings in specialized nurseries - this is more likely to get a tree that is already adapted to the climatic conditions of your region.
When choosing a seedling in a nursery, also ask for advice from a specialist in the care and cultivation of the purchased variety.
Choosing a place and time
The main thing when growing columnar plums is not to miss the time of planting seedlings. Frosts and adverse weather conditions can damage the top of the tree, which will negatively affect its development and the formation of the crown.
To decide when to plant trees, you need to rely on the climatic characteristics of the region. For example, in southern Russia, the best planting time is autumn, and in the northern latitudes, in the Urals and in the middle lane - spring (after the snow has melted and the cold has finally disappeared).
As for the landing site, it should be:
- sunny - the column-shaped plum does not like a shadow;
- protected from wind and drafts;
- having unboggy, light soil (for example, sandy loam);
- with a groundwater level of at least 1.5 m.
Do not plant plums in the lowlands, as it is cooler there than on the hills, and groundwater often accumulates. If these conditions are not maintained, then the roots of the seedlings can rot, the trunk is damaged and the drain begins to hurt.
Soil preparation
Before you start planting the crop, prepare the soil:
- process the selected area with humus (usually it takes 3-4 kg per tree), then loosen the ground and level it;
- dig a hole for a seedling in advance (30-40 cm wide and 2 times as deep as the root system of the tree), then put a mixture of soil with fertilizer on the bottom of the recess;
- use up to 80 g of potassium and up to 100 g of superphosphate as a fertilizer - add nutrients to the bottom on the day of soil preparation, so that by the time the tree is planted, the mixture has settled.
Landing technology
To prevent a landing error, follow these step-by-step guidelines:
- Plant colon-shaped plums at a distance of 50 cm from each other. And keep the width between the rows about 1-1.5 m.
- Pour fertile substance (e.g. humus mixed with soil) onto the bottom of the excavated recesses. Take 3-4 kg of substrate per seedling. Mineral or other additives cannot be used during planting, as weak seedling roots can easily be damaged by chemical exposure.
- Next, place the tree in the prepared hole, and its roots carefully straighten. At the same time, the root neck (the place where the trunk color changes from greenish to brown) should protrude 3-4 cm above the ground.
- If groundwater is located near the landing site, drain the bottom of small stones or broken bricks.
- After placing the culture in a pit, fill the recess with clean soil, and then compact it around the trunk. Then water the tree. And so that the seedling grows evenly, tie it to the support.
Additionally, after planting, use stimulants for better root growth. For example, Kornevin. Preparing it is quite simple: dilute 5 g of the drug in 5 l of water. The norm for one seedling is 350 ml. The substance can be applied a second time 3 weeks after planting. The main thing is to observe all proportions - an overdose of stimulants is unacceptable!
The process of planting a columnar plum is presented in this video:
How to care for a planted tree?
After the tree has been planted in the ground, it remains to properly care for it in order to get a plentiful harvest.
Irrigation scheme
Colon-shaped plum trees love moderately moist soil and respond well to watering. This should be done once a month (in spring, summer and autumn), abundantly watering the seedling with water. If in summer the weather is extremely arid, then more often, depending on the needs of the tree.
How, when and how to feed?
In order for the plum to grow well and delight with good tasty fruits, it must be fed. One of the most popular top dressings is urea: 50 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water. One plum accounts for 2 liters of solution.
The feeding scheme is as follows:
- 1 time - after the release of the kidneys;
- 2 times - 14 days after the first feeding;
- 3 times - 14 days after the second recharge.
In the second year of growth of the colon-shaped plum, you can feed it with nitrate, diluting 20 g per 1 liter, and also use growth stimulants.
During the first 2-3 years of the tree’s life, he suffers from the fertilizers that were planted. And then feeding begins three times a year:
- in the spring - with nitrogen substances;
- in summer - potassium;
- in the fall - with phosphorus.
Do I need to trim a column-shaped plum?
Colon-shaped trees practically do not need pruning, as they have very few branches growing sideways. Cut only diseased or damaged branches.
Pruning will also be necessary if the top is slightly frozen, as a result of which several shoots have grown from it. In this case, select the strongest trunk, and cut the rest so that they do not interfere with the normal development of the crown.
Mulching
In order for oxygen to reach the roots of the crop in sufficient quantities, periodically loosen the soil around the trunk, and also remove all weeds. Also, the tree will benefit from mulching the trunk circle with humus or peat. More information on soil mulching can be found here.
Winter preparations
The column-shaped drain during the first two years of life is very susceptible to low temperatures, therefore, it requires some preparation for entering the winter period.
Preparing a tree for winter includes the following steps:
- last autumn watering;
- top dressing with phosphorus or organics under the trunk;
- shelter of the near-trunk circle with lapnik, straw or hay.
If the winter has snowy, additionally use snow, trampling it tightly around the tree.
Diseases, pests, treatment and prevention
Colon-shaped plum trees are quite resistant to disease, but if the roots of the culture or its branches are damaged, then the plant may become ill. In this case, the main thing is to recognize the disease in time and begin its treatment.
Diseases, their symptoms, causes and methods of treatment:
Disease | Symptoms | The reasons | Treatment |
Coccomycosis | red spots on leaves that begin to crumble | excess moisture | spray with copper oxide or Bordeaux |
Gummosis | resin drops on a tree trunk and branches | severe frost, overdose of fertilizers, excess moisture | treat with 1% solution of copper sulfate |
Kleasterosporiosis | brown spots, “burning” leaves | fungi | use Topsin-M according to the instructions |
As for prevention, try to remove all the weeds around the tree in time and fertilize the crop.
When and how to harvest?
The time of collection of plums depends on its variety and climate. So, for example, in Siberia and the Urals, plums ripen in late summer - early autumn, while in the southern regions of Russia you can get crops from some varieties by the end of June.
Early varieties of fruits are harvested within a few weeks, and later varieties are harvested all at once, as they ripen almost simultaneously. In order not to be mistaken with the degree of maturity of the plum, try to taste it, since the acquisition of the final color does not mean that the fruit is ready for collection.
Rules for harvesting plums:
- pick fruits only in dry weather;
- if the variety is early ripe - remove it from the branches in several passes, as the fruits ripen unevenly;
- plums intended for transportation or storage, tear off with the stalks or carefully cut, and then immediately put the fruits in trays;
- first, remove the fruits from the lower branches, and then from the upper;
- start collecting from the ends of the branches, approaching the trunk;
- during operation, do not crush the plums and do not damage the wax coating and the stalk.
Features of storage and transportation
To prevent fruits from deteriorating during storage, observe the following conditions:
- maintain the temperature in the storage area in the region of 0-2 ° C, and humidity - not lower than 85%;
- store fruits in low trays with paper at the bottom or in wooden crates;
- try not to damage the wax coating during transportation.
Plums, which for some reason you will not store, it is better to immediately eat or process for winter harvesting.
Do not store unripe plucked plums in the refrigerator - this will stop the ripening process and kill its taste. Put the plums in a bowl and leave it on the table at room temperature. Do not put plums on the windowsill - the sun will overheat the fruit and it will begin to rot.
Remove the plums that will be transported from the branches five days before they become fully ripe. They can be stored for three weeks at a temperature of about 7 ° C.
Gardeners reviews
Sergey, 37 years old, Oryol, entrepreneur.I decided to plant colon-shaped plums in my country house. He chose the Imperial and Mirabella. And for three years now I have been harvesting a wonderful crop from them. Satisfied with everyone.
Julia, 45 years old, Kemerovo, teacher.Planted a columnar plum variety Rubin. The fruits were very tasty. Plum is easy to care for, and a lot of crop is obtained from it.
Hide
Add your review
See also a video review, where one of the gardeners tells about his impressions of growing a plum-shaped plum tree:
A column-shaped plum is perfect for growing in almost any region of Russia. Its main advantages - resistance to frost, abundant fruiting and ease of care provide this tree with considerable demand throughout the country.