How to plant a plum with seedlings, shoots, cuttings, visual instructions

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Plums can be found very often in the garden plots of Russian gardeners. But in order for the tree to bear fruit stably, it needs to be planted on time, to choose the right place, to prepare the planting hole and to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of the planting procedure in advance.

Content:

  • Suitable timing and temperature for planting the plum
  • Seedling selection
    • Video: how to choose the right fruit tree seedling
  • What are the best conditions for a plum tree in a garden?
    • Site location and soil
    • Groundwater Depth
    • Distance between trees
  • Preparation of a landing pit and fertilizers for soil
  • Plum planting methods with step-by-step instructions
    • Seedlings with open roots
      • Video: plum seedling planting procedure
    • Air layering
    • Cuttings
      • Video: plum propagation by green cuttings
    • Basal shoots
    • From bone
      • Video: growing plums from bone
  • Features of plum planting on a dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock
  • Is an adult tree transplant possible?

Suitable timing and temperature for planting the plum

Plums are planted in spring and autumn. The first option is the only one for gardeners living in temperate regions, the second is often preferred by residents of the warm south.

When planting in spring, the plum during the summer will have time to take root in a new place, to form a developed root system. But at this time, the range of planting material is not as wide as in the fall. From the winter “hibernation”, the plum wakes up early, you just don’t have time to drop it before the active sap flow begins.

In autumn, seedlings that have already prepared to winter, practically do not react to external stimuli, not noticing the “stress” associated with planting. And at this time it is much easier to find the desired variety.

In spring, plums are planted at a steady day temperature of 5 ° C. The exact timing depends on the region (this is the main nuance regarding landing, the procedure itself is the same everywhere). In the middle zone of Russia and Belarus this is the end of April, in the southern regions and Ukraine - the end of March, in the North-West region, in the Urals, in Siberia - the first half of May.

Autumn planting is allowed 30–40 days before the first frost. The minimum daytime temperature is 10 ° C, the nighttime temperature is 5 ° C. In the Urals and Siberia, plant plums up to the 20th of September, in the middle lane - until the end of the first decade of October, in the southern regions - until the beginning of November.

Harvest plum

If you plant a plum at the wrong time, you will not wait for a harvest from it - most likely, the tree will simply die

Seedling selection

The future crop directly depends on the quality of planting material. Any seedlings are purchased only in nurseries, specialized stores. Hand buying is a big risk. A healthy developed plum tree meets the following criteria:

  • the root system of the core root and 4-5 lateral roots with a length of at least 25 cm;
  • trunk thickness 1-2 cm and at least 3 lateral shoots (for a two-year-old seedling);
  • smooth elastic bark - plain, without traces of peeling, stains, traces of rot and mold;
  • wood greenish-cream color.

Practice shows that one- and two-year plums take root in the new place best. Trees at the age of 3 years adapt much longer, often get sick.

Plum seedlings

It is advisable to purchase seedlings of plums in local nurseries - they are better adapted to the climate of the region

Video: how to choose the right fruit tree seedling

What are the best conditions for a plum tree in a garden?

There are not many specific requirements for the place where the plum grows.

Site location and soil

Try to create optimal conditions for the tree:

  • An open area, well lit and warmed by the sun or light partial shade;
  • the presence at a distance of 4–5 m of a barrier that does not obscure the drain, but protects it from cold drafts;
  • sufficiently nutritious, but loose soil (loam, sandy loam) with a pH of 6.5–7.0 (neutral or slightly alkaline).
Plum in the garden

A plum should receive enough light and heat - without this, the development of the tree is slow, the fruits do not ripen

Groundwater Depth

Plum does not tolerate stagnation of water at the roots at all - diseases quickly develop, primarily rot. Therefore, you can not plant it in the lowlands, where melt and rain water, damp cold air stand for a long time. Plots with groundwater approaching the surface closer than 2.5 m are not suitable. If there is no alternative, plant a plum, pouring a hill at least a meter high.

Unsuitable neighbors for plums - cherries, cherries, pears, walnuts. The trees seem to “strangle” each other - their growth is inhibited, development is inhibited, productivity is reduced.

Cherry tree

Cherries and plums belong to the same Pink family, but they do not like each other - the neighborhood in the garden is very likely to result in death for both trees

Distance between trees

When planting several seedlings, the interval between them is determined by varietal characteristics. The minimum distance is half the height of an adult tree. Most often, 3-4 m is left between plums.

Planted plums on the site

Many plums are self-infertile, so the gardener is forced to plant three or more seedlings at the same time - place them in such a way as to provide each tree with sufficient area for nutrition

Preparation of a landing pit and fertilizers for soil

A hole for a plum must be dug at least 2.5–3 weeks before its disembarkation. With spring planting, it’s generally better to do this in the fall. Its depth is 60–70 cm, diameter - 70–75 cm. The upper 15 cm of the most fertile soil is mixed with humus and peat (20 l each), superphosphate (150–180 g) and potassium sulfate (60–70 g). During spring planting, add any nitrogen fertilizer (40-50 g). Dolomite flour, ground egg shells (200–250 g) are added to acidic soil, and fresh coniferous sawdust (100 g) to alkaline soil. If the soil is ideal for plums, limit yourself to a liter jar of wood ash.

Plum landing pit

Drainage at the bottom of the landing pit will not allow water to stagnate at the roots - you can use pebbles, expanded clay, brick chips, small ceramic shards, sand

A drainage layer of 7–8 cm thick is required at the bottom. Prepared soil mixture is poured on top in the form of a knoll. The pit is covered with something waterproof so that the nutrients are not washed away by precipitation.

Plum planting methods with step-by-step instructions

Most often, gardeners plant purchased trees. But there are alternative methods of vegetative propagation, allowing you to save varietal signs of the mother tree.

Seedlings with open roots

Planting a plum seedling is carried out according to the following algorithm:

  1. 2 days before the procedure, inspect the roots of seedlings with an open root system, cut off all dry, decayed areas to healthy tissues. For a day, soak the plant in soft water at room temperature with the addition of any biostimulant.
    The drug Epin

    To soak plum roots, you can use not only purchased drugs (Epin, Zircon, Kornevin), but also folk remedies - honey, succinic acid, aloe juice

  2. On the day of planting, dip the roots in a mixture of powder clay and manure, diluting this mass with water so that a thick sour cream consistency is obtained. Allow 3-4 hours to dry.
    Roots in a clay “talker”

    “Chatterbox” made of clay and manure helps to protect the roots of plums from drying out for the first time

  3. Having retreated about 15 cm from the top of the knoll at the bottom of the landing pit, stick a peg for support. It should be 15–20 cm higher than the seedling.
    Seedling support

    The support for the seedling must be installed before it is planted, otherwise there is a risk of touching and / or damaging the roots

  4. Direct the roots down the slopes of the knoll down - they should not stick out to the sides and up. Plums with a closed root system about an hour before disembarkation, pour plenty of water, remove from the container, preserving the possibilities of the whole earthen lump, and drop them, having made a recess of the corresponding diameter on the top this mound.
    Plum sapling in a landing pit

    To plant a plum handy together - one holds a sapling by the trunk, the second straightens the roots

  5. Fill the landing pit with earth, periodically shaking the drain at the trunk and compacting the soil to avoid air pockets. Check the position of the root neck - it should remain 5-7 cm above ground level.
    Falling asleep

    Do not forget, falling asleep the landing pit, periodically compact the ground, otherwise the first more or less strong gust of wind will turn the seedling out of the ground

  6. Having departed from the trunk about 50 cm, form an earthen rim 7–10 cm high. Pour plum abundantly (25–30 l).
    Watering plums after planting

    The roots of newly planted seedlings should not be allowed to dry out, so immediately after planting, plum is abundantly watered

  7. When the water is absorbed, attach the tree to the support, mulch the trunk circle and cut the central conductor by about a third, side shoots (if any) - up to 2-3 growth buds.
    Planted plum

    Properly planted plum quickly adapts to a new location and begins to develop actively during the summer or next spring

Video: plum seedling planting procedure

Air layering

All the necessary manipulations are carried out in mid-May, they are ready to transplant to a permanent place for layering plums this fall:

  1. Choose a healthy and strong escape. Having departed from the apex 15–20 cm, cut the bark to a depth of 2-3 mm or remove it with a ring.
  2. Wrap the damaged area tightly with moist sphagnum moss. Wrap black plastic film on top, fix the entire structure with electrical tape or tape.
  3. During the summer, layering gives roots. In early autumn, they are separated from the mother tree and transplanted to a prepared place.
Plum from the layering

The procedure for obtaining roots at the plum layer is somewhat reminiscent of a vaccination.

There is another option, suitable for plums, more reminiscent of a bush rather than a tree:

  1. One of the lower shoots, bend to the ground, pin to the soil at a distance of 20-30 cm from the top.
  2. Notch the cortex from below, rub any root stimulant into the slice.
  3. Fill this place with humus, pour plenty of water. During the summer, the substrate will need to be constantly maintained in a slightly wet state.
  4. In the fall, separate the cuttings from the tree and transplant.
Scheme of propagation of plum layering

Rooted plum branches all summer will need to be watered frequently and regularly

Cuttings

Cutting plums is one of the most reliable ways to get a new plant. Cuttings can be green and lignified. The former are cut off in the active vegetation phase (end of June-July), the latter during the dormant period at a temperature not lower than -20–25 ° C (November-December or March).

Cuttings of plum are cut from the middle part of the shoot. Each should have 2–4 growth buds. The upper section is made even, the lower one is beveled at an angle of about 45 °. Green cuttings are planted immediately:

  1. For 12-15 hours, soak the bottom cut of the cuttings in a solution of any biostimulant.
  2. Plant them in a greenhouse, on a bed in a well-moistened substrate to a depth of about 3 cm. Cover the open ground with a film or glass from above, creating a “greenhouse effect”. The most suitable soil is a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1).
  3. The optimum temperature is 25–28 ° C, humidity is 85–90%. Plums are moderately watered daily. The "greenhouse" is periodically aired, getting rid of condensate. The roots appear in 12-30 days, it depends on the variety.
  4. In October, mulch the bed with a thick (15–20 cm) layer of foliage, straw, and spruce branches. Tighten with a covering material in 2-3 layers from above. Then throw it with snow (a snowdrift 50–70 cm high).
  5. In spring, transfer the plums to a permanent place.
Cuttings

For successful rooting cuttings need heat and high humidity

Lignified cuttings are stored until the end of spring on the street, dug in the snow or in the cellar, in a box with wet sawdust or peat. Then they are planted, as described above, transferred to a permanent place next spring.

Video: plum propagation by green cuttings

Basal shoots

The method is used only for root plums. Most varieties form an abundance of overgrowth, so there will definitely not be problems with planting material. Sprouts located very close to an adult tree are not suitable for planting. Choose those that are farther away, preferably two-year-olds.

Plum root shoot

Basal shoots are formed even in very young plums

The procedure is carried out in August-September or early April:

  1. Dig the ground at the selected sprout, find the root connecting it to the mother plant.
  2. Cut it with a sharp shovel or other suitable tool on both sides, about a third on each. Disinfect the slices with 2% m vitriol or a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, cover with garden varnish or sprinkle with ash crushed with chalk.
  3. After 2 weeks, remove the sprout from the soil along with a lump of earth, transplant to a permanent place.
Plum propagation by basal shoots

Plum root shoots already have roots - you just need to properly separate it from the mother plant

From bone

Plum seeds do not preserve the varietal characteristics of the “parent” plant, therefore, they are grown for use as a stock:

  1. Remove the seeds from large plums taken from a healthy tree, rinse off the remaining pulp.
  2. For 4 days, soak them in warm water at room temperature, changing it daily.
  3. Dry the seeds, put them in a container filled with wet sand, sawdust or peat, store for six months at a temperature of 1 to -10 ° C.
  4. In the early spring or late fall, plant the seeds. They germinate very unevenly. Next spring, transplant them into the garden with an interval of 20-30 cm. After another year, stocks will be ready for vaccination.
Plum seedling

During generative propagation, varietal signs of plum are not preserved

Video: growing plums from bone

Features of plum planting on a dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock

Such plums can be distinguished by dimensions: an adult dwarf tree is about half the "original" in height, half-dwarf - three quarters. Their useful feature is the superficial root system, leaving a maximum of one meter in the soil, so such plums can be planted in areas with close occurrence of groundwater. The landing pit is made not so deep, 40–45 cm is enough. Smaller dimensions make it possible to tighten the planting - between these plums leave 2–2.5 m.

Tree yields are comparable to ordinary plums, but due to their smaller size, they require more nutrients. Be sure to bring everything you need into the landing hole, in the future, do not forget to regularly feed the plum.

Is an adult tree transplant possible?

You can transplant plums only under the age of 5 years. Relatively painless, they transfer this procedure to the first and second years after landing. Next, the problem arises, firstly, of extracting a dimensional tree from the soil with a developed root system, which sometimes it is impossible purely physically, and secondly, its long and difficult adaptation to new conditions without a guarantee success.

The plum is transplanted either in spring, as soon as the soil has thawed sufficiently, even before the sap flow begins, or in autumn, when the leaves completely fall. Practice shows that spring transplants are more successful.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

  1. A day before the transplant, water the plant abundantly.
  2. Dig a plum in a circle, the diameter of which approximately corresponds to the projection of the crown. The required minimum is 70–80 cm. You need to dig to a depth of at least 50 cm, most often more.
  3. Swaying to the sides, remove the plum from the soil along with a lump of earth on the roots.
  4. On a piece of durable polyethylene or fabric, transfer to a new landing pit prepared in accordance with the above recommendations.
  5. Plant a tree so that the root neck remains at the same level, water again abundantly. If the dimensions allow, protect the sink from direct sunlight with a canopy of any white covering material until it starts to grow.
Plum transplant

The most important thing in the transplant process is to keep the root system as intact as possible, so the plum is transferred to a new place with a lump of earth on the roots

Planting a plum is a simple procedure that even a beginner gardener will cope with. But for a tree to take root, knowledge of many nuances is required. They relate to the choice of place and time, “neighborhood” with other cultures, the necessary training and the procedure itself.

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