Description and characteristics of the plum variety Red Ball, planting and care

To create a fruit-bearing garden, an excellent option is the Red Ball plum variety. It does not require large areas; its compact dimensions allow you to harvest a bountiful harvest even in small areas and dachas. It is especially valued for its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, but due to its poor resistance to frost, it must be additionally protected in winter. In order for the Red Ball plum to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to become more familiar with its strengths and weaknesses, the intricacies of planting and care.

History of plum breeding Red Ball

Raspberry Shar, also called the Red Shar plum, appeared as a result of crossing two varietal varieties: Burbank and Ussuri Red. We worked on developing a high-yielding hybrid H.K. Enikeev and S.N. Satarova (Moscow). It was entered into the State Register in 1989. The Red Ball plum is prized for its large and incredibly tasty fruits, the color of which changes to rich red as they ripen.

Description and distinctive features

The Red Ball plum variety does not cause any difficulties when placing it in the garden; it grows only up to 2.5 meters. Such small size of the plant makes the process of caring for it quite comfortable. The color of the trunk and main branches is brown, there is no pubescence, the surface is smooth. Spreading branches form a rounded, medium-foliage crown. The ovaries are located mainly on annuals and bouquet branches. The leaf blades are large, green in color and have a matte surface. The flowering phase of the Red Ball plum occurs before they appear; there are 2-3 flowers in one bud. The weight of the fruit reaches 40 grams.

The pulp has a loose, slightly fibrous structure, a dense skin with an almost imperceptible seam. The fruits have a rich aroma and a sweet, harmonious taste. An easily separated pit is another advantage of the Red Ball plum.

Harvesting must be done on time; if the fruits remain on the tree for a long time, they will lose their integrity, and, consequently, their presentation.

Characteristics of the variety

To obtain high productivity indicators, you need to know the main characteristics of the Red Shar plum variety.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

Stone fruit culture is not afraid of subzero temperatures; it is not afraid of drops to -35 degrees. Due to its sufficient frost resistance, the Red Ball plum can be actively grown in regions with severe frosts. The plant can freeze only during spring frosts. Resistance to dry weather is satisfactory, but a prolonged lack of moisture or, on the contrary, its excess negatively affects both the tree itself and its ability to bear fruit.

Susceptibility to diseases and pests

The Chinese plum variety Red Ball has increased immunity to perforated spot (clasterosporia), monilial blight and other fungal infections.

Pollinator varieties

Considering that the Red Ball plum is a self-fertile plant, it requires additional pollination for effective fruiting. Fruit varieties such as:

• cherry plum Kuban comet;
• cherry plum Gold of the Scythians;
• plum Nezhenka;
• Chinese plum;
• Skoroplodnaya plum.

But the home plum (common) is not suitable as a pollinator. In order for the fruits to be large in size, it is necessary to normalize the ovaries in the first 2 years after planting, removing the flowers.

Productivity and fruiting

The Red Ball plum is distinguished by its early fruiting; the first harvest can be harvested within 2-3 years after planting. The fruits are harvested in August.The yield of the variety is almost 18 kilograms of large red balls with a pleasant taste.

How to store and use fruits

Since the Red Ball plum belongs to the category of table varieties, its fruits have a universal purpose. They can also be used for making jams, desserts, compotes, juices, and can also be consumed fresh. The variety is excellent for making wine.

Positive and negative sides

Among the undeniable advantages of the Red Ball plum, experienced gardeners highlight:

• precociousness;
• large fruit;
• high productivity rates;
• frost resistance;
• drought resistance;
• fruits are not afraid of transportation over long distances;
• good keeping quality of the crop;
• average crown density;
• excellent consumer and product characteristics;
• universal use of fruits;
• sufficient immunity to major diseases.

But, despite the whole list of advantages, the Red Ball plum also has its weaknesses:

• the need for pollinating varieties;
• early flowering periods;
• damping off of the root collar in spring.

Nuances of planting crops

In order for the Red Ball plum to bear fruit stably and abundantly, it is necessary to adhere to certain planting rules.

Optimal timing

The recommended time for planting in the middle zone is spring (April). In regions with a warm climate, seedlings can be planted in the fall - in late September - early October. If it is impossible to plant a garden plant during the specified period, it can be buried in an inclined position before the arrival of heat.

Selecting a suitable location and preparing the soil

The Red Ball plum grows and develops well in clearings with a sufficient level of light - on the south-eastern or western side of the garden plot.The soil must be fertile and rich in nutrients. It is recommended to plant the plant in an elevated area, or place a drainage layer of broken bricks and crushed stone in the hole. The Red Ball plum is very sensitive to high humidity in the soil and cold winds, so you can protect trees from drafts if you place them near buildings or bushes.

What can you plant next to a plum tree?

Good neighbors: apple tree, currant bushes, black elderberry. Walnut, hazel, pear, birch, fir and poplar do not have the best effect on the Raspberry Ball plum. If the plot is small, then the proximity of this crop and the pear is possible, but only at a distance of 3-4 meters.

Preparing a seedling

It is recommended to choose annual seedlings as planting material, in which the number of skeletal branches is 3-4 pieces, their length is 40 centimeters. The bark should not contain any ulcers, signs of disease, or mechanical damage. The root system should consist of three branches 20 centimeters long, and also be healthy, without traces of rot, and moisturized.

Technological process of planting

The algorithm of actions regarding planting the Red Ball plum in a permanent place provides for:

• Preparatory work. 2-3 weeks before planting day, you need to dig a hole 60 centimeters deep and 70-80 centimeters wide. The extracted soil is combined with compost, humus or manure (10-15 kilograms), double superphosphate (100 grams) and wood ash (500 grams).
• Filling the hole with a nutrient soil mixture in the form of a mound and installing a wooden peg 15-20 centimeters from the center. Its height above the ground should be 70-80 centimeters.
• Place the seedling, straighten its roots and sprinkle with soil. To avoid voids in the pit, the earth is carefully compacted.
• Forming a groove in a circle at a distance of 30 centimeters from the seedling. Watering with water (40 liters per plant).
• Mulching the ground with peat or humus, tying it to a peg.

It is not worth deepening the root collar too much; it should be 5 centimeters higher from the ground level.

We organize tree care

The Red Ball plum is not a capricious plant; among the main manipulations for caring for it are: irrigation, loosening the soil, removing weeds, adding nutrients and preventing diseases and pests.

Watering plum trees

Chinese plum does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil, as well as its lack, which provokes wilting of the vegetative mass. The best option is moderately moist and loose soil in the tree trunk circle. Since the underground part of the plant is not too deep, it is enough to use 10 liters of water per 1 square meter of crown projection. The soil should get wet 40 centimeters deep.

A drip irrigation system will help prevent negative consequences in the form of putrefactive processes on the root system. The tree especially urgently needs watering at the stage of fruit ripening and the formation of fruit buds.

Fertilizers and fertilizers

Adding nutrient mixtures to the soil will not only increase the immunity of the Red Ball plum, but also its productivity. There is no need to apply fertilizer every year; it is enough to do it once every 3-4 years, using organic compounds and mineral complexes.Natural fertilizers are used when digging the soil, and industrial fertilizers are used in the form of working fluid after irrigating the land. Feeding procedures are recommended to be carried out in the fall; in the spring, it is enough to just add nitrogen-containing compounds.

Crown trimming and shaping

Due to the average density of the crown, caring for the tree does not cause serious problems. For the Red Ball plum, preventative and sanitary pruning is quite enough. All incapacitated branches, dry and frost-damaged, must be removed. The rest are shortened by ¼ of the entire length. Manipulations are performed in the spring, before sap flow begins.

To prevent the development of various types of diseases, it is necessary to work only with well-sharpened and disinfected tools.

To disinfect it, use 70% alcohol or household bleach diluted with water in a ratio of 1:9.

Loosening and mulching the tree trunk circle

It is recommended to loosen the soil after each irrigation or rain to prevent oxygen starvation of the roots. Also, at the same time, it is necessary to remove weeds, which take away nutrients and are a favorable habitat for parasitic individuals and pathogenic microorganisms. Organic matter is used as mulch.

How to help a tree survive the winter

Despite the plum’s high resistance to sub-zero temperatures, it can suffer during sudden changes in weather conditions, after a thaw. Additional protection in the form of laying a mulch layer and wrapping the trunk with burlap will also help protect the plant from rodent invasion. It is not advisable to use polyethylene material or roofing felt; stone fruit culture tends to dampen the root collar.

When growing Red Ball plums, the main thing is to choose the right planting material and follow agricultural practices. Only an integrated approach makes it possible to collect not only a quantitative, but also a qualitative harvest.