Planting and caring for plums in Siberia, which varieties are best to grow

The Siberian climate is a real test for gardeners and gardeners. It is not easy to get a harvest of vegetables and fruits here, even with proper care. Not every plant variety is capable of producing a harvest in a short summer. Plum trees in cold Siberia, planting and caring for which in other regions are not very difficult, require special care. In addition, you need to choose the right variety, the fruits of which will have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather.

Climatic features of the region

The climate of Siberia requires the cultivation of exclusively cold-resistant plant species. Breeders have developed many types of plums that meet this indicator, but are characterized by other disadvantages:

• due to frequent temperature fluctuations, the buds of trees freeze, so only varieties with a long dormant period can be planted in cold climates;
• strong winds dry out the shoots;
• the absence of severe frost and an abundance of snow contribute to the rapid death of the lower part of the plum trunk, and even removing snow does not save the situation: in this case, the root system freezes.

After a series of studies, it was concluded that fruit trees are best grown in steppe areas or where moderate amounts of snow fall.

Which plum varieties are best to plant in Siberia

What kind of plum in a dacha in Siberia will not only not freeze, but will also produce a harvest? Of course, it is frost-resistant and self-fertile. There are many varieties that meet these characteristics.

Frost-resistant varieties

The hardiest plum varieties that can withstand extreme low temperatures in Siberia are considered to be:

• Honey (withstands frosts down to -30 ° C);
• Precocious (tolerates cold down to -35 °C);
• Bee;
• Maynor;
• Chulyma;
• Admiral Schley;
• Amateur (can withstand cold temperatures down to -40 °C and are hybrids of cherries and plums);
• Uvelskaya;
• Pioneer;
• Yellow Khopty (tolerates temperature drops down to -50 °C).

Self-fertile plum varieties

To obtain a rich harvest of plums in Siberia, it is recommended to give preference to self-fertile varieties that do not require additional pollination. It is advisable to present the best of them in the form of a table with a brief description.

The best sweet varieties

In Siberian conditions, sweet varieties of plums with excellent taste characteristics and attractive appearance are also grown. It is advisable to present the best of them in the form of a table with brief characteristics.

Planting plums in Siberia

Plum varieties for Siberia will delight you with a harvest only if the right place for planting is chosen and proper care is provided. Planting a tree will not be difficult, the main thing is to know some subtleties.

Selecting a location

A good place for planting plums will be a hill, a mound or a hillock in the southern, south-eastern or south-western part. The area should be protected from drafts and well lit by the sun.

Groundwater should not be located closer than 1.5 m from the soil surface. It is unacceptable to plant plums in lowlands, because this is where cold air accumulates and melt water flows in the spring. In places with heavy snowfall, mounds are made in the garden, on which seedlings are subsequently planted.

Preparing the planting hole

Soils with a neutral acidity level are suitable for planting plums. If the soil in the garden is acidic, then nutrients are poorly absorbed, as a result of which the tree develops poorly and bears almost no fruit.

Before planting, it is necessary to deoxidize the soil by adding fluff lime. In the future, the procedure will need to be repeated every 2-3 years.

Light loamy soil is best suited for growing plums. To improve its structure, you can use leaf humus. It is important not to overdo it with fertilizers, otherwise the seedlings will become fattened, produce a lot of extra shoots, be susceptible to pests and will not survive the winter well.

If the soil is depleted, then add a bucket of compost, a little wood ash, superphosphate, lime, and potassium sulfate to a dug hole 0.6 m in size.If the soil is heavy, then a bucket of sand is also poured into the planting hole. All components are thoroughly mixed and then sprinkled with light and clean soil.

Timing and technology of planting seedlings

As soon as spring comes and warm weather sets in, soil is poured into the prepared hole and a plum seedling is placed on the resulting mound. The roots are straightened downwards. The root collar should be located either level with the ground or deepened to 7 cm. The plant installed in this way is sprinkled with light soil without fertilizers.

To prevent water stagnation near the trunk, there is no need to form a deep trunk circle. The seedling is tied to a peg installed nearby and watered abundantly (at the rate of 2-3 buckets of water per 1 plum). As soon as the moisture is absorbed, the soil around is mulched. For this purpose, it is recommended to use both hay and dried vegetation, as well as compost and humus.

Planting a plum seedling in the fall in Siberia is extremely undesirable. Due to the early onset of frost, the tree will not have time to take root well and will die. If such an urgent need arises, then he needs to provide good shelter and try to carry out planting work as early as possible.

Growing and care

Care for plums may differ in different regions of Siberia. The characteristics of the microclimate are taken into account. In harsh climates, the amount of organic fertilizing, irrigation and pruning is reduced to a minimum.

Watering and fertilizing

Immediately after planting, plums are watered once every 7 days. Seedlings 2 years old and older are irrigated only 3 times per season. The amount of water required is selected so that it penetrates the soil to a depth of 30 cm.

On average, this requires 4 buckets of liquid.Excessive moisture provokes the appearance of pests. The first irrigation is carried out in mid-May, the second - after the end of the flowering period, the third - as soon as the fruits begin to ripen. If the autumn turns out to be dry, then in the middle of the season the plums are watered again so that they can better withstand the cold winter.

If the plum tree is planted correctly and there is a sufficient amount of fertilizer applied, the tree is fertilized 2 times a year. In the autumn, fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are applied. With the onset of spring, the plant needs nitrogen and magnesium. Supporters of healthy farming can take advantage of organics:

• humus;
• wood ash;
• turf;
• manure.

Tree pruning and shoot removal

In Siberian conditions, plums are pruned once every 3 years. Remove dried branches from fruit-bearing plants. Every spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, which involves removing shoots that have been severely damaged by winter frosts. You cannot remove more than 30% of the branches.

To make the shape of the tree look neat and well-groomed, all side shoots should be trimmed, leaving only one of them - the most beautiful one. In the spring, cut off the root shoots, which interfere with the normal growth and development of the plum.

Pest and disease control

In Siberian conditions, plums are affected by codling moths, aphids and sawflies. In order to prevent damage to the crop and prevent disaster, preventive treatments should be carried out in time with special-purpose drugs. They are purchased at gardening stores. The tree trunk is whitened with a solution of slaked lime. From folk remedies, the invasion of pests helps to prevent chamomile decoction, which is sprayed and watered on plums.

If brown spots become noticeable on the foliage, this may be a sign that the tree is infected with clasterosporiasis.The disease can be combated by treating with fungicidal or insecticidal preparations.

Feathered friends help deal with harmful insects. You can place a birdhouse on the drain, but you must feed the birds. Otherwise, they can damage ripening fruits.

Preventing ground freezing

Preparations for the winter season begin a couple of weeks before the onset of cold weather. The tree trunk circle is fertilized with organic matter. For these purposes, humus, potassium sulfate and wood ash are mixed. First, using a shovel, lightly dig up the soil and loosen it, then add the prepared nutrient mixture and water the plum with 3 buckets of water.

After carrying out these procedures, they begin to inspect the crown and the tree itself. Dry branches are cut off, and the raised and damaged bark is carefully removed using a metal brush or scraper. It is important not to damage the healthy parts of the plum trunk.

To prevent the plant from being annoyed by insect pests that like to settle under the bark during the cold season, it is treated with a specially prepared solution. You can buy it ready-made in a store or make it yourself. To do this, mix mullein, clay and lime in equal parts. If necessary, add copper sulfate at the rate of 25 g per 1 liter of solution.

Just before the onset of cold weather, the plum tree around the trunk must be insulated. Burlap or straw is used for these purposes. If the winter is expected to be very cold and harsh, then roofing material or slate is laid on the ground. It is advisable to cover a low-growing seedling in a hut made from available materials.

It should be remembered that strong gusts of wind can tear off the shelter and damage the plum, so it must be properly secured by driving several pegs into the ground and tying the hut to them.

What to consider when growing plums in the eastern regions

In Siberia, summers are unpredictable and winters are long and cold. This climatic feature must be taken into account by gardeners who want to get a plum harvest on their plot. It is more comfortable for this tree where the snow cover is not too abundant. It is not afraid of winter cold; spring temperature fluctuations cause much more damage. After all, frost-resistant varieties can easily withstand the Siberian drop in temperature in winter, but spring return frosts kill the buds.

For cultivation in the eastern part of Siberia, plum varieties are selected that remain dormant for a long time and slowly emerge from it. In this area, trees often suffer from damping off of the bark at the bottom of the trunk. Root freezing also often occurs.

If there is a lot of snow, the bark of the plum tree under the drifts gradually dies off. Cleaning it gives rise to another problem: freezing of the root system. Experienced gardeners resort to a solution such as freezing the soil. It allows not only to prevent damping off, but also to prevent the seedling from freezing.

In severe cold weather, the plum crown may freeze, so it is recommended to focus on the long-term forecast and, if necessary, use covering materials or spruce branches.

In eastern Siberia, tree varieties are grown not only with increased frost resistance, but also with good resistance to fungal diseases.Those who have a summer house and their own garden pay attention to the characteristics of annual shoots, since they are the ones who often suffer from the winds and are quickly dried out by them.

The plum harvest in the eastern part of Siberia occurs at the end of July - beginning of September. The exact timing can only be established by studying the characteristics of the selected variety. Weather conditions have a certain influence on them. The seedling begins to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting on the site. Plum lives about 20-25 years. After the tree reaches its peak yield, this figure gradually begins to fall. Over time, the plant dries out completely.

Experienced gardeners in eastern Siberia practice independently breeding their favorite varieties by grafting plums onto seedlings from Canadian or Ussuri species. They have excellent frost resistance. In addition, these varieties withstand all the troubles of local climatic conditions. But even such trees need protection and proper care.