Plum Volga Beauty: Description And Characteristics Of The Variety, Advantages And Disadvantages, Planting And Care Features + Photos And Reviews

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Plum Volga beauty: the perfect choice for your garden

Plum can often be found in garden plots in the central regions of Russia. Not everyone succeeds in achieving the desired result every year - either the weather fails, then the tree suddenly gets sick, then it gives fruit irregularly. In a word, there can be any number of factors playing against the gardener. And I want to pamper myself with the harvest. And here the proven and proven Volzhskaya krasavitsa variety, which has quite a lot of remarkable things, can come to the rescue.

Content

• 1 Description of the variety Volzhskaya beauty

  1.1 Advantages and disadvantages (table)

• 2 Planting plums

  • 2.1 Site and soil preparation
  • 2.2 How to choose healthy seedlings
  • 2.3 Planting process

• 3 Plant care

  • 3.1 Watering
  • 3.2 Loosening and weeding

  • 3.3 Cropping

    3.3.1 Video: pruning annual plum seedlings

  • 3.4 Top dressing
  • 3.5 Video: expert advice on plum care

• 4 Diseases and pests

  • 4.1 Table: diseases and pests of the plum Volga beauty
  • 4.2 Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests
• 5 Harvesting and storage
• 6 Reviews of gardeners about the Volga beauty

Description of the variety Volzhskaya beauty

The history of the Volga beauty begins back in 1939 in the city of Kuibyshev. Local breeders crossed Skorospelka and Renclode Bave varieties and got something new, well adapted to local growing conditions. And only 25 years later, the variety was included in the State Register for the Middle Volga, Lower Volga and Central regions, thus fully justifying its name. The Volga beauty is an early, self-fertile (does not require planting a number of other pollinating varieties) variety that gives a large yield of dessert fruits. That is, they can be consumed both fresh and in various preparations.

The fruits of the Volga beauty, in addition to taste, have a classic plum color and shape

The tree of this variety is very tall - it can reach 7 meters. The crown is spherical, it is not very densely leafy. Fruits appear on bouquet branches. The bark on the trunk is gray and smooth. The shoots are thickened, growing straight. The leaves are large, in the form of an ellipse with a sharp top, along the edges with some serration. The color is light green, the edge is medium. The petiole is medium in size, thickened. The flowering of the Volga beauty is powerful, in each inflorescence there are 2 - 3 flowers.

A tree of the Volzhskaya krasavitsa variety can grow up to seven meters in height, which makes harvesting difficult

The fruits grow large, slightly elongated in shape. On average, one fruit weighs about 30 - 35 grams. There is a narrowing at the bottom. The abdominal suture can be easily seen. The peduncle is medium-sized, thickened; it is easy to separate it from the branch. The skin is quite dense, purple with reddish color. Wax deposits are clearly visible. The stone is medium in size, it is easy to separate it from the fruit pulp. The flesh itself is yellow with an orange tint, tender and very juicy in taste, sweet and sour. The taste of the fruits of the Volga beauty earned 4.5 points on the tasting scale.

Advantages and disadvantages (table)

Benefits	disadvantages
The variety gives abundant yields of tasty and juicy fruits every year.	Flower buds can freeze
Early ripening plum	The tree is too tall, making it difficult to harvest
The tree is frost resistant	With excessive watering or frequent precipitation, the skin on the fruit cracks
The variety is resistant to various diseases and pests	Fruits do not tolerate transportation well

Plum planting

Place and soil preparation

To find a suitable place for a drain, you need to take into account the degree of illumination of the place and the relief of the site. The best point will be a point on a hill, well illuminated by the sun. The soil needs to be drained, with good aeration (breathable). The best option would be light loam. Do not plant plums in low areas where water is retained, or where groundwater is more than 2 meters to the ground.

Plum requires a lot of sun - its fruits should ripen well

The landing site is prepared in advance - in the fall or spring two weeks in advance. The parameters of the landing pit are half a meter deep and up to 80 cm in diameter. A mixture of fertilizers is applied here, which is enough for the first two years of the seedling's life. The composition and proportions depend on the planting time. So, in the fall, the pit is filled with fresh manure (4 buckets) mixed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (200 - 250 g), and in the spring, instead of manure, rotted compost is introduced in the same amount and 100 g of potassium and phosphorus.

How to choose healthy seedlings

The best planting material is two-year-old seedlings with roots of 10 cm or more. The root system must be at least slightly moist. Dry roots indicate that the tree will most likely not survive. The seedling should not have dry branches. The bark should be smooth and free from any damage.

You can choose a plum sapling according to the state of its root system and appearance

At the beginning of the season, as well as closer to its end, many outlets appear, called garden markets, where they sell all kinds of seedlings. But it is more profitable to buy plums, like many other crops, in a nursery or in special stores. This way you avoid re-grading and you can count on healthy products.

Planting process

Check the seedling for broken or damaged branches and roots. If there are already leaves on it, remove them. Once you've checked the drain, it's time to start planting.

1. Pour fertile soil on top of the fertilizer so that it turns out to be a mound, and install a peg for a garter.
2. We put a seedling on this very mound and carefully spread the roots in all directions in the direction of the slopes of the embankment.
3. We begin to fill the pit with earth, periodically shaking the plant by the trunk so that voids do not appear near the roots of the plum. As a result, the root collar should be at least 5 cm above the ground level, and preferably more. This is done so that when the earth is compacted, when the seedling is pulled down, the neck remains above the ground.
4. We tie the seedling to a peg - now it will be the protection of a young tree in case of strong winds.
5. Around the trunk we erect an earthen roller with a diameter of half a meter, which will not allow water to spread during irrigation.
6. We water our plum - three buckets of water go to one tree.
7. As the water is absorbed, we mulch the trunk circle (we use rotted sawdust or manure). You can also use fresh soil or soil for this purpose.

Although the Volzhskaya beauty is self-fertile, to increase yields, you can still plant varieties such as Mirny, Skorospelka red or Zhiguli next to it.

Make sure that no voids form between the roots when filling with earth, otherwise the soil after watering will sag too much and drag the root collar below the required level

Plant care

It is imperative to take care of the plum. Without your attention, it will quickly weaken, it will often hurt and bear small and ugly fruits. Take care of things like watering, pruning, and top dressing, but also remember to periodically loosen and weed.

Watering

Watering plums is a subtle concept. On the one hand, a lack of moisture can provoke a massive fall of the ovaries, on the other hand, its excess causes cracks in the skin on the fruits. The most important periods of the season, requiring abundant watering, are after flowering and setting, as well as pouring, after harvest, before the onset of frost.

Mulch the trunk circle to keep moisture in the soil longer and the ground does not crust over

One tree takes 6 - 8 buckets of water, and for pre-winter watering from 15 to 25 buckets. Water the plum with water of street temperature or warm water. Under no circumstances use a well or key immediately, be sure to let it settle and warm up.

Loosening and weeding

Only at first glance it might seem that weeding and loosening do not really matter. In fact, they greatly help the development of the tree, and their absence can affect the most unpleasant way.

Periodic loosening allows the soil to easily pass air to the roots, saturating them with oxygen. It is required to loosen it after each watering and precipitation during the warm season. In addition, loosening can be successfully combined with weeding, which also pursues an important goal - getting rid of weeds that take water and nutrients from a young seedling. Worse yet, weeds often harbor pathogenic microorganisms and harmful insects, which will soon migrate to the plum. Therefore, periodic weeding should be on your to-do list, not only in the first years of plum growing, but in all subsequent years.

Pruning

No action is required for the first year after plum planting. But in the second year, the tree is shortened so that its height above ground level is one meter. In addition, in the second year, the plum begins to grow side shoots, which will also need pruning. Thus, you will begin to form the crown.

Periodic pruning of plums will help avoid thickening of the crown and many problems associated with this.

There is a sparse-tiered method, with the help of which the crown of the Volga beauty plum is formed (three tiers are created):

• The first tier is formed at a height of 60 to 70 cm above ground level, three branches are used.
• The second tier will be located 60 cm higher than the first, and two branches are involved in it.
• The third tier will be 50 cm higher and consists of one branch. The trunk, which is located above it, will need to be removed after a year by cutting it into a ring.

In the future, pruning will consist of periodically thinning the crown. Branches growing inward, as well as intersecting and thickening the crown are removed. Perform sanitary pruning in the fall. In this case, damaged, dry and affected by diseases or pests are subject to removal.

Video: pruning annual plum seedlings

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied throughout the season. The most active time is spring. Root dressings are used in spring and autumn, while foliar dressings are used in summer.

Fertilizers can be applied throughout the season, but the dosage must be strictly observed

The spring period can be roughly divided into three parts: before flowering, during flowering and after it. In the first case, ammonium nitrate is added to the trunk circle for digging - 30 g per square meter. In the second, 20 g of urea is diluted in 10 liters of water, and 5 liters of solution are consumed per tree. And in the third, a solution of chicken manure is used: 1 kg of this fertilizer in dry form is placed in a bucket of water and left to infuse for a couple of days. One tree should consume 2 liters of solution. After 2 - 3 weeks, the plum should be fed in this way again.

In summer, in the second part of June, fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus are used. Mixture: nitrophoska (3 tbsp. L.), Superphosphate (3 tbsp. L.) And potassium sulfate (2 tbsp. L.), Diluted in 10 l of water. One tree takes from 20 to 30 liters of solution.

Mineral fertilizers are applied in the fall, when it is necessary to stock the tree with all the necessary elements before the onset of winter

In the fall, the time for top dressing falls on the last decade of September. At this time, a fertilizer mixture is introduced, consisting of potassium chloride (2 tbsp. L.) And superphosphate (3 tbsp. L.). Potassium chloride can be replaced with sulfur dioxide. One tree consumes 20 liters of solution. Superphosphate (100 g) and potassium magnesium (110 - 120 g) are also poured into the trunk circle for digging.

Video: expert advice on plum care

Diseases and pests

Plum Volzhskaya beauty is distinguished by good resistance to various diseases and pests. Sometimes simple preventive measures are enough to save yourself the hassle. However, there is still no 100% guarantee of peace of mind, and knowledge of how to protect a tree at the first signs of a particular ailment is simply necessary if you want to preserve your future harvest.

Table: diseases and pests of the plum Volga beauty

Disease / pest	Signs of defeat	Control and prevention measures
Moniliosis	Fruits develop brown spots with numerous gray spore pads gathered in rings. The fruits rot right on the branches and dry out. Affected leaves turn brown, dry and fly around.	Moniliosis and clasterosporia as fungal diseases are treated with similar means. In the spring, before flowering, the plum is treated with Fitosporin (15 ml per 10 l) - twice with an interval of two weeks. After flowering, Skor (2 ml per 10 l) and Horus (3 g per 10 l) are used - twice with a difference of 10 days. Also, during the growing season, you can use Horus or Fitosporin, treating the tree with them twice with an interval of 10 days. As a preventive measure, the plum is sprayed with urea (5% solution before flowering or 3% after) - used once a month. During the growing season, in addition to urea, you can use Actellik (2 ml per 2 l) and 3% Bordeaux liquid (300 g of copper sulfate, 350 g of lime per 10 l of water).
Hole spot (clasterosporium disease)	Reddish and brown spots appear on the leaves, which dry out over time and fall out of the leaf plates, leaving holes.
Cherry elephant	Buds, ovaries and fruits are damaged, as a result of which a significant part of the crop is lost.	In the spring, before flowering, they dig up the ground under the tree. After flowering, apply 10% Karbofos. During the growing season, you can use the drug Akarin (3 ml per 1 liter).
Plum aphid	The leaves at the ends of the shoots curl, wrinkle and dry out. Shoots are curved and retarded in development.	In the spring, before flowering, Bitoxibacillin is used (40 g per 10 l). After flowering, Skor (2 ml per 10 L) and Planriz (5 L per 1 ha) are used. During the growing season, you can take Zircon (1 ampoule per 1 liter) or Aktofit (6 ml per 1 liter).

Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests

In large quantities, the cherry elephant can destroy the entire plum crop

Clasterosporiosis is harmless only at first glance, but in fact it can leave a tree without leaves long before the onset of autumn

In large numbers, aphids slow down the growth and development of the tree, sucking out all the juices from it

Moniliosis is easily recognizable by its numerous small spore pads

Harvesting and storage

What the Volga beauty is truly famous for is its harvests. The first fruits can be removed from the tree as early as 4 - 5 years of its life. A young tree brings on average 8-10 kg per season, and at the age of about 10 years and older, the figure grows from 10 to 22 kg. Harvesting begins closer to mid-August and lasts almost until the end of the month.

Plums are harvested in clear dry weather so that it can stay longer. It makes no sense to harvest in rainy weather - the fruits will quickly become limp and lose their best qualities. They are put in plastic containers or wooden boxes in which paper is placed. In total, the plum is placed in no more than 3 - 4 layers.

Plum fruits Volzhskaya beauty of universal purpose: they are good fresh and put on jam - a great option

In room conditions, the collected plum of the Volzhskaya krasavitsa variety will lie for several days. At the same time, at a temperature of + 20 … + 25 ° C, unripe plums are usually left, which are forbidden to be left on the balcony or windowsill, that is, where direct sunlight will fall on them. In a refrigerator at a temperature of + 4 … + 6 ° C, the shelf life will be about two weeks. The relative humidity should not exceed 90%, otherwise the plums will start to deteriorate much faster.

The easiest way to preserve plums for a long time is to freeze them. But before that, be sure to remove the seeds from the fruit, and put the plums cut into halves in containers or plastic bags (from which you need to pump out the air).

Plum Volzhskaya beauty is good fresh, as well as in preserves, jams, syrups and confitures. Delicious juice is obtained from it, compotes are brewed, wine is made.

Reviews of gardeners about the Volga beauty

Plum Volga beauty is able to delight the gardener with a good harvest every year, but subject to proper care. Still, plum is not the easiest crop to grow, and too many subtleties in this process can jeopardize the ultimate success. But believe me, the harvest of ripe and juicy plums is worth all the effort you put into it.