Columnar plum varieties for you
The first columnar apple trees and pears appeared in Russian gardens about twenty years ago. A columnar plum with poorly developed or missing skeletal branches is even more rare, but the advantages of an unusual culture are already of interest to both summer residents and owners of farm gardens.
A natural mutation of fruit plants, leading to a form that is not traditional for trees, was noticed and fixed. As a result, today enthusiasts have at their disposal several varieties with large fruits for universal use.
Features of a columnar plum
With proper planting and care, columnar plums on strong rootstocks begin to bear fruit by 2–4 years. What are the other advantages of growing fruit trees with a narrow, practically non-branching crown?
During the season, a summer resident can collect from 5 to 10 kg of sweet fruits from a columnar tree. This yield is significantly less than that of a common varietal plant. But if we take into account that the trees of the plum-columns are planted more often, the yield of the garden rises sharply. In addition, the maintenance and care of the planting of columnar drains is much easier. A small crown, easily accessible for pollinating insects, it is ventilated and fully illuminated by the sun.
The only drawback of the columnar plum is the relatively short age of the tree. By the age of ten, aging begins and yields will naturally drop. Therefore, gardeners interested in intensive fruiting should in advance, at least partially, update the planting.
Today in nurseries, summer residents can find several varieties of plum with a compact crown in the form of a green column.
Columnar plum variety Blue Sweet
For private gardens from the Moscow region to the southern regions, the Blue Sweet variety is suitable. Trees up to 2.5 meters in height are distinguished by a small trunk, extremely rare formation of lateral branches and abundant fruiting. On fruit trees, with competent agricultural technology, up to 15 kilograms of large dark blue fruits ripen. If the summer is warm enough, fruits that are not prone to cracking gain weight up to 60–70 grams. Under the skin covered with a gray waxy bloom, there is a juicy, bright yellow pulp of sweet and sour taste.
A pleasant bonus for lovers of fresh fruits of the Blue Sweet variety will be the oval-pointed bone that can be easily separated from the melting pulp.
Plums are ready for harvest in 3-4 weeks of August or early September. The columnar variety of plum is winter-hardy and can withstand the cold of the middle zone without additional shelter. To get a massive harvest, the plant needs pollinators, such as the nearby Stanley trees.
Columnar Plum Imperial
A tree up to two meters high has a narrow pyramidal shape with sparse lateral branches. Young plants of the Imperial Columnar Plum have a high growth rate, which slows down significantly by 3-4 years, when the time of fruiting begins.
Medium-sized, elongated, without pubescence, the cast appears after flowering in the first decade of May.The abundant ovary densely covers the bouquet branches, and as it ripens, it turns from green to pinkish-purple or maroon. Thin, covered with a bluish bloom, the skin hides yellow or pinkish flesh. Plums of this variety:
- accumulate sweetness well;
- have low acidity;
- spread a light fruity aroma.
Mass ripening begins in mid-August, and the farther south, the better the quality of fruits weighing 40 to 60 grams.
Like many varieties, the Imperial Columnar Plum is a self-fertile crop that requires the planting of pollinating trees. They are selected based on the timing of the general flowering.
Once removed from the branches, plums can be stored for up to two weeks, until they can be used fresh, in conservation or in cooking.
Recommendations for planting and caring for a columnar drain
The main danger that lies in wait for a summer resident who decides to grow a columnar plum is damage to the apical growth bud. Most often this happens when very young seedlings freeze out. A tree with limited growth actively forms side branches. The crown loses its original shape, yields are falling rapidly. To prevent this from happening, it is important:
- choose the landing time correctly;
- find a suitable site;
- plant a young fruit tree correctly;
- immediately provide it with proper care, including watering and nutrition.
In the middle lane, in the Urals and other regions, where frequent autumn frosts and cold weather come very early, zoned varieties of columnar plum are planted only in spring. South of the Chernozem region, this crop can be planted in the fall, providing reliable protection from wind, rodents and snowless wintering.
On a flat, sunny area with light fertile soil, plums are planted at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other. Gaps of about one and a half meters are made between the rows in such a garden.
Care after planting a columnar plum differs little from the traditional one. To speed up rooting, after the seedlings have fallen into the ground, it is useful to feed them with growth stimulants that activate the growth of the root system. Pruning trees reduced to sanitary, that is, damaged, frozen or dried branches are promptly removed. If the tip is damaged, the growth point is transferred to one of the suitable ringlets.
Good evening. Please tell me if there are pollinators for columnar plum on your site?
The most commonly used pollinators for columnar plums are Blue Free and Stanley. However, it is best to choose the variety that best suits the climatic conditions in your region. The nursery will help you to make such a choice.
Hello, tell me, please, why the columnar plums may not bloom, they are 4 years old.? Thank.
Some varieties of plums give their first harvest only by the sixth, or even by the eighth year of life. Also, a plum may not bloom if the soil in which it grows is too heavy, clayey, or too acidic.
Hello, tell me what to do with a plum (columnar) if the seedling was sent (bought via the online store) with a cut off tip and now it has quite long lateral branches and there are no top shoots, I planted the seedlings in the spring of 2017