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Plum Blue gift - undemanding to care, winter-hardy self-fertile variety. The fruits are small, sweet and sour, the tree gives stable yields. A noticeable advantage of the variety is its high resistance to fungal diseases.
Breeding history of the variety
VSTISiP employees SN Satarova and VS Simonov got the variety from crossing the old plum Ochakovskaya yellow and a hybrid of 1959 Pamyat Timiryazev. Since 2001, the Blue Dar variety has been included in the State Register and distributed throughout the country.
Description of plum variety Blue Dar
The variety is planted mainly in the south, gradually the tree is becoming popular among gardeners in the central regions of the country, for whom it was recommended. If comfortable conditions are created, the Dar of the average ripening period can be grown in Siberia.
A compact tree of the Blue Dar variety is medium-sized, it rises up to 3 m. On a trunk, 60 cm or slightly more, has a gray rough bark. The crown of an elongated, oval shape, as it is created by skeletal branches, does not thicken much. Young shoots pubescent, brown with a grayish tinge. On them, ringlets with bouquet twigs are created. The buds deviate from the branches. Dark green leaves are lanceolate, finely toothed at the edges, wrinkled on top, edged below.
The white 5-petal flowers of this variety are formed in such a way that self-pollination occurs easily. Oval small fruits with an inconspicuous side seam weigh 14 g. The skin is dark purple in color with a strong waxy bloom. Very firm and juicy flesh of the plum Blue Dar is greenish-yellow, fibrous, with a granular structure. The peduncle is not too long, without pubescence. The separation of the fruit is dry. The mass of an oval bone, which separates well from the pulp, is 1 g, or 7.1% of the weight of the fruit.
Refreshing sweet and sour taste of Blue Dar plum is a pleasant, appetizing fruit with a light aroma. They include:
- 8.5% sugars;
- 15.44% dry matter;
- 0.99% free acids;
- 7.17 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of plums.
The experts gave the grade Dar 4 points.
Variety characteristics
The properties of the new plum are remarkable: suitable for industrial cultivation. The variety grows well and develops on loose fertile soils close to neutral acidity. The site is prepared in advance, enriching the earth with alkali. Plums prefer loams, but not heavy soils, which are thinned with sand.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The plum is hardy without any significant losses, with moderate damage to the branches, it comes out of the winter period with temperatures typical for the Central region. The winter hardiness of the tree is estimated at 2.5 points. Flower buds showed below average frost damage. The plum tree also does not suffer much from recurrent frosts during flowering.
The blue gift is a moisture-loving variety, like all plums. Care includes regular watering when there is not enough rain during the periods of bud and ovary creation.
Plum Pollinators Blue Gift
The variety blooms in the second decade of May. Ripe plums are harvested from the middle or from the third decade of August.
The blue gift is self-pollinating, so it can serve as a good pollinator for early and late plum varieties. Experienced gardeners advise planting 2-3 trees with different ripening periods on the site in the climate of the middle zone. Other plums have a beneficial effect on the yield of Blue Dar plum variety.
An indicative list of recommended varieties:
- Yakhontovaya, Early, Morning, Opal - early plums;
- Eurasia 21, Amusing, Egg blue - medium;
- Memory of Timiryazev, Alexy, Tula black or Hungarian Moscow - late ripening.
Productivity and fruiting
You can try the first plums from the age of 4 years of tree growth. The fruits of the variety are formed on last year's growth and bouquet branches. Plum with a stable yield: during the test period, out of 16 years, only 4 seasons were poor.
Up to 35 kg of fruits are obtained from one adult tree. Fruiting lasts 21 years.
Scope of berries
Plums of table type, consumed fresh, frozen to preserve vitamins. Various jams, jam, compotes, sauces are cooked from the fruits, and juice is prepared.
Disease and pest resistance
Resistance to the main diseases of the species is estimated at 2-3.5 points, to such pests as aphids and moths - 3-4 points.
Early spring treatment with drugs against the spread of diseases and the reproduction of pests is necessary.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The characteristics of the Blue Dar plum variety indicate its positive qualities:
- compact plum suitable for intensive gardening;
- self-fertile variety;
- plentiful annual harvest of fruits;
- attractive consumer performance;
- the fruits are transportable;
- medium resistance to frost, diseases and pests.
The disadvantages of the variety include small fruit.
Landing features
When planning to start a plum garden, they study the peculiarities of growing trees. Planting and caring for a plum Blue gift without difficulties, but you need to know a few important subtleties.
Recommended timing
In regions with relatively short summers, plums are planted in the spring to create the most convenient conditions for the tree to survive. In areas with mild winters, the seedling feels comfortable with autumn planting.
Choosing the right place
Groundwater can approach the surface no closer than 1.5 m. Direct sunlight is important for the variety, without shading from buildings and tall trees. In cold climates, it is better to place plums on the southern side of buildings, retreating from the wall up to 3-4 m, on a site without stagnant water.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby
- Gardeners say that plum bears fruit well next to cherry plum and apple, other varieties of plums, but not pears or cherries. In any case, the interval between trees is up to 4–5 m.
- Plum should not be planted in the shade of a tall tree, fruit or decorative.
- Berry bushes and strawberries are welcome at a specified distance.
Selection and preparation of planting material
When purchasing seedlings, they are carefully studied:
- trees 1–3 years old;
- the bark is smooth, healthy, not damaged;
- the kidneys are swollen, alive;
- the roots are fibrous, with several processes, elastic to the touch.
Before planting, seedlings with open roots are placed in a liquid clay batch for 2-10 hours to moisturize and reanimate. The trees in containers are placed in a barrel of water so that the seedling is easily released without tearing off the small roots.
Landing algorithm
- Spacious pits are prepared to provide the drain with the desired substrate.
- A peg is driven in, to which the trunk will be tied.
- A sapling is placed on a mound formed from the prepared soil and the roots are straightened.
- Cover with soil, compacting it.
- The root collar is raised 4–6 cm above the ground.
- The sides are poured for the irrigation groove, but first the trunk circle is poured, which is then mulched.
Plum follow-up care
The medium-sized variety has no pruning problems. It is important to remove branches that grow from the conductor at a narrow angle, less than 45 degrees. Broken and damaged shoots are removed from the beginning of autumn and early spring.
Plums need watering. Young trees need 10 liters for 2 weeks, and adults - 20-30 liters to moisten the roots. After water-charging irrigation in the fall, the soil is mulched with humus and dry grass, and then, before frost, the seedlings are wrapped in a special rodent net. Protect with a thick layer of paper or agrofiber.
Every 4 years, in the spring, the bark is cut with a knife to prevent cracking. Only the bark is cut with a strip up to 20 cm. The sections are processed.
Plum Blue gift is fed from the 2nd year of growth with the NPK complex, magnesium and boron are useful for the tree. Humus is often used for mulch.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The variety can suffer from moniliosis and clasterosporium disease, other fungal diseases, which are prevented by autumn cleaning of the garden, spraying with fungicides in early spring, before and after flowering. Pests: weevils, caterpillars and other insects are destroyed with insecticides. Stripping the bark, removing diseased branches and fallen leaves also stops their spread.
Conclusion
Plum Blue gift is hardy and fruitful. Self-fertility, winter hardiness and disease resistance contribute to its popularity. Having planted this variety, you can enjoy the characteristic taste of plums in fresh fruits and preparations.
