Spring care for plum trees to ensure a good harvest

Spring plum tree care involves several steps. One of the most important is controlling diseases and pests. It's unlikely that any gardener enjoys the sight of a sick and drooping tree. To avoid this, it's essential to regularly care for your plum tree, choosing the right products and methods.

Features of spring care

To make spring plum pruning quicker and easier, attract birds to the plot. Birdhouses are hung on the trees for this purpose. Pruning is done around March 20th. In April, the soil is tilled, adding nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Features of fertilizing and digging:

1. For a mature fruiting plant, 300-400 g of urea or calcium nitrate is needed. For a young plant, 100-200 g is sufficient.
2. Digging should be done carefully to avoid damaging the roots. The depth should not exceed 5-10 cm.
3. If it's cold outside and the temperature has dropped to 1 ^OLeaves must be burned to heat the tree with smoke. The process is stopped two hours after dawn.

If the spring is dry, increase watering, using 30-60 liters.

The tree trunk circle must be constantly weeded and kept clean.

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Care nuances in different regions

To properly care for plum trees, it's important to consider the climate and weather conditions in each region. For example, in the Moscow region, there aren't any particular issues. Special attention is paid only to starting work in the spring, pruning branches, and pest control.

Key Features:

1. Spring pruning, fertilization and insect control – 1st and 20th of March.
2. Adding fertilizer with potassium – in the first ten days of June.
3. Preparing for the winter season – October.

Next, let's look at the care plums require in the Urals and Siberia. Special varieties are grown in these regions. They don't require as much care as other varieties.

The only caveat is that these regions are prone to early frosts, which damage the root system. To avoid this, a method called ground freezing is used. This requires compacting the freshly fallen snow, which reduces the plant's thermal insulation. Over time, the ground will freeze, and with the arrival of thaws, rotting will not occur.

In the Far Eastern regions, the soil is highly acidic, so folk remedies are recommended. A mixture of manure and rotted compost effectively reduces acidity. Superphosphate (20-50 kg) is added to the compost per ton of fertilizer. Some gardeners use peat mixtures. Peat is added three times more than manure. The nitrogen contained in the mixture takes some time to be absorbed.

Soil and pruning

Although plums don't require complex care, they do require good conditions for growth and fruiting. The soil for planting and growing should be light-textured, well-drained, and permeable—sandy loam or loamy soils are examples of these.

Many novice gardeners wonder in the spring: why prune a bush if it's already bearing fruit so vigorously? However, plum bushes require pruning just like other fruit trees. What's the proper way to prune a plum tree?

1. Forks that will lead to breakage of branches during the period of active fruiting are removed.
2. They destroy young growth, which over time will turn the tree into a disheveled bush.
3. In early March, shoots located 50 cm above the ground are cut off.
4. The base is shortened to one and a half meters, leaving a cut above the active bud.
5. Half of the remaining branches are removed.

These rules apply to a one-year-old tree. For a two-year-old tree:

1. The trunk is cut to the bud that remains from the bud of the previous year.
2. 1/3 of the branches are cut off from 60 cm long branches.
3. Branches located at an acute angle are removed.
4. A three-year-old plum tree is pruned in the same way as a two-year-old one. Lateral shoots are shortened to 20 cm, and any intertwined shoots are removed.

After 1-2 years, when the bush reaches 2.5-3 m, crown shaping is no longer necessary. Ultimately, after 5 years, the tree will have developed foliage and 5-7 main branches. These branches should be at an angle of 40-50 degrees. When the tree reaches maturity, excess shoots are removed and the main "skeletal" branches are trimmed.

When and how to fertilize plums in spring

The timing and types of early spring fertilization are determined based on the plant's age and stage of development. First, determine what the plant needs. This can be done by assessing the appearance of the branches, leaves, and trunk.

When a tree lacks magnesium, leaf edges and veins turn brown. With a potassium deficiency, foliage turns brown, edges curl, and shoot growth is slow. Insufficient nitrogen causes leaves and buds to fade and die. With an iron deficiency, foliage becomes pale and falls off, fruits become smaller, and shoot tips die. With a calcium deficiency, pits develop slowly, shoots die, fruit growth slows, and buds and leaves fall off.

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Rules and timing of fertilizer application:

1. Liquids are added to holes located at a distance of 60-80 cm from the trunk.
2. Powdered compounds are added during tillage, at a distance from the trunk. After application, the soil is watered, which will increase the rate of nutrient uptake.
3. Manure is added once every 2-3 years. The same applies to ash.
4. Ash and peat are used as mulch.
5. Natural fertilizers such as mustard, phacelia, or winter rye varieties will help increase the yield.

It's worth keeping in mind that if the soil in your garden is already nutritious, there's no point in adding additional fertilizer. Alternatively, reduce the amount of fertilizer by half.

How to feed plums in spring

You can increase your yield by using prepared nitrogen. To release it, add 20 g of urea to 10 liters of water and mix. Spray your plums with this solution in the spring to prevent diseases and pests. Organic solutions are also beneficial.

Manure is prepared as follows:

• 200 g of wood ash is added to 10 kg of raw material;
• to the mixture – 60 g of superphosphate;
• Lastly, add 20 g of potassium salt and urea.

The proportions are enough for 1 m² land.

Urea is particularly beneficial. It is applied during flowering, before the fruits begin to ripen. At this time, 20 grams of urea per meter of soil is added. The next feeding is done a year later, in May. Typically, humate (3 tablespoons) or 20 grams of superphosphate or potassium sulfate are used. 35 liters of liquid are used per bush.

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The hole is 15 cm deep. Add 2 kg of ash (for a mature plant) and cover with soil. Ash can also be added in a dissolved form. Water is added and mixed. Furrows are made around the roots beforehand and the solution is poured in. One liter of solution is used per tree. It is necessary to fertilize the soil with carbonates. For this purpose, limestone powder or crushed dolomite is used. The powder helps protect plums from diseases and pests.

Pest and disease control

Plums are susceptible to many diseases and insect attacks. Clasterosporium leaf spot is a fungal disease that attacks leaves and branches. The first symptom is brown spots on the leaves. Initially, these develop into ulcers, then pierce the leaf surface. The lesions extend to the pit, affecting the entire fruit. Damp weather facilitates the disease's spread.

To prevent the disease, thin out the branches, preventing them from becoming too dense. After the leaves fall, immediately clear away and burn them. Dig up some of the soil. Cut out any diseased areas of the tree and dispose of them. After flowering, 15-20 days later, spray the plum tree with:

• copper oxychloride;
• Bordeaux mixture solution (1%).

With moniliosis, the fruits turn brown and become soft, with gray, fluffy clumps containing fungal spores appearing on the surface. Prevention is identical to that for clasterosporium. Before flowering, spray the plums with ferrous sulfate or Nitrafen.

All seeded fruits are susceptible to gummosis. Affected fruit exhibits a light yellow or colorless, drying resin on the bark. During cold weather, the bush is most susceptible to this disease. Branches dry out and die. Microbes that cause cancer develop in the infected bark. To prevent this, branches and trunks should be protected from mechanical injury. If damage occurs, it should be cleaned and treated with:

• copper sulfate;
• petrolatum.

Remove infected bark and branches. Rub the affected areas with horse sorrel leaves. Allow 10 minutes between removing and rubbing. Finally, treat everything with garden pitch.

As a preventative measure, fallen leaves should be removed promptly. Before flowering, the bush should be treated with copper oxychloride. After harvesting the fruit, spray with Bordeaux mixture.

Fruit rot appears in mid-July, as soon as the fruit begins to grow. Dark spots first appear, followed by light gray pads containing fungal spores. These pads form in circles around the fruit. Prevention involves destroying infected fruit after picking. In this case, Bordeaux mixture can be helpful.

Plum is susceptible to a wide range of diseases, but with proper care, problems can be avoided.

Whitewashing plum trees in spring

Spring plum treatment includes whitewashing. This will protect against burns and prevent premature bud break, which is important during cold weather. It will also kill insect eggs that overwinter under the bark. Whitewash contains a latex substance and white pigment. To prepare, the dry substance is diluted with a coloring pigment and then mixed with water.

How to whiten:

1. Clean the tree trunk circles, removing soil from the trunk.
2. The trunk and the lower part of the branches are painted to arm's height (as far as you can reach, but no further than 2 m).
3. After drying, the trunk is covered with soil.

The work is carried out after the trunk has completely dried on a sunny day.

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Medicines for treatment and prevention

Any summer fruit is susceptible to problems with branches, foliage, and fruit, especially if grown outdoors. Simply treating plums for pests in the spring isn't enough; it's necessary to remove affected parts and treat any infections.

Medicines for prevention and treatment:

• Bordeaux mixture (1%);
• copper oxychloride dissolved in water;
• copper sulfate.

In addition to pest control, soil tillage and removal of fallen leaves, rotted fruit, and broken branches are also recommended. Treating plum trees for pests with folk remedies can help prevent the complete loss of plum tree plantings.

Digging up tree trunk circles

The tree trunk circle is the area of ​​soil surrounding the tree, matching the diameter of the tree's crown. It allows the roots to be supplied with oxygen, water, and other nutrients.

Rules for processing circles:

1. For trees no older than 3 years, circles are made about 2 meters.
2. At the age of seven, the circle should be 3 meters.
3. In the fall, after collecting the fruit, it is necessary to dig up the soil, removing weed roots and insect larvae.
4. The digging depth should not exceed 5.5 m.

When digging, place the shovel edge toward the tree trunk. This will protect the roots from damage. If the soil is light, simple loosening will suffice. Before removing branches and leaves, cover the soil with plastic sheeting. This will protect the soil from insects and harmful substances.

However, the weather should be taken into account. In spring and summer, these works are carried out four times, and if there is little rain, six times per season.

Transfer

The need for repotting arises when the tree has not borne fruit for several years in a row. This happens if the seedling was initially planted in the wrong location. It is advisable to plant the plum near other varieties, cherry plums, or cherries.

The plum should be replanted in a place with suitable conditions:

1. Sufficient light.
2. The correct time for planting and replanting is when the snow has melted and the ground has warmed. It's best to replant to a higher elevation immediately after the leaves have fallen.
3. The soil is prepared in October.
4. The tree is placed in a hole and covered with soil so that the root collar is exposed. The trunk is dug up 70-80 cm from the base and watered. Drainage and fertilizer are added.
5. The area around the tree trunk is covered with sawdust. The seedling is tied to a support buried along with the tree.
6. When replanting late, mulch the soil. In cold climates, cover the planting.

Plums don't like being moved. They'll take a long time to get used to the new conditions and won't bear fruit for several years.

Mulching the soil

Once the plum tree has borne fruit in the spring, you can begin the final stage of care. During this period, fruit buds for the following year are formed. Mulch features:

1. It is essential to apply fertilizers under it, applied in early spring.
2. Biopreparations are used in dissolved form as irrigation.
3. When the weather gets colder, mulch the tree trunks.

Mulching is done with manure. This will protect the plum tree from pests. Pests are dangerous because they spread various diseases, and this type of mulch will maintain the tree's immunity and moisture levels.

Disease and insect prevention

The best way to combat diseases and insects is prevention. Preventative measures against common problems include regularly inspecting branches and leaves for any surface damage. Creating favorable conditions for the plant's growth and development.

One of the important preventative measures is the treatment of garden tools from microbes and bacteria.

Planting plum trees in an open area will accelerate their growth and development. Advice from experienced gardeners includes basic rules on how to plant and care for the tree, how to feed it, and how to treat it if it becomes diseased. For example, you can watch a video on growing plum trees.