Description and characteristics of the plum variety Red Ball, planting and care
For creating a fruitful garden, an excellent option is the Red Shar plum variety. It does not require large areas, its compact size allows you to collect a bountiful harvest even in small plots, summer cottages. It is especially appreciated for its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, but due to its weak resistance to frost, it must be additionally protected in winter. In order for the Red Ball plum to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in more detail with its strengths and weaknesses, the subtleties of planting and leaving.
The history of breeding plum Red Ball
Raspberry Ball, the so-called Red Ball plum, appeared as a result of crossing two varietal varieties: Burbank and Ussuriyskaya red. We worked on breeding a high-yielding hybrid H.K. Enikeev and S.N. Satarova (Moscow). It was entered in the State Register in 1989. Plum Red Ball is appreciated for its large and incredibly tasty fruits, the color of which changes to a rich red as it ripens.
Description and distinctive features
Plum of the Red Shar variety does not cause difficulties when placing it in the garden, it grows only up to 2.5 meters. Such a small size of the plant makes the process of caring for it quite comfortable. The color of the trunk and main branches is brown, there is no pubescence, the surface is smooth. Sprawling branches form a rounded, medium foliage crown. The ovaries are found mainly on annuals and bouquet twigs. The leaf plates are large, green in color and have a matte surface. The flowering phase of the Red Ball plum occurs before they appear, in one bud there are 2-3 flowers. Fruit weight reaches 40 grams.
The pulp has a loose, slightly fibrous structure, dense skin with an almost imperceptible seam. The fruits are distinguished by a rich aroma, sweet harmonious taste. The easily separable stone is another advantage of the Red Ball plum.
Harvesting must be done on time, if the fruits are on the tree for a long time, they will lose their integrity, and, consequently, their presentation.
Variety characteristics
To obtain high productivity, you need to know the main characteristics of the Red Shar plum variety.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Stone fruit culture is not afraid of subzero temperatures, it is not afraid of drops to -35 degrees. Due to the sufficient frost resistance, the Red Ball plum can be actively grown in regions with severe frosts. The plant can freeze up only during returnable spring frosts. Resistance to dry weather is satisfactory, but prolonged lack of moisture or, on the contrary, its excess negatively affects both the tree itself and its ability to bear fruit.
Susceptibility to diseases and pests
The Chinese plum of the Krasny Shar variety has an increased immunity to perforated spot (clasterosporium), monilial burn and other fungal infections.
Pollinator varieties
Considering that the Red Ball plum belongs to self-fertile plants, additional pollination is necessary for effective fruiting. For these purposes, fruit varieties such as:
- cherry plum Kuban comet;
- cherry plum Gold of the Scythians;
- plum sissy;
- plum Chinese;
- plum Rapid.
But home plum (ordinary), as a pollinator, is not suitable. In order for the fruits to be large in size, it is necessary in the first 2 years after planting to normalize with ovaries, removing flowers.
Productivity and fruiting
Plum Red Ball stands out for its early maturity, the first crop can be harvested already 2-3 years after planting. Fruit picking takes place in August. The yield indicators of the variety are almost 18 kilograms of large red balls with a pleasant taste.
How to store and apply the fruit
Since the Red Ball plum belongs to the category of table varieties, its fruits have a universal purpose. They can also be used for making jams, desserts, compotes, juices, as well as fresh. The variety is great for making wine.
Positive and negative sides
Experienced gardeners distinguish among the indisputable advantages of the Red Ball plum:
- early maturity;
- large-fruited;
- high rates of productivity;
- frost resistance;
- drought resistance;
- fruits are not afraid of long-distance transportation;
- good keeping quality of the crop;
- medium thickening of the crown;
- excellent consumer and product characteristics;
- universal use of fruits;
- sufficient immunity to major diseases.
But, despite the whole list of advantages, the Red Ball plum also has its weaknesses:
- the need for pollinating varieties;
- early flowering time;
- damping of the root collar in spring.
The nuances of planting culture
In order for the Red Ball plum to bear fruit stably and abundantly, it is necessary to adhere to certain planting rules.
Optimal timing
The recommended time for planting in the middle lane is spring (April). In regions with a warm climate, planting of seedlings is allowed in the fall - in the last days of September - in early October. If it is impossible to plant a garden planting during the specified period, it can be dug in in an inclined position until the arrival of heat.
Choosing a suitable site and preparing the soil
Plum Krasny Shar grows well and develops in glades with a sufficient level of illumination - on the southeast or west side of the personal plot. The soil should be fertile, rich in nutrients. It is recommended to plant the plant in an elevated area, or a drainage layer of broken brick, crushed stone is laid in the pit. Plum Red Shar is very sensitive to high humidity in the soil, cold winds, so you can protect trees from drafts if you place them near buildings and bushes.
What can be planted next to a plum
Suitable neighbors are: apple tree, currant bushes, black elderberry.Walnut, hazel, pear, birch, fir and poplar - not the best influence on the plum Raspberry Ball. If the site is small, then the proximity of this culture and pears is possible, but only at a distance of 3-4 meters.
Cooking a seedling
As a planting material, it is recommended to choose annual seedlings, in which the number of skeletal branches is 3-4 pieces, their length is 40 centimeters. The bark should not contain any ulcers, signs of disease, mechanical damage. The root system should consist of three branches, 20 centimeters long, and also healthy, without traces of rot, moist.
Planting technological process
The algorithm of actions regarding planting the Red Ball plum in a permanent place provides:
- Preparatory work. 2-3 weeks before planting, you need to dig a hole 60 centimeters deep and 70-80 centimeters wide. The extracted soil is combined with compost, humus or manure (10-15 kilograms), double superphosphate (100 grams) and wood ash (500 grams).
- Filling the pit with nutrient soil-mixture in the form of a mound and placing a wooden peg 15-20 centimeters from the center. Its height above the ground should be 70-80 centimeters.
- Placing the seedling, spreading its roots and sprinkling it with soil. To avoid voids in the pit, the earth is carefully tamped.
- Forming a groove in a circle at a distance of 30 centimeters from the seedling. Watering with water (40 liters per plant).
- Mulching the ground with peat or humus, a garter to a peg.
It is not worth deepening the root collar much, it should be 5 centimeters higher from the ground level.
We organize tree care
Plum Red Ball is not a capricious plant, among the main manipulations for caring for it are: irrigation, loosening the soil, removing weeds, introducing nutrients and preventing diseases and pests.
Watering plum trees
The Chinese plum does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil, as well as its lack, which provokes wilting of the vegetative mass. The best option is moderately moist and loose soil in the trunk circle. Since the underground part of the plant is not too deep, it is enough to use 10 liters of water per 1 square meter of crown projection. The soil should be soaked 40 centimeters deep.
The drip irrigation system will prevent the appearance of negative consequences in the form of putrefactive processes on the root system. The tree is especially acutely in need of watering at the stage of ripening of fruits and laying of fruit buds.
Fertilizers and feeding
Adding nutrient mixtures to the soil will not only improve the immunity of the Red Ball plum, but also its yield indicators. It is not worth applying fertilizer every year, it is enough to do this once every 3-4 years, using organic compounds and mineral complexes. Natural dressings are used when digging the soil, and industrial dressings are used in the form of a working liquid after irrigating the land. Feeding procedures are recommended in the fall; in the spring, it is enough just to add nitrogen-containing compounds.
Pruning and shaping the crown
Due to the medium thickening of the crown, caring for the tree does not cause serious problems. For plums Red Ball, preventive and sanitary pruning is quite enough. All incompetent branches, dry and damaged by frost are subject to removal. The rest are shortened by ¼ of the entire length. Manipulations are performed in the spring, before the start of sap flow.
In order to prevent the development of various kinds of diseases, it is necessary to work only with a well-sharpened and disinfected instrument.
To disinfect it, use 70% alcohol or household bleach diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 9.
Loosening and mulching the trunk circle
It is recommended to loosen the soil after each irrigation, rain, in order to exclude oxygen starvation of the roots.Also, along with this, it is necessary to remove weeds, which take away nutrients and are a favorable habitat for parasitic individuals, pathogenic microorganisms. Organic matter is used as mulch.
How to help a tree overwinter
Despite the high resistance of plums to subzero temperatures, they can suffer during sudden changes in weather conditions, after thaws. Additional protection in the form of laying a mulch layer and wrapping the trunk with burlap will also help keep the plant from rodent infestation. It is not advisable to use polyethylene material or roofing felt, the stone fruit culture has a tendency to damp out the root collar.
When growing plum Red Ball, the main thing is to choose the right planting material and follow agricultural techniques. Only an integrated approach makes it possible to collect not only quantitative, but also high-quality crops.
