Description and characteristics of cherry plum variety Zlato Scythians, pollinators and cultivation
Scythian gold is a unique cherry plum, suitable for cultivation in cold regions and delighting with an abundant harvest of sweet fruits with a strong aroma and pronounced taste. When ripe, the fruit has a bright yellow color. The variety is successfully grown by both experienced gardeners and beginners, shows good resistance to pathogens and pests.
Characteristics of the variety
Workers of the Academy named after V.I. K. A. Timiryazeva. Cherry plum Zlato of the Scythians was bred by pollination of the Kuban comet known to gardeners at the end of the 20th century.
Tree height and crown size
The Zlata tree of the Scythians reaches a height of 2-2.5 m. The crown of the cherry plum is spreading, round. The leaf is shaped like a typical plum: oblong, with jagged edges and a pointed end. The branches are thick, in some places they have a yellowish tint.
Flowering, pollinators and fruiting
Flowers Zlata Scythians of white color, numerous. The flowering period is in April-May, and fruiting begins in June. For the most part, plums are not self-fertile, and the plum Zlato of the Scythians was no exception. Pollinating trees should be planted nearby and have the same flowering time. Plums are considered the best for such purposes:
- Yellow Pavlovskaya;
- Ruby;
- Gift to St. Petersburg.
Fruiting of cherry plum Gold of the Scythians begins 4 years after planting a seedling on the site. The yield of the variety is up to 20 kg of fruits from each adult plant. The fruit is bright yellow, juicy, tasty, very sweet and aromatic.
What diseases and pests the variety is susceptible to
Cherry plum, yellow-fruited Zlato of the Scythians, the description of the variety of which promises increased resistance to frost and drought, is exposed to pests and pathogens, especially in adverse weather conditions. To prevent their appearance and increase plant immunity, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments in a timely manner.
Frost and drought resistant
Plum Gold of the Scythians is considered a heat-loving plant that can easily endure a period of drought. In addition, this variety has increased winter hardiness and is cultivated even in regions with cold climatic conditions.
The advantages and disadvantages of a crop: is it profitable to grow?
Alycha Skif has significant advantages that distinguish it favorably from competitors:
- early ripening of the crop;
- the beginning of fruiting 4 years after planting on the site;
- regular harvests;
- suitability for growing in cold climates;
- excellent taste characteristics of fruits and their universal application.
At the same time, cherry plum is not devoid of drawbacks, among which gardeners note:
- inability to self-pollinate;
- small yield indicators;
- the need for mandatory prevention of diseases and pests;
- fruits are unsuitable for long-term storage.
Summer residents who grow Scythian cherry plum on their plots agree to put up with minor drawbacks, believing that they are fully compensated by the numerous advantages of the plant.
Planting and caring for cherry plum
Proper planting and maintenance is the key to a good harvest. It is important not only to choose the planting material and a place for its cultivation, but also to provide the cherry plum with further necessary conditions for pollination, the formation of ovaries and the ripening of fruits.
Choosing a seedling
For planting on the site, it is preferable to choose cherry plum saplings 1-2 years old. It is these trees that take root best of all and do not get sick during transplantation. Gardeners who grow the Zlato Scythian variety in the middle lane confirm this fact.
Before purchasing a cherry plum seedling, you must conduct a thorough inspection of the root system. Also, there should be no broken shoots or cracked bark.
Determining the place
Cherry plum loves warmth and light, therefore it should be planted from the south side of the garden plot. She prefers loamy soil with a neutral acidity level.
From the neighbors, the plum variety Gold of the Scythians gets along well with stone trees. It is recommended to plant cherry plum near:
- cherries;
- apricots;
- plums;
- thorns.
Of course, it is best to plant the seedling where the pollinator grows. But next to nightshade, large trees or berry bushes, cherry plum should not be cultivated.
In the selected area, the groundwater level should be at least 1.5 m.
Sapling planting technology and scheme
Planting operations are carried out in early September or early April. Before planting cherry plum, you need to carry out a number of preparatory work. A hole is dug with a depth of 0.6 m and a diameter of 0.7 m. Next, a nutritious soil mixture is prepared, consisting of humus, sand and peat.
The seedling Zlata of the Scythians is installed in the planting pit in such a way that the root collar is located about 5 cm above the soil surface. Prepared nutrient soil is poured into the pit and compacted. If the tree is weak, then you must immediately install a wooden peg next to it and tie the plant to it.
After planting, a small roller is made of the soil around the cherry plum and 30 liters of water are poured. After waiting until all the moisture is absorbed, the ground around the tree is mulched. For these purposes, use straw or peat.
Experienced gardeners advise preparing the planting hole in advance, at least for a couple of weeks. If the planting of a cherry plum seedling is planned for the spring, then a hole is dug in the fall, after which mineral dressings and organic matter are added there. When several plants are placed on a site, the distance between them is at least 3 m.
Irrigation and feeding
In the conditions of a rainy summer cherry plum Zlato of the Scythians does not need watering at all. This culture is characterized by increased drought resistance. However, in the absence of precipitation for a long time, the tree must be watered immediately after the end of flowering, then again - after the end of the growth of the shoots and the third time - when the fruits begin to pour and acquire a characteristic color of the variety.
It is best to irrigate cherry plum by filling the formed trunk circle with water.Its depth is up to 20 cm, and its diameter is up to 1 m. Up to 30 liters of water are added under each tree during irrigation. If the autumn turned out to be dry, then in October the so-called water-charging irrigation is carried out. In this case, 2 times more liquid is poured. Water for irrigation is heated in the sun to room temperature.
To develop normally, cherry plum throughout the growing season requires additional feeding and fertilization. In the spring, when the trunk circle is being digged (roughly the beginning of April), potassium salt and ammonium nitrate are mixed into the soil. In early May, urea is added to the ground. For 10 liters of water, 20 g of fertilizer are taken, 5 liters of solution are added under each tree.
As soon as the cherry plum Gold of the Scythians fades, it is fertilized with a mullein solution. Fresh mullein is dissolved in water in a 1: 3 ratio. After that, superphosphate is poured there (at the rate of 50 g of the drug per 10 liters of the mixture). For each square meter of the trunk circle, 2 liters of finished fertilizer are applied.
In the first ten days of June, the Scythians are sprayed with a 4% solution of carbamide. Towards the end of September, cherry plum is watered with a fertilizer consisting of superphosphate, potassium sulfide and water. Each plant consumes 20 liters of the prepared nutrient mixture. If it is not possible to prepare the specified top dressing, then make a mixture of manure, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate and add it before digging up the earth.
Barrel circle care
After each watering or heavy rainfall, the soil in the near-trunk circle should be well loosened and weeds removed. This will ensure good air permeability of the soil. So that the resulting moisture does not evaporate very quickly, the trunk circle is mulched. In this case, materials are used that are good for air permeability. Otherwise, pathogenic bacteria and pests can multiply under the mulch.
Tree crown formation
Correctly executed crown molding increases productivity and fruit quality. Cherry plum is cut 3 times a year. The first sanitary pruning is carried out in March-April, until the buds have blossomed. The branches damaged and frozen during the winter are removed, trying to give the crown of the tree a sparse-tiered shape.
In the Zlata Scythian seedlings of the first year of life, 3 shoots are left, extending from the main trunk at an acute angle (about 45) and located at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Together they should form an angle of 120. The remaining branches are trimmed at the level of the ring. In the next 2 years, new ones with similar characteristics are added to the existing processes. After that, the formation of the crown is stopped, the central shoot is cut at the level of the third skeletal branch.
In the summer, at the Zlata of the Scythians, all branches are shortened to a length of 0.7 m. This contributes to the formation of new fruiting processes. Places of cuts are covered with garden pitch.
Preventive treatments
Most often cherry plum is affected by perforated spotting, sooty fungus and milky sheen. To prevent the appearance of spotting, before buds bloom on the tree, it is sprayed with Nitrafen. With the appearance of foliage, the plant is treated with a Bordeaux mixture.
Sooty fungus is most often the result of improper watering and waterlogged soil. Spraying with a solution of copper sulfate with laundry soap helps to defeat the disease. A milky sheen appears after pruning in the cold. Its prevention consists in the timely removal of the affected branches. The cut points are always treated with a mixture of oil paint and copper sulfate.
It is possible to prevent the defeat of the cherry plum by the moth moth, if immediately after the end of flowering, spray the tree with "Akarin", and during the growing season process the Zlato of the Scythians with "Alfacin". The brown fruit mite settles in the dying bark.You can fight the pest by treating the tree with Apollo before flowering.
During the growing season, use the drug "Zircon". Ladybugs help to prevent the defeat of cherry plum by the acacia false shield. Also, before flowering cherry plum is treated with "Confidor" or "Fufanon". During the growing season, use the "Kinmix" product.
Preparing the tree for winter
Before the onset of cold weather, the cherry plum should be covered with earth, and the trunk circle should be mulched. Compost, humus, peat are used as mulch. The thickness of its layer should be about 20 cm. If a large amount of snow falls out, then you can add it around the trunk. Such a procedure will allow not only to create additional shelter, but also to protect the Scythian Gold from freezing.
Growing cherry plum is not very difficult even for novice gardeners. With good theoretical training, you can get a harvest of delicious yellow fruits with a strong aroma and a huge supply of nutrients.
