Content
Cherry plum Gold of Scythians is one of the few varieties grown in regions with cold climates. Plum fruits of bright yellow color have a pleasant aroma and rich taste. Planting and caring for a plant does not cause any particular difficulties, even for novice gardeners.
Breeding history
The cherry plum variety Zlato Scythians is a hybrid resulting from the pollination of the Kuban comet plum. This is the merit of domestic breeders working on the basis of the S. K. A. Timiryazev at the end of XX - beginning of XXI century.
Description of culture
Hybrid cherry plum Zlato Scythians in height can reach 200-250 cm. The spreading crown of the tree has a rounded shape. The leaves, like most plum varieties, are oblong in shape, the edge of the leaf blade is serrated, and its end is pointed.
As you can see in the photo of the Zlato Scythian cherry plum, the shoots of the tree are quite thick, yellowish in places. The flowers of this plum are white, numerous. The fruits are large, bright yellow, oval in shape. There is a slight waxy coating on the plum skin.
The weight of each fruit reaches about 30-35 g. A pronounced fruity aroma and sweet-sour taste allows the Zlato Scythian cherry plum variety to be used in the food industry.
The main regions recommended for growing yellow plums are Ivanovskaya, Ryazanskaya, Bryanskaya, Vladimirskaya and other regions of the central part of Russia.
Characteristics
The characteristics of the cherry plum Zlato Scythians show that this is one of the best varieties bred by Russian breeders.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Cherry plum is considered a thermophilic crop that tolerates dry periods of the year quite favorably. But only some varieties, including the plum Zlato Scythians, can boast of winter hardiness. This hybrid is suitable for growing even in cold climates.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening times
Due to the sterility of plums in the neighborhood, it is necessary to plant other varieties. The main pollinators of the cherry plum Zlato Scythians:
- Pavlovskaya yellow;
- Gift to St. Petersburg;
- Ruby.
Plum blooms in late April - early May, and begins to bear fruit in June.
Productivity, fruiting
Cherry plum Zlata Skifov has an average yield: about 20 kg of plums from each mature tree. At the same time, the culture begins to bear fruit 4-5 years after planting.
Scope of the fruit
The fruits of this plum variety are very juicy and soft, have a bright sweet taste with sourness and an attractive aroma. All these characteristics make it possible to use cherry plum for cooking various dishes at home.
Disease and pest resistance
Plum is quite vulnerable to pathogens and diseases. But regular preventive spraying will reduce the risk of tree infection.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the cherry plum variety Zlato Scythians include:
- earlier ripening of fruits;
- harvesting as early as 3-4 years after planting;
- regular fruiting;
- the possibility of growing in areas with cold climates;
- universal taste of plum fruit.
The disadvantages are:
- self-infertility;
- relatively low yield of plums;
- vulnerability to many diseases of stone fruit crops;
- poor keeping quality.
All of the above disadvantages of this variety are offset by the numerous advantages of the Scythian Gold plum.
Landing features
Growing cherry plum Gold of the Scythians does not require special skills and abilities. It is important to wisely approach the choice of a seedling, a planting site and place other varieties nearby for pollination of the crop.
Recommended timing
Despite the fact that the variety is winter hardy, you need to choose the time for planting so that the seedling does not suffer from severe frosts and winds. The best time for earthworks is early April. In the south, plums are planted after falling leaves.
Choosing the right place
Cherry plum is a thermophilic and light-loving crop, therefore, it is better to plant a tree in the southern part of the site on neutral loamy soils.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherry plum
Yellow cherry plum Gold of the Scythians grows well next to other stone fruits such as cherries, apricots, thorns or plums. And the best neighbors are pollinating varieties.
It is undesirable to place plums next to nightshade crops, large trees and berry bushes.
Selection and preparation of planting material
The optimum age of seedlings is 1-2 years, they take root easily. Reviews about the cultivation of cherry plum Zlato Scythians in the middle lane confirm this. Before buying, it is important to inspect the seedling for damage to the root system, breaks in shoots and cracks in the bark.
Pre-planting preparation consists in soaking the root for at least 3 hours.
Landing algorithm
The main stages of planting plum Zlato Scythians:
- First, you need to dig a hole about 60 cm deep and about 65-70 cm in diameter, then prepare the soil with a mixture of humus, peat or sand.
- Place the seedling in the center of the hole so that the root collar rises about 5 cm above its edge.
- After that, all the fertile land is filled up and compacted tightly. If the seedling is flimsy, you can drive a peg next to it and tie a tree to it.
- A roller of earth is formed around the trunk of the seedling and 25-30 liters of water is spilled.
- After all the moisture has been absorbed, the soil around the plum should be mulched with peat or straw.
Follow-up care of the culture
Due to the plant's resistance to drought, it does not need regular watering with regular rainfall. But with a prolonged absence of rain, especially in southern and arid regions, about 3-4 waterings per season are required. On average, one tree at a time takes 30-35 liters of water. When watering, in no case should you use cold water.
You also need to regularly weed and loosen the soil around the tree. As for feeding, if organic or mineral fertilizers were introduced into the pit before planting, then until the first fruiting the tree does not need them. Then you should proceed according to the following scheme:
- April - the introduction of ammonium nitrate and potassium salts at the rate of 25 g and 35 g per square meter, respectively;
- May - urea solution at the rate of 80 g per 25 liters of water;
- June - mullein solution with the addition of superphosphate in a ratio of 1: 3.
If the soil in the area with the plum is acidic, then every five years it is recommended to add chalk or lime.
In addition, planting and caring for the Zlato Scythian cherry plum includes regular pruning of the tree.The procedure is carried out at the very beginning of spring, before the buds swell, or in late autumn after the foliage has fallen off.
To prepare the tree for winter, it is enough to whitewash the trunk with lime to protect it from pests.
Collection, processing and storage of crops
Fruiting begins 4-5 years after planting the seedling. Plum harvesting usually takes place in July. This variety does not have a high keeping quality, therefore, the maximum shelf life of cherry plums in a ventilated box at low temperatures is about 2-2.5 weeks.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The plum variety is characterized by an average resistance to diseases, and the reviews of gardeners about the cherry plum Zlato Scythians confirm this.
Table "The main diseases of the Zlato Scythian variety"
Disease | Treatment and prevention methods |
Hole spot | Before bud break, it is necessary to treat the tree with nitrafen. After the leaves have bloomed, processing is carried out with a Brodsky mixture. |
Sooty fungus | It is important to monitor the irrigation regime and avoid waterlogging of the soil. The destruction of the disease is carried out by treating the tree with copper sulfate with the addition of laundry soap. |
Milky shine | For prophylaxis, it is recommended to prune and destroy the affected shoots, and also in no case to prune the tree in frost. The cut surface should always be treated with oil paint with the addition of copper sulfate. |
Table "The main pests of cherry plum Zlato Scythians"
Pest | Methods of control and prevention |
Plum moth | After flowering, the culture must be treated with Akarin, during the growing season, spray with Alfacin. |
Brown fruit mite | It is important to remove the dying bark in a timely manner, and when a pest appears, treat the tree before Apollo begins to bloom, and during the growing season with Zircon. |
Acacia false shield | One of the best ways to deal with this pest is ladybugs. You can also spray the tree with Fufan or Confidor (before flowering) and Kinmix (during the growing season). |
Conclusion
Cherry plum Zlato Scythians is one of the few winter-hardy varieties that have found wide application in the central regions of Russia. And the taste and aroma of its fruits make it possible to use the culture in the food industry.
