Plum Blue Gift

Plum Blue Dar is a domestic variety, characterized by unpretentiousness and endurance, a fairly high yield. It is popular in the southern part of the Russian Federation, although it feels great in various regions, including Siberia.

Small, but sweet and juicy fruits of the Blue Dar plum variety have a dark blue characteristic shade. This article will tell you more about this variety, about its productive and external characteristics, about the secrets of planting and care, and will provide reviews based on the experience of gardeners.

Plum Blue gift: variety description and characteristics

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

Fruit trees of the plum variety Blue Dar of medium compact size with an oval, not very dense crown. The berries are oval, small in size, with a yellow-greenish pulp and dark purple skin. The pulp of the fruit is juicy and firm. A distinctive feature of the variety is a smoky bloom on the skin.

Plum Blue Dar is excellently transported over long distances, has good commercial properties, on the basis of which it is often grown for sale.

A wonderful variety of plum Blue Dar appeared thanks to the breeder Satarova S.N. and breeder Simonov V.S., by crossing the well-known varieties - "Ochakovskaya" and "In memory of Timiryazev". It was included in the State Register in 2001.

Plum blossom Blue gift begins in May, and ripe plums appear in August. Fruiting in young plums begins in the 4th season, as a rule, the variety is distinguished by high yields, table, universal purpose.

The huge advantage of the Blue Dar plum variety is in its self-fertility (self-pollination), which means that it does not require additional fruit trees of other varieties for pollination.

Features of the variety

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

• The fruit of the Blue Dar plum variety is not very large, weighing an average of 15 g, oval in shape with a weak lateral scar. The bones from the dense and juicy pulp are perfectly separated.
• There is a slight sourness in the taste, in general, the fruits with a pleasant taste, have a rating of "4" on a 5-point scale.
• Sugar is present, but not much, in general, the flesh is dense. The weight of the oval bone is up to 1 gram.
• This variety is actively used both fresh and canned (jam, jam, preserves, compotes and other delicacies).
• Plum "Blue Dar" has the properties of self-fertility and resistance to low temperatures, so it is very popular among both professional gardeners and amateurs.
• The variety can withstand temperature fluctuations in spring with resistance, even if the tree is covered with swollen buds or even flowers.
• Also, attacks of aphids and stalks are not dangerous to this fruit tree.
• The flowering period of the Blue Gift lasts May 12-19, and the fruit ripening period lasts August 16-22.
• The life period of this variety is quite long and is more than 20 years.
• The Blue Dar plum variety is not very adapted to arid conditions, and the fruits are not large in size.

Plum Blue Gift: planting a variety

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

Let's talk about the main nuances regarding the competent planting of the Blue Dar plum variety.

The Blue Gift plum is planted in the autumn or spring. The best time for planting is still spring, especially if planting is done in the middle latitudes of Russia. In the southern part of the country, they are planted in the autumn, since low temperatures in winter are not able to freeze young trees.

In Siberia and the Urals, it is also possible to successfully grow this variety, but young trees should be planted only in the spring, the best period is April.Choose a well-lit, elevated location for this, next to a fence or other potential wind protection.

For this plum, non-boggy loamy soil is suitable, without the occurrence of close groundwater. Remember that all plum varieties do not like acidic soil: for this problem, it is necessary to neutralize the soil with lime, ash or dolomite. For heavy and clayey soil, river sand and peat should be added to it. The goal is to make the soil breathable and moisture-permeable - then the fruit trees will develop well, and you will have a wonderful harvest.

In the case of planting several cuttings, keep the distance between the seedlings at least two meters. The pits should be 1 × 1 m in size, 0.5 m deep. They are dug in the autumn, adding organic matter. As a result, the soil will be well fertile by spring.

For fertility, humus should be added to the soil from the dug hole, possibly with complex mineral fertilizers. The prepared fertilized soil must be poured back into the pit and left until the end of winter.

After the snow melts, in the spring you should dig up the soil to a shallow depth, put a young plant, straighten the root system and sprinkle it with soil. When you cover the roots with soil, it is necessary that the soil adheres tightly to the plant, without air cushions. When in doubt, partially sprinkle and moisten the soil to prevent voids and air bubbles.

The seedlings should be buried so that the root collars are about 50 mm above the soil. Do not allow the root necks to go deep! Otherwise, the growth of the tree may be delayed, and, accordingly, fruiting will be low. Support each seedling and moisten the soil well. It is also important to mulch the soil in the root zone.

Plum Blue gift: variety care

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

Plum trees of the Blue Dar variety are quite unpretentious. Under optimal climatic conditions, both an experienced and a novice gardener can handle this plum. The maximum plant growth is 3 meters, so there is no need to plant dwarf types of plums, and there is no need for frequent pruning.

Let's talk about the main secrets of caring for the Blue Dar plum variety, following which you can achieve excellent development and a high yield.

• How to water

The Blue Gift plum requires regular but not over-watering. In dry weather, water should be done every 14 days. In rainy weather, watering is skipped. Water with a hose or bucket. However, if you water from a bucket, it is easier to track the amount of water. For one adult plant, one watering requires from 3 to 5 liters. The most favorable time for watering is evening, in order to avoid the sun's rays touching the foliage. Water for irrigation should be at a positive temperature. It is better to pour water into the root zone.

Worth rememberingthat it is impossible to skip watering during the period of ovary appearance. Drying out of the soil at this time threatens with the fall of the ovaries, and therefore the lack of a crop.

• About dressings

Top dressing for this variety must be applied correctly, then the plant will thank you with a generous harvest. In the 1st season, fertilizers are not applied, since there are plenty of nutrients in the soil (during planting, they are introduced into the pits). In the following seasons, fertilization is mandatory.

To fertilize this plum, potash-phosphorus compounds are used. It can be organic or mineral supplements. Magnesium fertilizers are also added.

Often, gardeners choose formulations with potassium and magnesium, in reasonable proportions.

Important to remember, that nitrogen is added in the spring, and potassium in the summer and autumn periods. And the main thing is not to use manure fertilizers. Replace manure with compost or humus.

And one more important tip: any excess fertilizer leads to a burn of the root system!

• How to prune a plum tree

Due to the fact that the Blue Dar plum trees are not tall with a medium density, it is not difficult to care for them in terms of pruning. It is only necessary to give the crown an oval shape, and in the spring, only sanitary pruning is needed with the removal of broken and damaged branches.

An important tip: Prune green branches. After lignification, the plum tree tolerates pruning very painfully: wound healing takes a very long time, and often many microbes and harmful insects form at the site of the wounds.

About pests and diseases of plums

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

The Blue Dar plum variety is quite resistant to many diseases and the attack of harmful insects. Nevertheless, one cannot do without preventive measures. It is important to regularly spray trees with insecticidal preparations against harmful insects. In case of illness, treatment with Bordeaux fluid will be required.

Plum Blue gift: reviews of gardeners

We publish some reviews of gardeners growing Blue Dar plum.

Andrey, Krasnodar Territory: “Almost all fruit trees are suitable for our climate, so in my garden there are some plums - several varieties. I also have a plum Blue gift. I am pleased with this plum, as it is unpretentious, there are no problems with diseases and pests, the yield is good. Let the size of the plums be small, but the taste is what you need! My wife comes out to make a bunch of different blanks out of her. She is happy, and so am I. I don’t harbor this variety even in winter. But we have the south, and in the north, most likely, we need to shelter ”.

Rostislav, Yaroslavl region: “In addition to potatoes, cabbage and all kinds of vegetables, we have a lot of fruit trees on our site. I can not grow all varieties, since in our strip it is necessary to approach selectively to the varieties of fruit trees. I'll tell you about the Blue Dar plum variety, as it has taken root in an excellent way. The tree gave a harvest in the 4th year, since then it has been actively bearing fruit every year without interruption. I do not bother much about the care. It is necessary to cover for the winter period, because our temperatures can reach minus 30. The fruits have excellent taste, medium-sized size, dense pulp, lie well and can be stored for a long time if desired. Plum Blue gift is suitable for those who do not want to bother too much with leaving. "

Conclusion

Plum Blue gift: photo of the variety

Our article told about the secrets of the care of the popular Blue Dar plum tree variety. Developed by domestic breeders, this plum variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, disease resistance and high yield. Those who want to have an unpretentious tree with beautiful fruits, resistant to the vagaries of the weather in their garden, should pay attention to the Blue Gift plum.