Plum Volzhanka
Content:
In our time, gardeners are constantly trying to find more and more good varieties of plants: plums, pears, apples and others. Nevertheless, in this pursuit, very often just very good varieties are left without attention, which do not have incredible and amazing qualities, but at the same time do not require excessive attention to themselves.
One of these varieties is the Volzhanka plum, and therefore in this article we invite you to find out everything about this wonderful tree and make a choice: do you want to grow this plum or not.
History of creation
The plum variety Volzhanka was bred by a team of professional breeders headed by L.A. Sevastyanova. It was created in the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture, and it should also be noted that the material for its creation was such a variety as Zyuzinskaya plum.
The removal of the Volzhanka plum dates back to the end of the twentieth century, and it was included in the register shortly after that - in early 2001.
Plum Volzhanka: description and characteristics of the variety
In order for you to better understand what kind of plant you will be dealing with when growing Volzhanka plum, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a detailed description of all its parts.
Wood
First of all, of course, let's talk about the most important and main part of the Volzhanka plum - the tree itself. From itself it is a medium-sized structure, but its crown is quite large and grows mainly in width. Its density, however, is average.
The bark of the Volzhanka plum tree is very rough and painted in a gray shade. Nevertheless, where the main fruiting branches extend from the branches, it becomes very light and smooth.
The shoots of the tree are straight. However, sometimes you can find those that bend in some places. Most often they are quite short, much shorter than that of many other varieties, but, of course, there are also frequent exceptions to the rule. They are painted in dark crimson, brown or even burgundy, which makes them stand out from the rest of the tree. It should also be noted that pubescence does not form on them at all.
The leaves that form on the trees of this variety also cannot boast of their size: they are very small, however, despite the not very lush crown, they are quite numerous.
In shape, the leaves of the Volzhanka plum tree are rhomboid. Although, perhaps, professional gardeners would call this form ovoid, with small cusps in the front and back. Also on the leaves can be observed small scars located along the edges, and clearly visible veins.
They differ in color from different sides: if the front side is painted in a rather dark green shade, then the back will be painted much paler.
The leaves themselves are not shiny, but dull, with completely insignificant pubescence, in contrast to the cuttings of the same tree. It can also be noted that they are slightly concave. The petioles of the leaves are far from the greatest length, but they are quite strong and firmly hold the leaf plates on the branches.
As for the flowers that form during flowering among the leaves, they most often form small inflorescences that are located on small annual branches.
The flowers themselves are rather small and inconspicuous. They are colored white and have a small number of small, not fully opened petals. Their pistil is very strongly curved, and its stigma is located even below the anthers.
Plum Volzhanka: photo of the variety
Fruit
Of course, many gardeners are much more interested in its fruits than the plum itself, for which, in fact, this tree is grown.
It should be noted that the fruits of the Volzhanka plum variety are rather small. They have a rather thin skin, colored in red-violet shades. However, the color is almost never uniform, so very often small pink or purple spots can be found on the surface of the skin.
Also about the peel of the Volzhanka plum, we can say that it is rather difficult to remove. However, this is not a problem if you are going to consume this plum raw, which is what it was made for. You can also observe a thin waxy coating on the skin, which it is advisable to try not to peel off during harvest.
The funnel at the Volzhanka plum, from which the stalk grows, which attaches the plum itself to the tree, is rather small, and therefore there is a small chance that the fruits will begin to fall a little earlier than the due date, since they will not hold well on the tree.
The pulp of the Volzhanka plum is yellow, very juicy and fibrous. Simply put, it has a very pleasant texture and, of course, taste. Along with the fact that it is quite dense, it also differs in its good juiciness.
The taste of the Volzhanka plum variety can be described as very well balanced sweet and sour: none of its aspects feels overwhelming. The acid perfectly controls the sweetness, and the sweetness itself does not go beyond and does not become cloying.
The fruit pit is also commendable as it is small and separates very well from the pulp. However, if you overexpose the fruits on the tree, this indicator may worsen slightly.
Plum Volzhanka: features of the variety
Plum Volzhanka belongs to those varieties that begin to bear fruit relatively soon after planting. Within four years (maximum - after five years), you will already receive a stable harvest.
The flowering of the plum variety Volzhanka begins in May - at its very beginning, and comes to an end - somewhere in the middle - end of August. Simply put, this variety belongs to the summer. However, under some weather conditions, the ripening date may move even to early autumn, but this is rare.
The Volzhanka plums themselves are suitable not only for eating raw, but also for cooking. They can be used to make not only compotes, but also preserves, jams and so on. However, those who have ever tried to cook something from this plum, declare that because of its size and sometimes difficult to separate the stone, it is very difficult to work with it.
As for the other qualities of the Volzhanka plum variety: it can be noted that it resists frost quite well, but we would still not advise you to check its cold resistance in Siberia.
It should also be noted that this variety copes very well with droughts, which are practically not scary or dangerous for him.
As for diseases, they can also be practically not feared, since they most often occur due to the fact that the plant is not being properly cared for. More serious ailments occur less often, since the likelihood of their occurrence is much lower.
Plum Volzhanka can be propagated in different ways, however, professional gardeners note that budding and grafting methods work best.
Plum Volzhanka: reviews of gardeners about the variety
- Anastasia Igorevna, Moscow region: “I didn’t regret for a second that I had chosen the Volzhanka plum variety for growing in the garden. First of all, the advantage of this variety is, of course, how good it tastes. It is especially pleasant to eat fresh Volzhanka plum, not turned into jam or something else. Also, importantly, the Volzhanka plum is quite resistant to not only droughts, but also frosts. "
- Andrey Georgievich, Samara region: “I grow plums for sale, I have 6 of the most popular varieties in my arsenal.Unfortunately, the Volzhanka plum is not included in them. Buyers do not like too small fruits, and these are the Volzhanka plums. Even though the berries have a good presentation, larger plums are more often taken. Therefore, if you, like me, sell your crops, I do not recommend the Volzhanka plum variety. "
Conclusion
Volzhanka plum, despite all the disadvantages of this variety, is a pretty good plum, which is ideal for home growing.
We hope we managed to help you decide whether or not you want to buy and grow seedlings of this variety, and we also wish you good luck if you nevertheless decide to shelter the Volzhanka plum variety at your place.