Plum "Anna Shpet" is a very popular and sought-after variety belonging to the number of late ripe fruits. You can enjoy delicious, delicate, juicy and incredibly aromatic plums no earlier than from mid-October. Plum is not whimsical and requires simple care, but does not cease to amaze with its rich and stable fruiting.
plum variety "Anna Shpet"
plum "Anna Shpet" is famous for its sweetness and good resistance to frost
variety "Anna Shpet" bears fruit until the "old age"
Selection history
The history of the cultivation of this plum variety is very interesting and surprising. Franz Špet, the owner of a nursery of a wide variety of fruit trees, at the end of the 19th century was able to appreciate the taste of plum seedlings brought from Hungary. Having worked a little, I was able not only to fix, but also significantly improve the properties of this variety.
In 1874, Shpet began selling his own plum trees, which was given the name Anna Späth, dedicated to his beloved great-grandmother, because she was the founder of this fruit nursery in 1782. Starting in 1947, the plum variety Anna Shpet was introduced into the State Register.
Description of plum "Anna Shpet"
The tree is medium in size, it has a dense crown covered with a lot of foliage. Crohn can be round-pyramidal or rounded in shape. The stamp is even and almost perfectly smooth, the shoots are straight, have a light brown tint. The leaf blade is relatively small, thin, light green in color, with slightly serrated edges.
The flowering period begins in the first half of April. Each bud is divided into two fairly large flowers. The stigma of the pestle protrudes slightly above the stamens.
The fruits are large enough, can be ovoid or oval. The weight of one fruit can vary between 40-50 g. A dense and thin skin, a shade of dark plum, almost black, but brick-brown fruits are found.
It may seem that a plaque on the surface of the plum. Golden honey and almost completely transparent flesh, may be a yellow-green hue. The bone is oval, medium size. The taste of the fruit is delicate and soft, there is a sweetness and light acidity.
Fruits are widely used in the preparation of various desserts, but it is better to eat fresh. Also, this plum variety is also suitable for preservation for the winter. Fruits easily tolerate long transportation, can keep fresh for about 30 days if stored in a dry room.
Other grade features:
- After tree planting, the first crop will be obtained in about 3-4 years.
- An adult tree, about 20 years old, will produce approximately 120 kg of plum, provided that it is properly and regularly maintained.
- The variety has good regenerative qualities - a complete restoration of the tree is possible even if it is badly damaged by the cold.
- Rainy and cold summers can cause a tree to become infected with various diseases.
Specifications
The fruits of Anna Shpet do not fall, they remain on the branches until they are fully ripe, even if the weather is bad. But even semi-ripe fruits are perfect for winter harvesting, fresh fruits are able to be stored for a long time without losing any taste or appearance.
Pollination
Plum variety Anna Shpet is among the self-fertile crops. However, in order to significantly increase the volume of the crop, it is recommended to pay attention to the benefits of pollinators. To do this, it is worth planting nearby plum varieties such as Catherine, Victoria, Greenclod green. This will allow the plum to bear fruit abundantly every season.
Drought and winter hardiness
Plum is characterized by moderate frost resistance, at the same time it has the ability to quickly recover after the cold. It is not recommended to grow a tree in cold climatic conditions, because low temperatures have a negative effect on productivity.
Anna Shpet does not have high soil requirements, calmly tolerates even long dry periods. Normally, the tree grows in the conditions of the steppe, tolerates a lack of moisture relatively calmly, which practically does not affect the high quality of the fruit.
The timing of flowering and fruiting
The fruiting period begins in 3-5 years after the plum sapling has been planted. Flowering begins around the first days or mid-April, depending on how warm the spring is. Ripening of fruits is later and occurs in late September or early October.
Productivity
This plum variety is one of the early. One of the main advantages of a fruit tree is its systematic fruiting, with the yield increasing constantly every year.
After ripening fruits, they can all be plucked. Plum has no tendency to fall, therefore, for quite a long time, fruits can be held on branches without losing their taste and appearance.
The harvest of this variety of plums has a direct dependence directly on the age of the tree itself. If a fruit tree has been growing in the garden for 10 years, you can collect about 30 kg of delicious and juicy plums. Having reached 12 years of age, on average, one tree brings about 60 kg of fruit. A tree, 20 years old, has the highest yield and can produce up to 150 kg of fruit.
There are cases when the fruiting period begins no earlier than 5 years.
Pest and disease resistance
Anna Shpet is not resistant to diseases such as polystigmosis and moniliosis. The first ailment is manifested by pronounced spotting on the leaves. Infection can be detected at the very beginning of summer, especially if there were heavy and long rains. First, characteristic yellow spots appear on the surface of the leaves, after which they begin to rot and form red spots.
If the leaves have acquired a bright orange tint, and treatment has not been started, there is a risk of losing the entire crop. Not only does the intensive leaf fall begin, but the tree itself is significantly weakened, and frost resistance is also reduced. As a result, after severe frosts, the tree may die.
The following recommendations will help protect the plum:
- Treat the bark with Bordeaux liquid, you can also use substances that contain fungicides.
- After you collect the whole crop, before the frost begins, sprinkle the leaves with copper sulfate. Spend cultivation and land around the tree.
- Fallen foliage becomes an ideal place for the reproduction of various pests, so collect it and be sure to burn it.
Moniliosis is able to affect both leaves and plum shoots, which acquire a reddish hue and soon completely dry out. Fruits have a pronounced gray growth, which leads to rapid decay. In order to cure a tree from this disease, it is necessary to process both infected branches and shoots.
Dangerous pests of plums are rodents, which can not resist the opportunity to eat sweet fruits. To protect the tree, it must be additionally covered with a polymer mesh or other dense material. Mice and hares simply will not be able to get to the plum trunk, and the cold will not be able to damage the culture.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Many people prefer this particular variety, because the tree has a lot of positive qualities and advantages. The main advantages are:
- care and cultivation do not require special efforts;
- the harvested crop can be stored for quite some time without losing appearance and taste;
- the tree gives a big crop;
- fruit ripening later;
- the tree is easily and quickly restored after a drought or severe frosts;
- the fruits have excellent taste;
- The variety has high frost resistance, so you can not cover the tree before winter.
Despite the many advantages, this plum variety has some disadvantages. The main disadvantages are:
- the fruits may crack if the crop is not harvested on time;
- the wood is very loose;
- certain difficulties may arise during harvesting.
Landing Features
During planting, it is worth considering some nuances that are directly related to the characteristics of the variety, which will help you not to be disappointed and get a rich harvest in the near future.
The timing
This plum variety can be planted both in the spring and in the autumn season. But the ideal option would be mid-spring, the month of April, when the soil will no longer be frozen, but will not have time to warm up very much.
Anna Shpet prefers the southern side of the garden, so it is better to choose a place where the seedling will be reliably protected from strong gusts of wind.
It is important to completely remove all weeds that may be carriers of pests before planting on the site. Drafts should not be allowed, trees are not recommended to be planted near the house or the walls of the garage. In such a place, the plant will not receive enough solar heat, which will negatively affect growth and development.
Seat selection
Plum trees grow much better and bear fruit well in the lighted areas of the garden. It is not recommended to plant other plants closer than at a distance of 3 m from the tree. If you plant a seedling not far from the buildings, this will provide additional protection against frost. Buildings can not only give protection to the young tree, but also heat, but they should not be too close.
Particular attention should be paid specifically to the choice of soil. An ideal option would be a site where groundwater is at a sufficient depth. You can also use drainage, which will help protect the roots from decay.
Plum grows and develops very slowly if it grows on sandy or clay soil. It is better to opt for fertile and loose soil with a neutral pH.
Selection of seedlings
The choice of a seedling is very important, because it depends on it whether the tree grows strong and will bear fruit well or die after the first winter.
When choosing a seedling, the following points should be considered:
- the plant should not have even minimal damage;
- the roots are well developed, the scion is fully ripe;
- the bark of the branches and the stem is perfectly smooth, without injuries and other types of damage.
In order for the plant to take root in a new place faster, it is better to opt for a tree with an age of at least 2 years.
Landing algorithm
Soil selection is a very important point in growing fruit trees. Groundwater should be at a sufficient depth or drainage must be used.
The landing procedure is carried out according to the following scheme:
- Landing will be carried out in the spring, but the pit should be prepared in the fall. Dig a hole with a depth of about 60 cm and a width of 80 cm.
- Prepare the earthen mixture - mix humus (8 kg), kalimagnesia (150 g), tree ash (300 g) and sand (1 bucket).
- Dip the roots of the tree into a pre-prepared clay solution.
- It is important that the roots do not go deep into the soil when planting, and the roots rise above the surface by about 5-6 cm.
- If you bought a seedling in the spring, do not shorten the roots, but slightly cut the branches.
- To increase the yield of plums, plant it next to the cherry plum.
- Add prepared fertilizers during planting, but it is important that they contain no nitrogen.
- After planting the tree, fill in clean soil and add 500 g of superphosphate.
- In the center of the pit, install a peg to which you carefully attach the plant.
After planting, you need to make sure that the neck of the seedling is 6 cm above ground level. Build a hole so that it can hold about 20 liters of plain water.
Remove all flowers in the first year after planting, which will help the tree to take root faster in a new place. Remove about 50% of all green fruits, and then ration the crop.
When carrying out group planting of a tall plum variety Anna Shpet, it is necessary to observe the layout of seedlings - no closer than 6-5 m. It is also necessary to take into account the low immunity of this variety of fruit culture to various diseases. That is why it is not recommended to thicken the garden too much.
Plant care
The basis for proper care is watering, fertilizing and preparing the tree for winter. In the first year after planting, it is very important to water the plum a lot and often, not forgetting to periodically loosen the ground.
An adult tree needs careful care - it is important to mulch using humus and abundant watering. Plum should be watered twice a day, at the rate of about 40 liters of water per crop. The frequency of watering should not exceed 6 times in 30 days.
The earth must not be allowed to get wet more than 30 cm in depth. Drying of the soil also brings harm, especially if a period of accelerated growth has begun.
Top dressing
If the plum has been planted taking into account all the tips and rules, during the first two years, you can not perform feeding. During planting, the necessary amount of mineral substances was added to the pit, thanks to which the full development and proper growth of the tree is ensured.
Then top dressing is carried out according to the following scheme:
- Before the beginning of the flowering period of the plum, potassium sulfate (35 g) and urea (35 g) must be added.
- In the summer, spray the tree with a special mixture made of lime (2 g) and urea (10 g), diluted with water (10 l). Be sure to ensure that no solution remains on the leaves of the culture.
- At each watering, apply nitrophoska (30 g) and urea (30 g).
- After collecting the fruit, fertilize the discharge of 30 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium.
- At the end of autumn and the first months of spring, use organic fertilizers.
- In September, perform autumn dressing using a solution of potassium sulphide (2 tbsp.), Superphosphate (3 tbsp.), Adding water (10 l). Pour 30 liters of solution under each seedling.
- In the autumn season, it is forbidden to make nitrogen fertilizers.
- During the autumn digging of the near-trunk circle before frost, bring manure (15 kg), ammonium nitrate (50 g), superphosphate (150 g) under each plant.
Watering
The main distinguishing feature of Anna Shpet is great exactingness, regarding the level of humidity of the earth. It is because of this that caring for a tree can cause certain difficulties.
Anna Shpet negatively reacts not only to drought, but also waterlogging of the soil. It will be enough to water only three times in one season.
It is worth sticking to the following watering scheme:
- Perform the first watering immediately after the first shoots appear in the spring.
- The second watering is carried out during the period when fruit ripening occurs.
- Perform the third watering after you have fully collected the entire crop.
It is necessary to adhere to a certain norm of watering - about 30-40 liters of water should be spent on one tree. This indicator may fluctuate taking into account the amount of precipitation.
Pruning
Immediately after the seedling is planted, the first pruning is carried out. You can not shorten the main conductor, but all other branches are cut by about 1/3. During the first 4 years of tree growth, crown formation is carried out every season. Most often, a sparse-tier form is selected.
Tree pruning can be carried out throughout the year, but the time of year is always taken into account:
- In the spring, trim closer to the end of March.Cut through the crown, carry out the adjusting cropping. Be sure to remove all excess branches and shoots that grow vertically. Shorten last year’s growth.
- In summer, trim in July. Summer prune pruning allows you to create a beautiful and regular tree crown. It was at this time that it would be easy to notice all the branches that were damaged by frost. Also remove excess crown density.
During the summer pruning of plums, remove dry branches that have been damaged by diseases or pests, excess growth is necessarily removed. - In the fall, trim in September. This period is the most favorable for performing anti-aging pruning. Delete all broken and damaged branches, you can shorten the top a little.
Regardless of the time at which prune pruning is carried out, all slices are necessarily processed by garden varieties. Cut branches, especially if they were affected by pests or diseases, are taken out of the garden, and then burned. This will prevent the spread of infection.
Winter preparations
Proper preparation of the tree for the coming winter will help Anna Shpet easily and without serious consequences to endure frosts. This is one of the most important points that gardeners should pay attention to.
For a favorable wintering of plums, follow these recommendations:
- To avoid severe frostbite of young trees, completely cover the whole tree with a special synthetic garden cover or paper. For adult plants, cover the trunk without affecting the branches.
- Toward the end of autumn, before freezing, whitewash the boles. Lime (can be replaced with water-based paint) the base of skeletal branches.
- The tree needs to be protected from rodents. To do this, wrap the drain barrel with a nylon mesh. If the seedling is young and was planted a few months ago, cover it completely. Additionally, in the garden, install special traps that protect the trunk from rodents.
- Moisture charging watering will help increase the level of frost resistance of the plum. Spend it closer to the end of autumn, before the first frosts come.
Reviews gardeners about the plum variety "Anna Shpet"
Valentine, 35 years old, experienced gardener.In our garden, this plum variety has been growing for 10 years and during this time we are completely satisfied with it. There are many advantages - high yield, fruits are sweet, juicy and aromatic. The tree is resistant to pests and diseases, therefore, does not require any special care. Due to a too large crop, the branches began to literally bend under the weight of the plums, it was necessary to make backwater.
Vladimir, 50 years old, economist.There is absolutely no problem either with landing or with the care of the plum Anna Shpet. Fertilizers were practically not applied, only periodic checks were carried out for the presence of pests and infection with diseases. Each season, the tree gives a rich harvest, and the plum is perfect for both fresh consumption and the preparation of incredibly tasty jam.
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Anna Shpet is a high-yielding and unpretentious plum variety, which is very popular among gardeners. The fruits have an amazing aroma, tasty, juicy and fleshy, therefore they are widely used both in cooking and in traditional medicine. In addition, the variety has no special complex requirements for its cultivation.