- Name synonyms: Kabardian early
- Year of approval: 1959
- Growth type: medium-sized
- Crown: oval-round, spreading, medium density
- Tree height, m: until 3
- Fruit size: large
- Fruit weight, g: up to 65
- Fruit shape: wide oval
- Fruit color: red-purple, almost black
- Skin : thin, waxy
Plum Kabardinka is a plant up to 3 meters high, which gives fruits for a universal purpose. With proper care of the tree, you can get a big harvest every year.
Description of the variety
The homemade plum of this variety was approved for use in 1959. Its fruits are delicious fresh, wonderful dried fruits are obtained from them, they are suitable for compotes and other drinks.
The plant is of medium height, the crown of an adult tree is always spreading, not too dense.
Fruit characteristics
The fruits of the Kabardinka plum demonstrate excellent transportability and marketability. They are large in size, can reach 65 grams. The color of the plum of this variety is red-purple, but so rich in hue that it seems black.
When ripe, the stone separates perfectly from the pulp.
Taste qualities
The Kabardinka plum tastes sweet and has a pleasant aroma.
Ripening and fruiting
Kabardinka belongs to medium early varieties. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until mid-August.
While the tree is young, regular fruiting is observed, then rejuvenation is necessary.
Yield
Productivity is at a high level.
Growing regions
Kabardinka is grown in the North Caucasus.
Self-fertility and the need for pollinators
This variety is self-fertile, so it does not need pollinators.
Growing and care
It is better to plant Kabardinka plum on sandy loam, loam or aerated soil.
In the first year of growth, a plum sapling does not require pruning. From the second year in the spring, when the buds wake up, gardeners begin to form a crown. The pruning is done by 2/3. The main branches remain 20 cm long, the lateral shoots are shortened to 15 cm by the downward bud.
Pruning is repeated in summer and then after harvest. Growths up to 20 cm are removed. You can make a crown of three levels.
First: 3 branches are left at a height of about 70 cm from the soil surface.
Second: consists of 2 branches 70 cm from the first.
The third level is 50 cm from the second.
A further concern of the grower is the annual thinning and removal of dry, damaged branches.
Planting Kabardinka is allowed in autumn (late September) or from mid-April to early May. Planting in the spring is considered more rational. The seedling is placed in warm soil, where it adapts more quickly to a new place.
The Kabardinka variety grows best on a flat area or in an area with a slight slope. Plum loves a lot of sun and produces more fruit in a well-lit area, sheltered from the wind. The soil must be breathable. It is not recommended to plant Kabardinka in lowlands with a high degree of soil moisture, as well as in areas with a close location of groundwater.
Few people know, but this variety has neighbors that can harm yields.It is undesirable for plums to grow together with cherries, peaches, nuts, pears, as well as such shrubs as raspberries, currants, gooseberries, honeysuckle and barberry.
For planting, it is advisable to purchase 2-year-old seedlings 1-1.5 m high. When choosing Kabardinka for breeding, you should pay attention to the roots and appearance of the plant. The root system should be well developed, slightly moist, 20 cm long. Healthy seedlings have smooth bark, no damage or dry shoots. Remove leaves, broken branches, dried roots before planting.
Having chosen a place, they dig a hole 0.5 m deep and 1 meter wide. The soil is mixed with organic or complex mineral fertilizers. The mixture is poured to the bottom, together with the drainage, a wooden peg is installed.
When organizing watering, it is important to maintain a balance. Drought causes the ovaries to fall off, and excessive moisture can lead to cracking of the fruit near the kabardinka. Additional moisture will not interfere during flowering, formation and ripening of plums, after fruit removal, and before cool weather arrives.
Fertilizers can be applied throughout the season, observing the recommended amounts of substances. In spring and autumn, top dressing is aimed at feeding the roots. In the spring, fertilization is carried out 3 times:
before flowering: 30 g / m2 ammonium nitrate solution;
during flowering: for 10 g of urea / 5 l of water;
after flowering: infuse 1 kg of chicken droppings in 12 liters of water (consumption 2 liters per tree).
In the summer, preparations containing potassium and phosphorus are used. Plum trees are fed in the fall to prepare them for winter. Most often used chloride or potassium sulfide, superphosphate.
In the first year after planting, it is important to carefully dig up the topsoil around the trunk of the plum. This will provide the young tree of Kabardinka with maximum nutrition and oxygen saturation, will promote rapid rooting and proper development.
To protect the bark from rodents, use spunbond, fiberglass. You can lay spruce branches around the plum, install a metal mesh.
Young seedlings of Kabardinka do not require an upper shelter, but for the winter they should be covered with spruce branches or a layer of hay. You can also wrap the sapling with multiple layers of paper.
Disease and pest resistance
In the described variety, the resistance to damage by the moth is average, for this reason it is necessary to use specialized means.
Strong well-groomed Kabardinka plums have good immunity, in order to withstand many diseases, it is enough to periodically carry out preventive spraying.
In spring it is best to use Fitosporin solution according to the instructions given to it.At the end of flowering, spraying with "Horus" is carried out. Processing is repeated after 2 weeks. For prevention, gardeners use 5% urea solution, 3% Bordeaux liquid or Actellik.
In the fight against aphids, which is a carrier of many diseases, Zircon and Aktofit are the best.
Despite the fact that plum is considered more hardy than many fruit trees, it is not immune from diseases. It is attacked by viral, fungal and bacterial infections, and parasitic insects harm it. It is necessary to notice and recognize the signs of plum disease in time. They are easier to deal with and defeat early on. Well, in order to protect the garden tree from such a misfortune in the future, preventive procedures can be carried out.
Resistance to soil and climatic conditions
The described plum variety has low winter hardiness, so you should not forget about a small tree shelter.