Plum Red Ball

Plum Red Ball
The main characteristics of the variety:
  • Authors: H.K. Enikeev, S.N. Satarova (VSTISP)
  • Appeared when crossing: Burbank x Ussuriyskaya red
  • Growth type: medium-sized
  • Crown: round-hanging, medium density
  • Tree height, m: 2,5
  • Fruit size: large
  • Fruit weight, g: 35-40
  • Fruit shape: rounded
  • Fruit color: red
  • Skin : with a waxy bluish bloom
View all specifications

Plum Red ball has become widespread throughout Russia. Due to its yield and large-fruited capacity, it often becomes the No. 1 crop among gardeners.

Breeding history

The red ball was bred in VSTISP (All-Russian Institute of Selection and Technology of Horticulture and Nursery). To obtain the variety, they took such varieties as Burbank and Ussuriyskaya red. The result is a productive and relatively winter-hardy subspecies intended for cultivation in the Central region of Russia. Since 1989, the plant has been in the State Register. It also has a synonymous name - Raspberry ball.

Description of the variety

Chinese plum The red ball looks very good on any site, due to its medium height and compactness. The height of the tree, as a rule, does not exceed 2.5 meters, and the crown has a round-hanging shape and medium density.

Plum bark is smooth, brownish brown in color. There are few branches, but new ones appear every year, they are called bouquet. It is on them that inflorescences are formed. Large green foliage with a matte surface is also actively formed on the branches. Interestingly, the tree begins to bloom even before it appears. It looks amazing because the whole tree is just strewn with color. Flowers can be either pink or white, and there are so many of them that they completely hide the branches. Due to this, during flowering, the tree resembles a huge ball. Hence its name.

Let's note some of the pluses of the Red Ball culture:

  • high decorativeness;

  • low height, compactness;

  • early maturity;

  • rich harvest in the form of large fruits;

  • high rates of transportability and marketability.

Disadvantages:

  • average winter hardiness;

  • inability to self-pollinate;

  • the need for quick collection of fruits.

Fruit characteristics

The red ball got its name not only due to flowering. The fruits also resemble balls. They are quite large, because the weight reaches 35-40 grams. The plums are red, the skin is covered with a waxy bloom.

As for the pulp, it has a light yellow tint, is friable, juicy, and has excellent taste. The stone is small, and it is rather problematic to separate it from the pulp.

Taste qualities

Plum varieties Red ball have a sweet and sour taste. Their aroma is very intense. The taste was rated at 4 points on a 5-point scale.

The red ball is a table plum, and therefore the fruits can be processed in any convenient way. Most often they make jam, compote, liqueur, juice and wine.

Ripening and fruiting

The tree begins to bloom 14 days earlier than other varieties, and therefore the fruits appear on it relatively early. Early plums can be tasted at the end of August. As for early maturity, gardeners usually wait for the first harvests 2-3 years after planting.

After planting a plum sapling on the site, of course, the question of the beginning of the fruiting of the tree always arises. Most varieties of plums begin to bear fruit 4 years after the seedling is planted. However, there are those that differ in an earlier or later period of fruiting. The difference in the beginning of fruiting is determined by the color of the plum.So, purple varieties always begin to bear fruit earlier - by 2-4 years, but yellow varieties differ in later fruiting.

Yield

The plant is very productive. In the early years of fruiting, the tree produces 8 kilograms of fruit. Over time, it will begin to bring 20 kg, but it is important that the summer is warm.

Self-fertility and the need for pollinators

This variety is not self-fertile, so you have to take care of the presence of pollinators on the site. It should be borne in mind that the classic home plum is not at all suitable for this role, so you need to take another Chinese one with the same flowering time or hybrid cherry plum. For example, the Gold of the Scythians or the Kuban comet.

Growing and care

In the middle zone of the country, the Red Ball is planted in April, and in the southern regions, autumn planting is also permissible. The soil should be very fertile, without salt and excessive acidity. The tree does not tolerate excess moisture extremely well, so it would be best to plant it on a small embankment. The plant is afraid of the wind, and this protection will also have to be provided. No nightshade crops should grow near the Red Ball.

Planted trees require the most scrupulous care. Watering is recommended in grooves or using a drip system. Irrigation is carried out once a week, spending 2.5-3 buckets per plant. Next, the soil will have to be mulched. If there is no mulch, and there is heat and drought outside, then you will have to water it twice in 7 days. However, if it rains for a long time, watering is stopped, as decay of the root collar may occur.

Responsibly, you need to treat the feeding of the Red Ball. They begin to be introduced in the third year. The first top dressing is carried out in the fall, for this, the earth is carefully dug up, bringing humus into it (10 liters per square meter). After a couple of days, the trees are watered with water with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. As soon as the snow melts in the spring, 30 grams of ammonium nitrate is dissolved in a bucket of water, and trees are watered with this composition. During the swelling of the kidneys, urea and potassium sulfate are given (30 grams each). They are simply scattered on the ground, followed by watering.

The crown of the Red Ball is not particularly dense, and the tree is tall, so trimming will be minimal. It is necessary to remove only improperly growing branches, as well as those that are bruised by frost or diseases, dried up. After trimming, the cuts are covered with garden pitch.

For normal development and timely release to fruiting, the plum must be planted at a favorable time, provided with food and water. It is necessary to choose the right seedling, determine the location, prepare the planting pit in advance.
If you wish to get a full harvest in the future, and to renew the tree, the plum is grafted onto crops that are classified as pink. In this case, the plum cuttings are implanted on the mother plant, which will be responsible for further vegetation and nutrition of the scion.
Pruning plums is not easy and very important. If it is not carried out, the number of branches on the tree will be excessive, the crown will become too thick, the fruits will begin to shrink. You can trim plums in spring, summer and fall.
Plum feeding is one of the important stages of fruit crop care. In order to properly and fully feed the plum tree, various types of fertilizers are used. Both mineral and organic options are used. Many of the folk remedies are found to be useful and effective.

Disease and pest resistance

The variety is well resistant to clasterosporium disease and gum flow. However, other diseases may well attack him.For example, the Chinese plum is often affected by moniliosis, fruit rot, rust, and a milky sheen. The tree can also be attacked by parasites such as plum aphid, apple and plum moth. Therefore, for a particular variety, it is worth organizing preventive treatments to the maximum.

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 plant is very afraid of the wind, and even more it is afraid of excess moisture. Therefore, in regions with cold and rainy summers, it is better not to grow it. Winter hardiness is satisfactory, but young trees need to be prepared for wintering by covering them with spruce branches and covering with burlap. Mature trees are sheltered if the gardener knows that recurrent frosts are frequent in his region. And also this must be done if there are mice on the site.

Reproduction of plums will help save on planting material: you do not have to pay money for a seedling. In addition, this activity is simple and exciting. Plum can be propagated by cuttings, root shoots and layering.

Review overview

There are different reviews about the Red Ball plum. Some summer residents really like it. The tree decorates the site, pleases the eye, ripens early. Despite the difficult care, they choose it quite often. Gardeners are satisfied with the compactness, ease of harvesting, special aroma and taste, marketability of plums.

But not everyone succeeded in growing such a tree. In some regions, the seedling did not take root at all, in others it was often sick and was attacked by pests. In a rainy summer, the fruits cracked, crumbled and were tasteless. And also many summer residents noted that after winter, the tree is full of frostbites.

Main characteristics
Authors
H.K. Enikeev, S.N. Satarova (VSTISP)
Appeared when crossing
Burbank x Ussuriyskaya red
View
chinese
Appointment
dining room
Yield
good
Transportability
good
Marketability
high
Wood
Growth type
medium-sized
Tree height, m
2,5
Crown
rounded-hanging, medium density
Fruit
Fruit size
large
Fruit weight, g
35-40
Fruit shape
rounded
Fruit color
red
Skin
with a waxy bluish bloom
Pulp (consistency)
loose, slightly fibrous, very juicy
Pulp color
light yellow
Taste
sweet
Scent
is present
Bone size
small
Separability of the bone from the pulp
semi-lagging
Tasting assessment
4 points
Growing
Self-fertility
self-infertile
Winter hardiness
satisfactory
Clasterosporium resistance
steady
Maturation
Early maturity
2-3 years after planting in the garden
Ripening terms
early
Fruiting period
end of August
Reviews
There are no reviews.
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