- Authors: Ukraine
- Growth type: medium-sized
- Crown: pyramidal at a young age and oval, spreading at an adult, moderately thickened
- Tree height, m: until 3
- Fruit size: large
- Fruit weight, g: 45–55
- Fruit shape: barrel-shaped
- Fruit color: purple-burgundy, covered with a strong prune (wax) bloom
- Skin : dense
- Pulp (consistency): cartilaginous, juicy
The Nenka plum variety is perfect for growing in a home garden. The main thing is to give the plant proper care and ensure timely watering.
Description of the variety
The described variety does not have great vigor. Trees do not grow more than 3 meters, while they form a crown in the shape of a pyramid, while Nenka is still young. In adulthood, it changes to oval.
Fruit characteristics
The fruits of the Nenka plum have a universal purpose. They are excellently transported and demonstrate high marketability.
Plums of this variety are quite large in size, their weight can reach 55 grams. From the side, the shape of the Nenka fruit is similar to a barrel. Under the dense skin, there is a cartilaginous, but juicy pulp.
Taste qualities
Nenka plum has a pleasant sweet and sour taste.
Ripening and fruiting
Fruits can be obtained from the tree only 2-3 years after planting the seedling. They begin to collect them in early August.
Yield
This indicator is assessed as high, up to 70 kg of fruit can be harvested from one plant.
Self-fertility and the need for pollinators
Nenka is a self-fertile variety; he does not need pollinators.
Growing and care
It is imperative to plant this plum in fertile soil, which must always be properly moisturized. It is a light-loving plum, but at the same time, it perfectly withstands even a small shade.
The variety is best planted in the fall. This is the optimal time, since the Nenka plum can take root well even before the onset of winter, which, in turn, guarantees its rapid development in the spring.
Planting pits should be 40 cm wide and slightly shallower. After laying on the bottom of the drainage and fertile soil, they begin to prepare the tree for planting - cut the damaged roots with scissors, and remove the rest a little in length. The root ball must fit completely into the hole, while the root collar is located several centimeters above the ground level.
To make it easier for Nenka to take root in a new place, the plum roots are dipped in water for a while. After making sure that the tree is at the desired depth, we fill the hole with earth in several stages. First, half the first layer, then tamp it slightly, and lay the second layer. Around the tree, we create a depression in the form of a bowl, where we water the seedling.
In the garden, we plant Nenka at a distance of 3 to 5 m, between the rows we leave from 2 to 3 m.
Rejuvenating pruning will be required to get a consistent crop throughout the plant's life.
The first pruning after planting is always done in the spring, regardless of when we planted the trees. It is necessary to balance the imbalance between the still undeveloped root system and the growing aerial part.
The formation of the crown begins from the cut of the shoots that grow at a height of at least 70 cm. We remove all shoots that can compete with the main trunk. We only cut the rest, cutting them in half or 1/3 of the length in a situation where we have at least 4 shoots with 3-4 eyes. The main trunk also requires a reduction to a length of 40-50 cm.
To provide Nenka's trees with correct and rapid growth, it is necessary to enrich the soil with nutrients. It is especially desirable at this stage to use nitrogen fertilizers, which are applied before the trees enter the growing season and are repeated at the turn of June and July.
It is necessary to maintain not only the trees themselves, but also the space around them. Systematic and thorough weeding is required. In a large garden, the use of herbicides will be justified.
Disease and pest resistance
This variety has good resistance to pests and fungal diseases. Despite this, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment with insecticides and fungicides. You can use natural remedies such as a garlic infusion.
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
Nenka has a high resistance to cold.