Content:
History of creation
One of the most popular varieties is homemade Plum Etude. This variety is characterized by a mid-early ripening period. The study, the authorship of which belongs to G. Kursakov, was displayed at the V.I. I.V. Michurin by crossing the hybrid Eurasia 21 and the Volga beauty. In 1983, the variety was sent for State testing, and two years later it was recommended for zoning in the Tambov region. The sketch was widely used in the Moscow, Leningrad, Voronezh regions. The variety is actively cultivated outside Russia, in countries such as Moldova, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia. This type of plum is loved by many gardeners for its unpretentiousness, frost resistance, ability to tolerate heat, resistance to diseases and pests, large and sweet fruits.
Features of Plum Etude
Description of the plum variety Etude is as follows. The average height of the trees is two meters. It is characterized by a dense rounded crown and a powerful root system. The dark brown bark of the lower part of the trunk and skeletal branches has a somewhat rough surface and a gray coating. Straight, thick shoots are brownish brown. The buds are not pressed against the shoots, are dark brown, small and cone-shaped. Lentils are practically absent on the stem, they are found in large quantities on the shoots, have a yellow color, and are very small. The distance between the nodes is average.
A large, dark green, slightly wrinkled leaf plate has a rounded ovoid shape and a slightly pointed apex. On the edges of the leaf are framed by frequent cloves. The leaf is slightly bent along the main vein. The pigmented petioles are of medium size, each of them has two glands.
Plum Etude
Oval petals do not touch each other, they make up large flowers. The peak of flowering occurs at the end of May. The first crop appears in the fourth year.
Fruit ripening occurs in the summer and in a very short period of time, starting from August 20-22. Every year the plum bears fruit steadily. From one tree, you can collect up to 20 kg of fruits.
Fruit weight is 28-30 grams. The shape is oval, the wide base gradually narrows, the abdominal suture is clearly visible, but poorly buried. Unlike the Kuban comet, which has a light purple color, Etude plums are purple with a reddish tint. The skin is strong, quite dense with a thick waxy coating. Subcutaneous points are present in large numbers, brightly highlighted in gray. Medium-sized fruit pits are easily separated from the dense greenish-yellow pulp. The plum tastes very tender, sweet and sour, and is estimated at 4.3 points. One fruit contains 7 to 11% sugar, 15% dry matter and 2% acid.
This variety is self-fertile, therefore, pollinating plums are planted next to it for pollination, in particular, such as Volzhskaya krasavitsa, Zarechnaya early and others.
Etude is a technical grade. Plum is ideal for growing in small garden areas.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
At an air temperature of +35 degrees Celsius, the tree is able to hold fruits for quite a long time. If the crown is very strong and resilient, then it can withstand the entire crop.
Plum Etude can withstand severe cold.At a temperature of minus 30 degrees, the variety does not freeze and is not exposed to parasites and rodents.
Growing and care
The best time to plant this variety is autumn. This season ends with the growing season, which is a favorable condition for growing plums. For effective tree growth, the soil must be breathable and moisture-absorbing, the acidic environment must be neutral.
Cultivation of a variety does not require special knowledge of agricultural technology. Plum Etude is completely unpretentious and easily takes root on the site.
Growing
The southern part of the garden in the form of a small rise, hill or slope is perfect for planting. Before planting trees, the land must be cleared of debris, leaves and weeds. You need to arrange seedlings at a distance of three meters from each other. In the center of the embankment a planting pit is prepared, the diameter of which is 70 cm, the depth is 50 cm. The upper soil layer is mixed with humus and fertilizer is added. The resulting mixture is formed into a slide. The amount of the mixture should be two-thirds of the total volume of the planting pit.
The general tree planting scheme is as follows:
- In the center of the elevation, a stake is driven in, which will serve as a reliable support for the growing tree.
- A plum is planted next to the stake.
- The roots are evenly distributed in the ground and covered with a layer of nutrient mixture.
- In order for the earth to better penetrate into the space between the roots, the seedling needs to be shaken slightly.
- Next, the soil is trampled a little and the hole is covered with earth.
- They water the seedling and trample the ground a second time.
If the groundwater of the site is at a high level, an elevation of up to 50 cm is artificially created before digging the planting hole.
Follow-up care comes down to:
- digging up the trunk circle twice a year (in spring and autumn);
- regular watering;
- pruning;
- regular cleaning of debris and root growth;
- mulching;
When digging, the shovel should go into the ground no more than eight centimeters. Watering is carried out 1 or 2 times weekly. In heat and drought, the amount of watering is increased to 3 times a week. In total, the tree should receive at least 20 liters of water (with two weekly watering).
Care
For mulching, you can use:
- cut dry grass;
- peat;
- needles;
- sawdust;
- straw;
- humus.
Tree crown pruning is done in spring and autumn. Excess, damaged, dry branches are removed. If you had to remove a very large shoot, the place of cut must be treated with garden varnish.
Diseases and pests
The variety is distinguished by its strong immunity to diseases and pests. Among the diseases and parasites from which the Etude plum does NOT suffer are called:
- clasterosporium disease;
- bushiness;
- curliness;
- hawthorn;
- aphids;
- goldtail;
- fruit mite.
Thus, the variety does not need regular preventive treatments. In addition, it is not at all necessary to carry out treatment and processing of the soil with chemicals. But do not forget that rotting leaves require cleaning, even if their presence does not portend any disease. It is also recommended to remove weeds, small blades of grass and debris that do not belong in the growing area of the fruit tree.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Among the positive qualities of the Etude plum variety, there are such as:
- low susceptibility to pest attacks;
- disease resistance (even without preventive treatment);
- high frost resistance (does not require additional shelter for the winter) and drought resistance (in addition, the fruits become sweeter in the heat);
- undemanding to planting and care;
- good indicators of transportability;
- preservation of a presentation for a long time (up to two months), provided that the air temperature is sufficiently low.
Harvest
No serious shortcomings, in addition to not very high taste, were found in this variety.
The Etude plum variety is ideal for growing in backyards and gardens. Planting and caring for a fruit tree will not be difficult for both experienced and novice gardeners.Plum has a lot of advantages without serious disadvantages. This is a truly excellent variety of home plum, which is found everywhere, and even unstable moisture indicators in countries such as Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine are not an obstacle to its active growth and development.
