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A number of fruit crops are cultivated not only for the purpose of obtaining fruits, but also for creating a decorative effect. One of these varieties is the Pissardi plum variety.
History and description of the variety
Plum is a common fruit plant of the rose family. It occurs in the form of woody and shrub plants. Includes about 250 species, one of which is the Pissardi ornamental plum.
Originally, the red-leaved plum was cultivated in Iran. In 1878 the botanist A. Pissard delivered the plant to Paris, where it was named after him. Gradually, red-leaved plants spread throughout Europe, including Russia.
Pissardi, being a plum with red leaves, immediately stands out from the rest of the garden plants. It is an ornamental shrub plant grafted on a slender stem. The height of the bush usually ranges from 5-9 m, in some cases it reaches 12 m. The crown is dense, widely spreading. Because of this, Pissardi is often called splayed plum. The crown is formed of young reddish stems covered with dark ironed bark.
Plum Pissardi
The leaf has an elliptical shape and is up to 6 cm long. The main varietal feature is a purple or red color and a metallic sheen, which is not typical for the culture. The color remains unchanged throughout the growing season and even in autumn. The leaves are arranged alternately.
The flowering of the variety begins in April before the formation of foliage. The bush, like other plum plants, is densely covered with flowers of a pale pink color with five petals. The process ends in May, when the plant is already completely covered with foliage. For Pissardi, pollinating plants are important. They use Chinese plum, as well as Lama plum and other varieties of red-leaved crops, as well as cherry plum.
The fruits of the variety are drupes, painted in cherry color. They are 3 cm in diameter, and the weight varies between 20-30 g. Ripening begins in August, the fruits can be harvested until mid-autumn. An oblong oval bone is enclosed inside the fetus. The plum has a specific sour-tart taste.
Pissardi plum fruit
Decorative use
The decorative red-leaved plum has found wide application in landscape design. It is used as contrasting plantings in the creation of landscape compositions. Against the background of green plants, the Pissardi plum looks very impressive. The culture is used for landscaping city streets, gardens, alleys, parks.
The purple-leaved plum is a common component of both group and single plantings. The culture looks most attractive and impressive together with cypresses or acacias.
Plum planting
The plot should be warm and well warmed up by the sun's rays. Adequate air circulation is needed on the site, however, strong drafts and winds can destroy plantations.Due to its increased winter hardiness, the red-leaved plum is most suitable for cultivation in the southern regions, but it should not be grown near the sea, since the culture does not tolerate excess moisture well.
Plum planting
The plant is usually planted in the spring, before the buds begin to swell, that is, around April. Autumn planting (second decade of September) before the first frosts is also widely practiced.
For plants, select the southern side of the site. The seedlings are grown at a distance of 2 m from each other. Plants from other crops may be planted at such a distance that they do not obscure the plum. In the immediate vicinity (at least 5 m) from Pissardi, the following crops can be cultivated:
- berry bushes;
- apple trees;
- evergreen woody plants.
The depth at which the groundwater lies should also be taken into account. It is desirable that their level is at least 1.5 m. If this indicator is less, then the bottom of the landing hole must be drained. For this, materials such as expanded clay or crushed stone are suitable.
The planting hole begins to be prepared 2 weeks before. Its width should be approximately 70 cm, the depth is made at the level of half a meter. The fertile soil is mixed with humus and the bottom of the hole is covered with the resulting mixture. After that, an oblong peg about 100-120 cm long is carved out of the tree and hammered into the ground with its sharp end.
On the north side of the stake, a seedling is installed and they begin to cover it with earth. When the procedure is completed, the root collar should be 3-5 cm above the ground. For better stability, the plant is tied to a peg with a piece of twine twisted in a figure of eight. The earth around the seedling is compacted. A small groove is dug around the plum, into which 20-30 liters of water are poured immediately after planting. After that, the groove must be mulched. Usually, soil is used for this purpose, but other mulching materials (straw, dry grass) can also be used.
Further care
Plum care is simple. It is important to observe just a few points:
Watering and feeding
Watering the plum
Despite the high level of drought tolerance in the red-leaved plum, adequate irrigation is essential. It is held as weekly as possible. For each tree, 40-60 liters of warm settled water should be poured.
In the first year of cultivation, a young seedling can do without feeding. Fertilizers begin to be applied in the second year of the plant's life. So, in the spring, the purple plum is in need of sodium humate and potassium fertilizers. In the fall, it is important to add humus.
In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are usually applied under the Pissardi plum, which make it possible to increase and accelerate the process of increasing annual growth. The normal level of fruiting in the summer can be ensured by phosphorus fertilizing. To help the plant winter better, a certain amount of potassium is added under the tree in the fall.
Plum dressing
Soil care
The root system of the Pissardi plum lies mainly in the upper soil layers, as a result of which it may need a constant supply of oxygen and moisture. It can be provided by regular loosening of the soil. This is usually done after the next irrigation. This procedure allows you to get rid of weeds that can cause serious damage to the crop, especially in the early years of cultivation.
At the end of each watering and loosening, be sure to mulch. This procedure is additionally carried out twice more during the growing season. The first is carried out in the spring in order to accelerate the heating of the soil and the beginning of its full functioning. In this case, compost or rotted manure is used. The next additional mulching is repeated in the fall, when the first frosts begin. It will protect the root system from freezing.
Pruning
Pruning plum
Pissardi is good at both shaping and sanitary pruning. The first is carried out to give the plant a decorative appearance according to the appropriate scheme, the second - in order to remove sick, dried, severely injured stems. Both pruning is done in the spring, but diseased shoots can be cut at any time of the year.
Preparing for winter
The Pissardi plum does not have sufficient winter hardiness and frost resistance, therefore it is very important to prepare the plant for the winter period. This can be achieved mainly through abundant irrigation and mulch application. The tree stump is covered with straw, peat or special covering material, which can be purchased at specialized garden stores.
Plum shelter for the winter
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of the Pissardi plum are:
- decorative properties;
- resistance to major diseases of culture;
- resistance to high temperatures and drought;
- unpretentious care.
The variety has some negative traits, which include:
- weak taste of the crop;
- the need for a wide territorial space for plantings;
- weak resistance to unfavorable factors of the winter period.
The Pissardi plum variety is one of the main varieties of fruit plants used for ornamental purposes. It is also of interest in breeding research. Mostly suitable for growing in the south, so it is worth weighing the pros and cons before buying a seedling.
