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Useful properties and harms of plum

This undemanding hardy plant is becoming increasingly popular for growing in home gardens. The tradition of its cultivation go back through the centuries, now to create a hybrid that allows you to use the plum as a dessert.

The content of the article:


Description the fruit of the plum

The cherry plum is a fruit tree reaching heights of 10-13 m in the southern regions, 4-5 m in the middle lane. Has from one to several trunks, sometimes takes the form of a shrub.

  • The crown is rounded, rarely pyramidal, with improper care thickened. The trunk of the tree reaches a thickness of 50 cm, it has thorny branches with red-brown color.
  • A strong root system penetrates to the depth of 10-12 m in loose fertile soils, from 2 m and deeper in the dense loam. The radius of the root system up to 10 m outside the crown projection of the tree. Root growth is formed very rarely, only after damaging the roots.
  • Leaf cherry plum is an oblong – round shape, color dark green, in some varieties red-brown. Kidneys plums have a high probujdaetsya, so overgrown branches can appear even on the skeletal branches.
  • The fruit plum is a drupe roundish or oblong, flattened specimens occur. The fruit has a pronounced groove, visually divide the fruit into two parts. The weight of the wild fruit varieties – 3-6 g, cultivars and hybrids the weight is 60 g. the Flesh is juicy plum, its consistency is watery or gravelly, color flesh – pink, yellow, green, red. The colour of the rind varies from light yellow to almost black. The fruit can be a wax coating. Bone is almost always poorly separated from the pulp, the hybrids can be separated easier.

When ripe the fruit can crumble. The main period of ripening of cherry-plum in the middle band – the middle of July-beginning of September.


As flowering plum?

The cherry plum blooms white or light pinkflowers with a diameter of 20-40 mm. of certain varieties there are flowers dark pink. The flowers of cherry plum located PO1-2 on long peduncles, yellow or orange anthers. Flowering plum starts before the appearance of the leaves, the flowers are annuals or overgrown shoots of fruit trees.

Flowering lasts for 7-11 days, time of appearance of flowers in the middle lane – the beginning of may. Blooming plum exclusive decorative.

Due to its fast fruit bearing plum trees begins flowering on the third year of life. Most early appearance of fruit varieties lay flower buds at the stage of seedlings in the nursery. Sometimes in the autumn you can watch the repeat flowering plum, much weaker than the spring.


Where it grows plums?

The birthplace of plum – countries of the Caucasus, from here it spread over the vast territory from the foothills of the Alps to the Northern foothill areas of the Himalayas. Most often, the wild plum can be found in shrub thickets along rivers or in the understory. In the culture of the plum was introduced in the 1-3 centuries. Mostly it was cultivated in warm regions.

Breeders have done a lot of work to create new varieties and hybrids for growing plum trees in the regions of Central Russia and the far East. Today, you can find plum not only in the suburbs, but also further North, in the Leningrad region. To make the plum increased winter hardiness, plant breeders crossed it with Chinese plum, wood which is fit to endure frost down to -50°C.

Currently, because of its simplicity, fast fruit bearing and yield of cherry-plum is widely cultivated in home gardens. The tree can live up to 45-60 years, 20-25 of which it is capable of fruiting. Many varieties of plum are still characterized by low frost resistance, which manifests itself during the winter and early spring thaws. The tree growing season starts after a short warming, and then suffering from the freezing of the buds, shoots and bark.

Plum does not apply to samoplodnye cultures. Therefore, for good yield in the garden should be at least 2-3 trees of plum for cross pollination.


Useful properties of plums

Calorie plum is 34 kcal per 100 g, which allows the use of plum in the diet. Despite the sweet and sour taste, this fruit contains little sugars in its composition.

Useful substances in the composition of the plum:

  • Vitamins B1 – stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism;

  • Vitamin B2 – a affects visual acuity, regulates oxidation processes in the body;

  • Vitamin B6 regulates the functioning of the CNS and protein and fat metabolism;

  • Vitamin C – regenerates damaged skin, the endocrine glands, strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
  • Vitamin A - stimulates the heart muscle and blood vessels;

  • Vitamin E – regulates cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of blood clots.

  • Minerals – regulate cellular metabolism, regenerative processes.

This set of vitamins and minerals allows for the use of cherry plum to prevent beriberi.

The healing properties of plum:

  • Regulates blood pressure;
  • Is a delicate laxative;
  • Increases the level of hemoglobin;
  • Helps to cure cough, relieves pain in the throat, that is a natural antiseptic;
  • Mask with the pulp of plums remove spots on the face and body;
  • Strengthens overall immunity.

The plum fruit can be included in the diet of patients with diabetes, children and the elderly, it will not cause them harm. Plum rarely causes allergic reactions, so it can be eaten in moderation for those who suffer from a predisposition to allergies.

Harm plum

With excessive use , you can feel the effects of such excesses – abdominal pain, pain in the projection of stomach, nausea. All these symptoms disappear without any treatment.

The greatest danger of the seeds of this fruit. Although from the shell plum make activated carbon, the consumption of these seeds can cause poisoning. They contain hydrocyanic acid – a chemical compound, dangerous to life and health. Acid released during storage of compotes and jams from plums harvested seeds. Dangerous concentration builds up in the course of a year or more.


What differentiates plum from plum?

Plum, a plant of the Rose family (Rosaceae), subgenus Plum (Prunus), common in the Northern regions of the temperate latitudes.250 species, most of which is fruit culture.

Plums also belong to the genus plum, its Latin name is "splayed plum" (Prunus cerasifera).

Botanical characteristics of plum:

  • The fruit is a drupe that contains a large seed, has a sweet taste;
  • Leaves are simple with serrated edges, lanceolate;
  • The flowers are white or pink, United in the umbrella from 2 to 6 inflorescences or solitary, have 5 petals and 6 sepals.

Botanical characteristics of plum:

  • The fruit is a rounded drupe with a waxy coating and the longitudinal sulcus, often has a sour-sweet taste in some varieties, the flavor closer to sweet;
  • Leaves elliptic, acuminate to the apex;
  • The flowers are white or pink, appear in early may.

Additional differences:

  • The area of distribution South of the plum than plum;
  • The cherry plum is more early than plum, it begins fruiting for 2 years before plum;
  • Plum ripens before the cherry plum, starting at puberty with the beginning of summer in southern regions;
  • Bone in most varieties of plums are better separated than bone plum;
  • Plum plum better tolerate transportation over long distances;
  • Most plum varieties can be dried, plums are practically not subjected to such processing;

The plum is subject to diseases of fruit crops and pests, unlike plums, the cultivation of which requires special remedies.


Plum in cooking

Sweet and sour plum fruit that has a delicate flavor, used in cooking various Nations.

They are not only eaten fresh, but cooked chicken meals:

  • Jam
  • Jam,
  • Marmalade,
  • Candy,
  • Syrup
  • Compote,
  • Wine
  • Essence for cocktails.

Cherry plums are pickled in order to serve as a garnish to fatty meat dishes. It is used in food industry for the preparation of citric acid. Very popular famous Georgian sauce "tkemali", made from a special type of plum. For manufacturing pulp sprinted in boiling water, wipe through a sieve, boiled with the addition ofof spices and herbs.


Grafting the plum on plum

Such a vaccine do in order to make a more hardy plum, since plum has high winter hardiness. Besides, if the plum tree to graft several varieties of plums, they will pollinate each other, and the total yield will only increase.

Pollination pick released varieties suitable for cultivation in each region. If you choose varieties with different fruiting periods can significantly prolong the time of harvest plum.

The period of inoculation in the middle lane – March, the time until Bud break on the Scion and on the rootstock. The age of the tree for the rootstock must not exceed 5 years, and the branches that will be grafted stem – not older than one year. The best time for grafting in the morning with its high humidity, as in the evening the air more dry and the slices of plants are rapidly oxidized and dry, which reduces the survival rate.

The sequence of vaccinations in splitting – the easy way:

  • Trim the rootstock with pruning shears.
  • Perform a cross cut with a very sharp knife.
  • To break down in the middle of the stem to the depth of 3-4 cm.
  • The Scion to draw in the form of a wedge, starting from the lower buds.
  • Insert the Scion into the split rootstock tapered part.
  • Roll up place the Scion with tape.
  • Shears to cut the tip of the Scion, leaving 3-4 buds.
  • To cover the cut garden pitch.
  • To put on new shoot plastic bag to maintain moisture.

After the appearance of first leaves on the Scion package should be removed. The tape from the vaccination site be removed when the Scion will grow at least 25 cm in length. During the summer, remove shoots appearing on the rootstock to provide maximum nutrition to the grafted rootstock. After a year you can count on the appearance of the first crop.


Varieties of plum

In the Botanical classification used two names – "plum spread"and"plum visnupadaya". The first is used to describe wild varieties, and the latter for cultural forms plum.

A subspecies of the plum:

  • Typical (Caucasian wild plum) – grows in the Caucasus,in the Balkans, in the countries of Asia Minor;
  • The Central Asian wild – growing in Afghanistan and Iran;
  • Large-fruited plums – cultural forms, cultivated in home gardens.

Varieties of large fruited plums:

  • The Georgian group Kemelevich varieties with a sour, tart taste
  • Armenian,
  • Iranian,
  • Balkan,
  • Indian,
  • The Crimean varieties have a sweet taste and large fruit, are the base for the creation of most varieties of domestic breeding
  • Tauride,
  • Red (pessard) – are grown for decorative purposes, although it has several large-fruited forms with fruits of excellent taste.

Learn more: the Best varieties of hybrid plums for the suburbs


Contraindications

The consumption of plums and blanks, prepared on its basis (jams, sauces, compotes) is contraindicated in individual intolerance of this fruit culture.

Very carefully need eat fresh fruits for those who suffer from diseases of the digestive tract:

It is not recommended to use plums in any form to food in infants.

The use of plum as a dessert and as a component in various dishes and preparations will significantly enrich the diet with vitamins. Health benefits from the use of this fruit will be evident with moderate use and contraindications.